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.