23-549: The Litchfield Law School was a law school in Litchfield, Connecticut , that operated from 1774 to 1833. Litchfield was the first independent law school established in America for reading law . Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve , the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. While Litchfield was independent, a long-term debate resulted in the 1966 recognition of William & Mary Law School as
46-480: A Pre-K program available. Students then move on to Litchfield Intermediate School, where they will remain through sixth grade. Students then finish their Litchfield Public School career at Litchfield High School . Litchfield is also home to Forman School , a private boarding school for students in grades 9–12/PG with learning differences such as ADD / ADHD and dyslexia . Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut The Northwest Hills Planning Region
69-470: A downstairs wing for Sally, who found it difficult to climb stairs. In addition to practicing law, Reeve trained many prospective attorneys, including Aaron Burr , his brother in law. Students lived in the homes of town residents and traveled to Reeve's house on South Street to receive their morning lectures on the common law in Reeve's downstairs parlor. In 1784, in response to increasing demand, Reeve had
92-555: A one-room school built adjacent to his house. James Gould became Reeve's associate when Reeve was elected to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1798. Reeve withdrew in 1820 and Gould continued until 1833. The school's lectures covered the entire body of the law including real estate, rights of persons, rights of things, contracts, torts, evidence, pleading, crimes, and equity. The list of students who attended Tapping Reeve's law school includes two Vice Presidents of
115-468: Is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut, United States. It is served by the coterminous Northwest Hills Council of Governments ( NHCOG ). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 112,503 people living in
138-567: Is in Litchfield. While controlled by the Connecticut state government, the facility historically held inmates convicted of minor offenses. Governor of Connecticut Lowell P. Weicker Jr. ordered the facility closed for financial reasons in 1993. It was converted into the McAuliffe Manor, a substance abuse treatment center for women operated by Naugatuck Valley HELP Inc., but in 2009 the contract between Naugatuck Valley HELP Inc. and
161-626: Is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region . The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town. There are also three unincorporated villages: East Litchfield , Milton , and Northfield . Northfield, located in the southeastern corner of Litchfield, is home to a high percentage of the Litchfield population. Originally called Bantam township, Litchfield incorporated in 1719. The town derives its name from Lichfield , in England. In 1751 it became
184-700: The Northwestern Connecticut Transit District connecting to the city of Torrington . The Shepaug Valley Railroad opened a Litchfield terminal in 1872, but passenger service ended in 1930 and freight service in 1948. Litchfield Public Schools operates public schools. Litchfield High School is the area high school. Students may also attend Wamogo Regional Six to study agriculture, located in Litchfield, or Oliver Wolcott Technical School , located in Torrington . Litchfield Center School hosts children in grades K–3, with
207-771: The Tapping Reeve House and Law School , which is owned and operated by the Litchfield Historical Society as a museum displaying life in a 19th-century period school. The Society also operates the Litchfield History Museum. Reeve was born on Long Island , New York , in 1744. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) in 1763, serving for seven years as a tutor at the Grammar School that
230-615: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 56.8 square miles (147.1 km ), of which 56.1 square miles (145.2 km ) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.9 km ) (1.3%) is water. Litchfield is about 95 mi (153 km) from Central Park in New York, approximately 50 mi (80 km) from the Hudson River Valley, and about 40 mi (64 km) from
253-739: The United States (Aaron Burr and John C. Calhoun), 101 members of the United States House of Representatives, 28 United States senators, six United States cabinet secretaries, three justices of the United States Supreme Court , 14 state governors and 13 state supreme court chief justices. Litchfield Law School students also held state and local political office and became business leaders. Students went on to found university law schools and become university presidents. Framed pictures of students are still hung in
SECTION 10
#1732771838136276-403: The average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the town
299-530: The county seat of Litchfield County, and at the same time the borough of Litchfield (incorporated in 1879) was laid out. From 1776 to 1780, two depots for military stores and a workshop for the Continental army were maintained, and the leaden statue of George III., erected in Bowling Green (New York City) , in 1770, and torn down by citizens on July 9, 1776, was cut up and taken to Litchfield, where, in
322-637: The first justice of the US Supreme Court to attend law school. Litchfield was also home to a pioneering institution of young women's education, the Litchfield Female Academy , founded in 1792 by Sarah Pierce . Litchfield has a very rich history. The Litchfield Historical Society, located in the center of town, contains a wide variety of items with historical importance to the town. Located southwest of Torrington , Litchfield also includes part of Bantam Lake . According to
345-569: The first law school to have been affiliated with a university. Reeve began teaching his first student in 1774 and was teaching by lecture by 1784. Reeve later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court . The school closed in 1833, having educated over 1,100 students, including Aaron Burr and John C. Calhoun . The law school, including Reeve's house, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965 as
368-591: The house of Oliver Wolcott, it was melted into bullets for the American army by Wolcott's daughter and sister. During the American Revolution , several prominent Loyalists were held prisoner in the town, including William Franklin , son of Benjamin Franklin , and David Mathews , Mayor of New York City . In 1784, the first law school in the United States, the so-named Litchfield Law School ,
391-569: The nearest sea coast, on Long Island Sound . As of the census of 2000, there were 8,316 people, 3,310 households, and 2,303 families residing in the town. The population density was 148.4 inhabitants per square mile (57.3/km ). There were 3,629 housing units at an average density of 64.7 per square mile (25.0/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.99% White, 0.75% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of
414-408: The population. There were 3,310 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and
437-408: The school, including George Catlin , Horace Mann (the educator), Aaron Burr , Oliver Wolcott Jr. , and Roger Sherman Baldwin . Each name is followed by the year that the student finished, when known. Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County , Connecticut , United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census . The town
460-424: The state expired, leading to the closure of McAuliffe Manor. U.S. Route 202 is the main east-west road connecting Bantam and Litchfield center to the city of Torrington and New Milford, Connecticut . Route 63 runs north-south through the town center. The Route 8 expressway runs along the town line with Harwinton . It can be accessed from the town center via Route 118 . The town is also served by buses from
483-399: Was $ 58,418, and the median income for a family was $ 70,594. Males had a median income of $ 50,284 versus $ 31,787 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 30,096. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. The 1812 Litchfield County Jail , the town's oldest public building,
SECTION 20
#1732771838136506-530: Was connected with the college. There he met the children of Aaron Burr Sr. — Aaron Burr (later Vice President of the United States ) and Sally Burr, who were both his students. Tapping Reeve moved to Connecticut and studied law under Judge Jesse Root of Hartford, and was admitted to the bar in 1772 . In the same year, he married Sally Burr. They then moved to Litchfield and Reeve started his own law practice. Tapping Reeve built his six-room Litchfield house in 1773 and settled in with his wife. In 1780 he added
529-415: Was established by judge and legal scholar Tapping Reeve . Prior to its establishment, Reeve had accepted several legal apprentices since he had settled there in 1773, but saw such demand for his expertise that he formally opened the one-room school within a decade. During the school's fifty-year history it would accept more than 1,100 students, including Aaron Burr, Jr. , Horace Mann , and Levi Woodbury ,
#135864