Litchfield

Introducing Litchfield

The centerpiece of the region is Litchfield, Connecticut’s best-preserved late-18th-century town, and the site of the nation’s first law school. The town itself converges on a long oval green, and is surrounded by lush swaths of protected land just aching to be hiked through and picnicked on.

Founded in 1719, Litchfield prospered from 1780 to 1840 (by 1810 it was the state’s fourth largest town) on the commerce brought through the town by stagecoaches en route between Hartford and Albany. In the mid-19th century, railroads did away with the coach routes, and industrial water-powered machinery drove Litchfield’s artisans out of the markets, leaving the town to languish in faded gentility. This development proved to be Litchfield’s salvation, as its grand 18th-century houses were not torn down to build factories, Victorian mansions or malls.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009