National Historic Landmark

Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School

Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000879

About this property

The Litchfield Law School was a law school in Litchfield, Connecticut, that operated from 1774 to 1833. Litchfield was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. While Litchfield was independent, a long-term debate resulted in the 1966 recognition of William & Mary Law School as the first law school to have been affiliated with a university. Reeve began teaching his first student in 1774, and by 1784 was teaching by lecture. He later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. The school closed in 1833, having educated over 1,100 students, including Aaron Burr and John C. Calhoun. The law school, including Reeve's house, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965 as the Tapping Reeve House and Law School, which is owned and operated by the Litchfield Historical Society as a museum displaying life in a 19th-century period school. The Society also operates the Litchfield History Museum.

Location

Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut
41.74382, -73.18870

Categories

LAW
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Litchfield Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Wolcott, Oliver, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Litchfield Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Topsmead
Industrial
1.6 mi
Bissell, Henry B., House
Industrial
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School listed on the National Register?

Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School?

Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School?

The period of significance for Reeve, Tapping, House and Law School is recorded as the industrial era.

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