Litchfield’s enthusiasm for Modern architecture began in 1949 when Rufus and Leslie Stillman visted Marcel Breuer’s “House in the Museum Garden” at MOMA. For a six-acre site in Litchfield, they hired Breuer to design a house on half of the site, which was completed in 1951, and later expanded in two more phases by Breuer. They sold the other half of the lot to their friends the Huvelles, with the stipulation they build a Modern house. The Huvelles chose John Johansen for their house, completed in 1953. These trendsetters led others to the Modern fold and houses followed in the local area by Richard Neutra, Herbert Beckhard, E.D. Stone and Urlich Franzen. Public schools by Breuer and Johansen also followed. (Docomomo Tri-State)