About The Abner Hotel

Our History

Connecticut named Litchfield as the county seat in 1751, and a year later, the
town constructed a county courthouse on the Litchfield Green (essentially a
wide roadway). As the center for legal activity in the region, Litchfield began
attracting educated families who created social networks, formed businesses opened law practices and supported schools.

The first courthouse to be built in Litchfield County was constructed in 1751–2. It retained its prominent location in the center of the green for nearly 50 years. Upon construction of the second building in 1796, the first was removed from the green and repurposed as part of the business block on West Street.

The second Litchfield County Courthouse was a grand undertaking. Local merchant Julius Deming was chosen as the agent for the project, which cost the county $5,000. The remaining costs were paid by private donations. Deming hired William Spratt, who had recently erected a home for Deming on North Street, to supervise construction.

The new courthouse and the other attractive wood-framed buildings around
it came to define the visual appearance of the town center. The same
wooden construction also proved a liability. A fire on June 11, 1866, leveled
the courthouse and many of the buildings on West Street. As the town began
to rebuild, a few enterprising business owners turned to the latest in
Victorian commercial architecture. Brick construction arrived on West
Street. To save on costs, the new courthouse was designed in wood.
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In 1888, before Litchfield’s residents could get used to the appearance of
their new business district, a second fire destroyed multiple buildings on
West Street. The courthouse in the final stages of construction and with a
fresh (and flammable) coat of paint was believed to be the origin of the blaze
and was lost to the flames.
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After a second fire in as many years, town officials rescinded all outstanding
permits for new wood construction. Litchfield quickly commissioned a new
stone courthouse on West Street to join a row of modern brick storefronts.
Noted state architect Robert Wakeman Hill was responsible for the design.

The design, however fireproof, did not match the colonial appearance the Village Improvement Society sought for the town’s business row. In 1913, the VIS persuaded the Litchfield County Bar Association to approve a plan to remodel the structure. They hired A.P.F. Adennaw, a New York architect who summered in Litchfield, to rebuild the tower and alter the clock to match the town’s Colonial Revival appearance.

The 1890 courthouse served Litchfield County and the local community for
over 120 years. In 2017, the Connecticut Judicial Branch relocated the courthouse operations to a new complex in nearby Torrington.

Since 2017, Lexington Partners, in partnership with Salt Hotels, has undertaken extensive renovations to transform the historic Courthouse into a 20-bedroom luxury boutique hotel, opening as The Abner in 2024.
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Named in honor of Reverend Abner Reeve, whose son Tapping Reeve founded America’s first law school right here in Litchfield, The Abner marks a new chapter in this landmark's storied history. Once again, this iconic building will stand at the heart of the Litchfield community, blending rich heritage with modern luxury.