Helping and Teaching Youth for over 100 Years

The 63rd Annual Open House Day Tour of Litchfield to benefit the Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, rain or shine. Conducted by the Litchfield Aid of CJR, an auxiliary volunteer organization, this year's tour will feature five homes of historic and architectural significance, with a focus on Litchfield's spectacular North and South Street residences. The self-guided tour also includes additional points of interest and begins on the Litchfield Green. Most homes on the tour will be within walking distance to the center of Litchfield and guests will enjoy riding a trolley along the Tour route.

A Preview Tour will be offered the evening of Friday, July 9, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, followed by a cocktail reception from 7:00 - 9:30 PM at a private property in a magnificent garden located in the heart of Litchfield's Historic District.

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 $30.00 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.

Those using credit cards (Visa and MasterCard) for payment 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 25. 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 event for $35.00 each for adults and children on the Litchfield Green. (No charge for infants.)

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, Goods for Sale! Cash, Credit and Trade in Litchfield, 1790-1850, which will focus on Litchfield¹s economic history during the first half of the nineteenth century.

General information about the 63rd 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, or by checking this Open House website: www.litchfieldct.com/cjr/tour.html.

Founded in 1904, the Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) has provided residential and community-based care, treatment and education for at-risk and troubled young people for more than 100 years. Today, the organization's combined programs serve approximately 1,000 boys and girls from communities throughout Connecticut. CJR operates group homes for boys in East Hartford and Winchester, a short-term residential program for girls in Waterbury, and community-based programs serving boys and girls in the Danbury, Torrington/Northwest Connecticut and Greater Waterbury regions. Special, alternative and vocational education programs, as well as transition and related services, are provided for at-risk and special needs boys on CJR's Litchfield campus.

A private charitable organization, the Connecticut Junior Republic is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). CJR is supported by contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations, and through service contracts funded by the Court Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Connecticut Judicial Branch, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), and by Connecticut's public schools. For further information, please contact Hedy Barton, Director of Development and Public Relations (860) 567-9423, extension 252; or by email: hbarton@cjryouth.org