Litchfield

Town and administrative headquarters of Litchfield County, northwestern Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River in the Litchfield Hills; population (1990) 8,400. Settled in 1720, it is noted for its streets lined with old trees and homes. The area attracts commuters, many from New York City.

Litchfield was a military depot before and during the American Revolution; although it had a number of industries, including iron ore mining and agriculture, its early wealth came from overseas trade. In later years, it became a summer resort, and recently an arts colony.

The Tapping Reeve House is the site of the first law school in America, attended by the US politicians Aaron Burr and John C Calhoun. The town is also the birthplace of the US soldier Ethan Allen, the US cabinet member and governor Oliver Wolcott, and the abolitionists Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.