Title: Uplands: AN EXCERPT FROM LITCHFIELD
Author: RALPH WHITE
Publisher: LITCHFIELD MAGAZINE
Date: 7\1\2011
LITCHFIELD is a special place-one might even say exceptional. In fact, those of us fortunate to live here are so accustomed to Litchfield being exceptional that when we venture out into the world, we wonder why other towns don't have similarly stunning architecture, tree-lined boulevards, natural beauty, and reverence for history.
We Litchfielders know we're a little different, a little greener, cooler, more educated, and affluent. If this sounds a tad boastful, we're simply following along line of proud residents who called this corner of Connecticut home.
Take, for instance, the earliest people-members of the Wawyachtonoc, a tribe
of the Mahican Confederacy- who delighted in the prime hunting and fishing grounds of our northwest parts. Indeed, even after they sold what early settlers called the Western Lands, the tribesmen reserved an area around
Mt. Tom to continue their livelihoods.
Ironically, Litchfield's exceptionalism derives as much from what it lacks
as for what it possesses. It lacks a swiftly-flowing river to power mills. Without mills, there was no surge of laborers into Litchfield during the Industrial Revolution as there was in valley towns. With neither mills nor population, Litchfield was largely bypassed by a railroad industry that favored lowland routes. And so, in an era when progress was defined by the boom of engines, Litchfield slipped off the grid. A good thing, too—for it was our town's pristine aloofness regarding progress that preserved its colonial-era charm.
Part of that charm owes something to Litchfield's Golden Age, a 50-year period between 1784 and 1834 when Tapping Reeve's Litchfield Law School and Sarah Pierce's Litchfield Female Academy flourished. These institutions were to have an impact beyond mere pedagogy-they attracted to Litchfield some of the best and brightest then living in the freshly liberated republic.
Then, in 1908, a man of remarkable vision and generosity endowed Litchfield with a legacy that truly set it apart. Alain Campbell White saw the depredations of development destroying the natural world around him and determined to stop it in its tracks.
The foundation which he and his sister, May, created comprises the 4,000 acres of woodlands and wetlands now known as the White Memorial Conservation Center. Renowned for its natural beauty and breathtaking views, White Memorial is the cap on Litchfield's lovely gown.
For those early settlers, Litchfield's very remoteness, its cool upland climate, and uncut timberlands must have looked heavenly. Today, we can't imagine it any other way.
Adapted from Litchfield,
by Ralph White, Arcadia
Publishing, July 2011
Title: Litchfield's History
Author: Staff Writer
Publisher: Litchfield County Times
Date: 7/21/2011
WASHINGTON—Litchfield was founded 57 years before the Declaration of Independence, and it wears its distinctive history proudly. Visitors first note the town's scenic beauty, then its pace, friendly atmosphere, and historic architecture, but perhaps more importantly Litchfield was the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"; briefly of Ethan Allen, a hero of the Revolutionary War; Sarah Pierce, whose Litchfield Female Academy pioneered education for women; Tapping Reeve, founder of the first American law school; and Oliver Wolcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Litchfield was also the home of Alain and Margaret White, whose visionary donation of 4,000 acres of woodlands and wetlands thrust Litchfield into the forefront of nature conservancy.
Ralph White's book, "Litchfield," is photographic history in a walking tour format. It opens around the village green, leads the reader up one side of North Street and down the other, followed by South Street and the rest of the Historic District. Separate chapters feature Litchfield's outskirts, Bantam, and White Memorial. Litchfield is an easily portable paperback, the newest entry in Arcadia Publishing's popular "Images of America" series of local histories. "Litchfield" comprises 200 vintage black and white images, including many from private collections that have never been published. The captions are descriptive and often entertaining, making the town's history fun and accessible.
Mr. White will discuss his book July 31 at 2 p.m. at the Hickory Stick Bookstore in Washington. The event is free and open to the public. Call to reserve a copy. If unable to attend, call to reserve an autographed copy.
Mr. White is a Litchfield native, a graduate of Litch field schools, and active in the town's civic, social, and professional life. After a career in international banking, highlighted by 10 years in Asia and 20 in New York City, Mr. White once again lives in the house on Norfolk Road where he grew up. Ralph White is a trustee of the Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust, founder of the Litchfield Professional Network, and past president of the Litchfield Country Club. He is a business consultant, real estate finance professional, and a writer.
Title: History of Litchfield Told Through Photographs
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Date: 7/18/2011
The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's popular Images of America series is Litchfield from local author Ralph White. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.
Litchfield was founded 57 years before the Declaration of Independence, and it wears its distinctive history proudly. Visitors first note the town's scenic beauty, then its pace, friendly atmosphere, and historic architecture. Litchfield was the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin; Ethan Allen, a hero of the Revolutionary War; Sarah Pierce, whose Litchfield Female Academy pioneered education for women; Tapping Reeve, founder of the first American law school; and Oliver Wolcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Litchfield was also the home of Alain and Margaret White, whose visionary donation of 4,000 acres of woodlands and wetlands thrust Litchfield into the forefront of nature conservancy. Litchfield guides readers around the village green, through the town's historic district, and to the nearby White Memorial Conservation Center.
Highlights of Litchfield:
? Around the Village Green
? North Street
? South Street
? East and West Streets
? Outskirts
? Bantam, Bantam Lake and River
? White Memorial Conservation Center
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
