The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Town plans for 300th anniversary
LITCHFIELD — Litchfield will turn 300 in May and a number of groups in town are planning celebrations this year to mark the occasion.
The Litchfield Patriots, a civic organization, is planning a weekend-long celebration Sept. 6-8, beginning with a preview party at a private home in Litchfield.
Patriots member Cleve Fuessenich said the location of the party and the cost of tickets hasn’t been worked out yet.
“But the party’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “It
will feature a re-enactment of the melting down of the King George III statue. There will be people in period costumes, representing people from Litchfield and around the country, and lots of activities.”
On Sept. 7 the group will hold a day of events on the Litchfield Green. Starting at 10 a.m., American Legion Post 44, which holds a Veteran of the Month program, plans to honor people who fought in the Revolutionary War.
“Immediately following that, there will be a panoply of performers, with units from the Revolutionary War, individuals demonstrating various military skills, horseback riders representing Benjamin Tallmadge and his Dragoons, and a number of people representing noteworthy residents in town,” Fuessenich said. “Probably Oliver Wolcott, and many others, including some very interesting, littleknown people from Litchfield. It will fascinate the public.”
Fuessenich said members of his group are planning a reenactment of someone imprisoned in Litchfield’s jail. “They kept Ben Franklin’s son, William, in jail here, so we’ll have a tip of the hat to what that meant, at the time, in the community,” he said.
Other activities on the Green will include genealogy assistance to help residents who are tracing their ancestry; live music performances by groups including the Mattatuck Drum Corps, and demonstrations of period crafts and skills from the time of the Revolutionary War.
“There will be something to entertain young and old alike — people who are knowledgeable about the Revolutionary War, and others who are not,” Fuessenich said.
Activities on Sept. 7 are to be announced. Fuessenich said the Sons of the American Revolution are also planning an event the evening of Sept. 6.
Whatever develops for the celebration, Fuessenich said, is going to be terrific. “Hopefully the weather will be smiling on us,” he said. “We want it to be entertaining, educational, informative, and just plain fun.”
Anyone interested in volunteering for the Litchfield Patriots events is asked to send an email to east.litchfield@gmail.com.
“As we get a little closer, we’ll be able to give more details on what people can expect,” Fuessenich said.
Other groups involving themselves in the Litchfield 300 celebration are the Connecticut Junior Republic, which is reprising its Open House Tour this year, as well as a group effort including the White Memorial Conservation Center, Topsmead State Park, the Litchfield Land Trust, the Litchfield Greenway, Livingston Ripley Sanctuary and the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society. These groups are holding a reception in March, followed by weekly events featuring one of the six organizations.
Litchfield Bancorp, which previously held the Litchfield Borough Days on the green, is also expected to hold an event marking the town’s birthday sometime this summer, Fuessenich said.
The Litchfield Historical Society is inviting artists to participate in a group show and fundraiser, “Litchfield at 300,” from 6 to 8 p.m. May 18. Tickets to attend are now available at www. litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ artfundraiser/. Artists interested in participating can contact the society at www. litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ artfundraiser/, by calling 860-567-4501.
The society also is presenting an exhibit at the museum, “Sold, Made & Grown in Litchfield,” showcasing the town’s history of commerce, industry and agriculture from the 20th century to the present.
The show runs from April 13-Nov. 24, with a reception April 22 at 6 p.m. Residents can RSVP to attend at registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.