Salute to Litchfield

One of America’s most venerable institutions has honored one of America’s most admired small towns. Smithsonian Magazine, which looks at topics and subject matter researched, studied and exhibited by the Smithsonian Museum, has named Litchfield as one of the country’s top 15 “Best Small Towns to Visit” in 2021.

In an article published last month, the magazine staff explained that it chose towns that are examples of “perseverance and preservation” and are “reminders of all that we love about small towns in the first place.”

In choosing Litchfield, the editors could not have named a town with a deeper appreciation of its past even as it looks to a vibrant future. One of the earliest settlements in western Connecticut, it saw its first influx of settlers as early as 1715, and was incorporated by 1719. Less than 100 years later, the town was well known for its “academic and professional accomplishments, its postal service, library and local debating society” and had grown to be the fourth largest settlement in Connecticut at a time when a prosperous inland trade center was unusual for Connecticut.

By 1751, it had been designated the county seat, an honor it retained until Connecticut abolished the county system in 1959.

The town was prominent in the Revolutionary War—home to personages such as Governor Oliver Wolcott and Benjamin Tallmadge, George Washington’s chief spy—and a center Revolutionary foment. On July 9th 1776 the lead statue of George III on Bowling Green in New York City was torn down by citizens, cut up and taken to Litchfield, where, in the orchard of Oliver Wolcott, women and youth engaged in a “frolic,” melting the lead and casting it into 42,088 rounds to be fired at the King’s troops.

Later, as the Civil War loomed, the tumultuous debate over slavery was stoked by another Litchfield native, Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Litchfield became renowned as the location of the nation’s first law school which educated famous students such as artist George Catlin and U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr. Sarah Pierce’s Litchfield Female Academy, founded in 1792, was one of the nation’s first institutes of higher education for young women.

For those with a taste for history, the Litchfield Historical Society presents changing exhibits, artifacts and archives that explore the diverse history of the town. It also preserves the Tapping Reeve Law School which is open for tours. A walking tour map of the many notable homes dating back to the 18th century, including those of Wolcott and Tallmadge, is available. The lush village green is a perfect place to rest aching feet after touring the town while contemplating its rich historical context.

Litchfield grew rapidly as a commercial center because of its position on the Colonial road network but its history took a turn when, in the late 19th century, it eschewed construction of a railroad through it. This decision came amidst the growing Colonial Revival movement which may have denied the town further industrial development but was instrumental in preserving the pastoral beauty of its 18th- and 19th-century homes. That preservation set the tone for today’s perception of the town as a restful haven for visitors and second-home owners.

Although widely known for its historic colonial and colonial revival architecture, in 1950 Litchfield residents Rufus and Leslie Stillman were inspired by the designs of Marcel Breuer. They hired him to design their home, the first of the five houses he would eventually design in Litchfield. Over the next 20 years, many other prominent modernist architects worked there.

In Litchfield today, nearly 8,100 residents enjoy a cosmopolitan mix of eateries, shops and outdoor recreational opportunities. At the White Memorial Conservation Center, a 4,000-acre nature center, there are 40 miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing; Mount Tom State Park is known for its hiking and swimming, and Topsmead State Forest, a former summer estate, also provides hiking.

Bantam Lake is a go-to for swimming, while at the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, once the estate of former Smithsonian secretary Sidney Dillion Ripley II and his wife, Mary Livingston Ripley, more than 80 bird species can be seen and photographed.

Smithsonian’s article remarks that downtown Litchfield brims with antique stores, clothing boutiques and restaurants, “including the Market Place Tavern, an American eatery located within the old Litchfield jail (its early 19th-century jail cells are still visible).” Other local dining spots include the Village Restaurant, a local landmark, and the West Street Grill, a long-standing bistro where celebrity sightings are commonplace. Farther down the road, The Dutch Epicure has offered a genuine taste of Europe for the past 50 years.

A newer addition, but one that gained immediate acclaim, is Arethusa al tavolo in Bantam, an upscale restaurant established in 2013 by George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, president and vice president, respectively, of Manolo Blahnik. Located in what was the Village General store, it is situated next to the Arethusa Dairy store, formerly the Bantam Firehouse. Al tavolo has become a destination for local diners and visitors who admire the finest food Litchfield county has to offer.

Are you catching the spirit of this town? You can taste the actual spirit by visiting Litchfield Distillery which offers tasting of gin, whiskey and vodka as well as tours of the facility. Haight-Brown Vineyard, Connecticut’s fist farm winery, offers views of Litchfield’s rolling hills while tasting some of its wines crafted from vinifera and hybrids.