Litchfield County’s largest city, Torrington, Connecticut, is a bustling metropolis that grew great off the back of its milling industry. Torrington is the county’s hub for commerce and industry and has been for more than 100 years; however, its industrial undertone is sufficiently offset by the rural beauty which surrounds it.
A flood of catastrophic proportions devastated the town in 1955, destroying much of Main street although some of the early 20th century structures were spared. A great deal of effort has gone into restoring the area, which was eventually given national historic district status in 1988.
These days, Torrington’s downtown area is something of a cultural epicenter offering myriad antique dealers and art houses as well as some interesting examples of art deco architecture. Its greatest cultural appeals are perhaps the Warner Theater, built originally by Warner Bros as a cinema and the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, a facility famous for training world-class ballet dancers.
Highlights
Warner Theater: once a popular cinema house owned by the famous Warner Brothers Company, this building is now used as a center for the performing arts.
Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts: visitors can catch performances of this famous ballet in the spring, summer and fall seasons with famous productions such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
Artwell Gallery: exhibitions and live performances are aired throughout the year by members of this dedicated community arts organization.
Historic districts: Downtown Torrington, Migeon avenue, Torringford street and Water street are all listed as historic districts and are ideal for a walk down memory lane.