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TheLitchfield Hills (also known as theNorthwest Hills orNorthwest Highlands) comprise a geographic region in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state ofConnecticut. It is roughly coterminous with the boundaries ofLitchfield County, for which it is named. The geographic region includes colloquial subregions—ruralNorthwestern Connecticut and the area associated with the city ofTorrington, also known as the Upper Naugatuck River Valley or simply Litchfield Hills—which have also variously corresponded to designated government councils both past and present. Much of the area makes up the lowermost section of theBerkshires and is culturally similar to the rest of westernNew England.
The Litchfield hills are known for their distinct rural scenery, which can stand in contrast to central and southern Connecticut, which is largely urbanized or suburbanized. (However, there is some encroachment of development into the region as people from greater Hartford move west and people fromNew York City, northernNew Jersey, andparts of Fairfield County move north.) This region is a key part of theHousatonic River andFarmington River watersheds, and encompasses a number of Connecticut's highest peaks, such asBear Mountain and Canaan Mountain. Most of the region comprises forested and rocky hills with farmland and small towns interspersed in the flatter areas. The terrain in the Litchfield Hills area varies from gently rolling to the south and east to more mountainous toward the north and west. The region generally experiences colder temperatures due to higher elevation.[1] The Litchfield Hills, like the rest of Northwest Connecticut, are known for their town greens, fall foliage, and historical architecture. The hills comprise the southernmost portion ofthe Berkshires. This region also plays host to a large portion of the state's small vineyard and wine industry. Historically, the region was well known for thelimestone,iron, anddairy industries.
A unique term to the region is the word "raggie". Used as an insult by some and with a sense of local pride by others, the term "raggie" denotes someone with a lower income and approximates the term "white trash". The term probably originated from iron workers from Mount Riga in Salisbury. These workers were often poor immigrants who wore grubby clothes as a result of their work. After the iron works closed down, the workers moved to Norfolk, Winsted, and Torrington, and the name stuck. The term "raggie" is rarely, if ever, heard elsewhere.[2]
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The towns included in the Northwestern Connecticut region are:Canaan,Cornwall,Kent,North Canaan,Roxbury,Salisbury,Sharon,Warren,Washington. Unlike the rest of Connecticut, the portion of Northwestern Connecticut around the upperHousatonic River contains more alkaline soils due to the underlying limestone. The flatter regions around the Housatonic River provide some of the best soils for farming inLitchfield County.
Due to the rural feel of the area, the region is an extremely popular location for second homes, primarily with New York City residents. The hills are rural enough to offer an escape from city life, yet close enough (less than 90 miles) to visit on weekends. Many visitors also arrive in the autumn to witness the fall foliage, and to visit the region's covered bridges or its many waterfalls.
The area has been and continues to be home to many famous or wealthy residents, includingMia Farrow,Meryl Streep,Dustin Hoffman,Denis Leary,Kevin Bacon, and is sometimes referred to as the Hamptons of Connecticut. This region is very similar to portions ofBerkshire County, Massachusetts, which lies just to the north.
Northwestern Connecticut is known for its cultural activities, such as chamber performances at Music Mountain inCanaan and a wide array of art galleries. The region is also home topreparatory schools, such as theHotchkiss School,Kent School,Marvelwood School, andThe Gunnery.
The Litchfield Hills region is also known as the Upper Naugatuck Valley and consists of the towns ofBarkhamsted,Bethlehem,Colebrook,Goshen,Hartland,Harwinton,Litchfield,Morris,New Hartford,Norfolk,Torrington, andWinchester. The Litchfield Hills feel a stronger pull toward industry than Northwestern Connecticut, with manufacturing centering on the Naugatuck River in Torrington and Mad River in Winsted. Historically,brass,needles,scythes, and other products were manufactured in the area. However, the rural areas still retain industries such asdairy,vineyards, andstone. This region is sometimes included with theNaugatuck River Valley.
Originally settled in the mid 18th century as agriculturally based towns, the areas with access to flowing water began to develop industries in the 19th century. As theMidwest opened up to settlement, many farmers headed west in search of better farming opportunities. Among these included theJohn Brown family, originally fromTorrington. Some notable areas settled by people from the Litchfield Hills include theWestern Reserve ofOhio andTorrington, Wyoming. Around the time industry became important in the area, many immigrants came to work in the factories. Many of the immigrants in the Litchfield Hills area came from Italy, Ireland,Lebanon, Poland, andSlovakia. Later in the 20th century, many of these industries declined or relocated, producing conditions similar to theMidwesternrust belt, but on a smaller scale. Today,tourism remains an important industry for the Litchfield Hills.
The eastern towns, includingHartland, Barkhamsted, andNew Hartford contain large water supplyreservoirs to the city ofHartford.
Culturally, the Litchfield Hills are politically moreconservative than the rest of Connecticut, withLitchfield County being the only county in the state to vote forGeorge W. Bush in the2004 election. The region contains its own section in the WaterburyRepublican-American, which covers local events and news. The region is also split between allegiance to theNew York Yankees andBoston Red Sox, with the southwestern part of the region generally supporting the Yankees and northeastern part of the region generally supporting the Red Sox.
