Helping and Teaching Youth for over 100 Years

The 61^st Annual Open House Day Tour of Litchfield to benefit the Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) will be held Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, rain or shine. Conducted by the Litchfield Aid of CJR, an auxiliary volunteer organization, the tour will feature five Litchfield homes of historic and architectural significance and additional points of interest. The self-guided tour begins at the Information Booth on the Litchfield Green. Ticket sales, information, and the ³"lost and found" will be located there also.

A Preview Tour will be offered the evening of Friday, July 11, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, followed by a cocktail reception from 7:00 - 9:30 PM at Winvian, a whimsical and luxurious private resort in Morris that is part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux organization. "We are very excited to be able to announce that the Preview Party for this event will be held at one of the premier resorts in the country," stated Ellen Ebbs, president of the Litchfield Aid, in her announcement about the location for the 2008 event.

Ticket information for the Preview Tour and Party may be obtained by calling the Connecticut Junior Republic (860) 567-9423. Advance tickets for the Saturday tour may be obtained for $25.00 by contacting the Litchfield Aid of CJR, P.O. Box 214, Litchfield, Connecticut 06759. Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your credit card information, check or money order, made payable to:   Litchfield Aid of CJR.

Credit card users (Visa and MasterCard) should provide account name, number, security code and expiration date. Discover Card is NOT accepted. Advance orders are non-refundable and must be received no later than Friday, June 27. Requests for tickets after this date will be held for pick-up on the day of the Tour at the ticket tent on the Green. Special rates are available for tour groups that reserve a minimum of 20 tickets in advance.

Tickets for the Saturday Tour will be sold on the day of the tour for $30.00 each for adults and children at the ticket tent on the Green. (No charge for infants.)

There are three ways to order tickets for the Litchfield House Tour:

• By phone: Call 860-567-9423
  
• By mail: Click here and print-out the order form.
  Mail it in along with your check or credit card information and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
  Litchfield Aid of CJR, P.O. Box 214, Litchfield, Connecticut 06759.
  
• Use the handy ONLINE ORDER FORM.
  
  
• A special group rate is offered for tour groups.
  that reserve a minimum of 20 tickets by June 30.
  Contact Judi Goddard at CJR , 860-567-9423, ext. 253.
  

Visitors may enjoy lunch at the Connecticut Junior Republic from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. A choice of a seafood salad or smoked turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich plate, including pasta salad, brownie and iced tea, will be offered for $6. CJR boys will give tours of the campus, and a student art exhibition is planned. Other points of interest on the Tour include the Oliver Wolcott Library and the town's churches.

The Litchfield History Museum and the Tapping Reeve House and Law School, recognized as the first law school in America, will also be included in the admission price of the Tour. The History Museum will feature an exhibition, To Please Any Taste: Litchfield County Furniture and Furniture Makers, 1780 ­ 1830. The exhibit includes over 30 examples of Litchfield County furniture, including pieces from Yale University, Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford Steam Boiler Insurance Company, and from private collectors.

General information about the 61^st Annual Open House Tour may be obtained by contacting the Connecticut Junior Republic at (860) 567-9423 between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM. Please continue to visit this website for further information as it develops.

Founded in 1904 through the bequest of Litchfield resident, Mary Buel, the Connecticut Junior Republic has served troubled and at-risk young people for more than 100 years. Today, the organization provides residential and community-based care, treatment and education for boys and girls from communities throughout Connecticut. In addition to its residential campus in Litchfield, CJR operates group homes in East Hartford and Winchester, and community programs in Danbury, Torrington and Waterbury. Last year, the organization helped approximately 1,000 boys, girls, and families through its various services.

A private charitable organization, the Connecticut Junior Republic is supported by contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations, and through services funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), Court Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Connecticut Judicial Branch, and by Connecticutıs public schools. For further information, please contact Hedy Barton, Director of Development and Public Relations (860) 567-9423.