Tapping Reeve House and Law School

The Litchfield Law School was the first of its kind in the country and was the work of Tapping Reeve. He established the school in 1773 and later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. The school closed in 1833, but had schooled the likes of 1,100 students. The law school and Tapping Reeve's home were appointed National Historic Landmarks in 1965. They are owned and maintenanced by the Litchfield Historical Society and serve as a museum dedicated to sharing the 19th century lifestyle and education. Tapping Reeve graduated from the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University, in 1763. He moved to Connecticut and studied law, taking the Bar exam in 1772. Reeves began his own practice after marrying and moving to Litchfield and later constructed the house and school. It was a six room building he shared with his wife Sally. Students who attended the school lived with townspeople while they were receiving their law education from Reeve. The list of students who attended the Reeve's school includes two Vice Presidents, more than 100 members of the House of Representatives, 28 Senators, six cabinet secretaries, 14 governors, 13 state Supreme Court chief justices and three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.