Historical Societies

Topsmead Cottage Tours

Buell Rd. | 860-567-5694

Free Guided Tours of Edith Chase’s cottage at Topsmead State Forest will resume in June 2022 and continue on the second and fourth weekends of each month through October for the season. The English Tudor-style cottage is decorated with Chase’s international collection of art and antiques. Topsmead is a 510-acre state forest gifted by Chase in 1972 to the citizens of Connecticut. It includes bike and nature trails, formal gardens, and bird habitats.

Northfield Historical Society

38 Main St. (Northfield) St. | 860-283-8176

The village of Northfield, bordering Thomaston and Harwinton, is known for the Northfield Knife Company (1858-1926), whose ruins were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Knife Shop Dam and waterfall are a scenic attraction. The Northfield Historical Society has a display case in the local Gilbert Library, home to its archives.

Milton Historic District

The Milton Historic District, four miles northwest of Litchfield Center, features churches, schools, a former water power site, and houses in the village of Milton that include examples of pre-Revolutionary War architecture and later 19th-century structures, remaining in their original relationship to one another. The centerpiece is the Common, unimproved land at the intersection of Milton Road with Headquarters and Shearshop roads. Activity in the historic district is overseen by the Milton Historic District Commission.

Bantam Historical Society

The Bantam Historical Society has acquired and preserved old glass plate negatives, photographs, post cards, signs, documents, and other local memorabilia. Displays are presented at the Bantam Borough Hall, and arrangements can be made to view the entire collection. The historical society created a display at Bantam River Park with a 19th century carriage built in Bantam by the Flynn & Doyle carriage-making factory (859 Bantam Rd. on the site of the United Methodist Church of Bantam, destroyed by the 1989 tornado).

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Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School

82 South St. | 860-567-4501

The Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School takes visitors on a journey through the 19th century life of a real student who came to Litchfield for an education at the Litchfield Law School—the nation’s first law school—or the Litchfield Female Academy. Touring the school showcases the evolution of law education and instruction, while exploring how Litchfield became home to such a valuable institution.

Litchfield Historical Society

7 South St. | 860-567-4501

The Litchfield Historical Society is dedicated to presenting the history of the town through dynamic exhibits, diverse programs, growing collections, and innovative research. The Historical Society is comprised of the Litchfield History Museum, the Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library, the Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School, and the Tapping Reeve Meadow. The historical society is open to the public free of charge and presents rotating exhibits.