This Quaint New England Town’s Historic Courthouse Is Now a Luxury Boutique Hotel — See Inside

Tucked in western Connecticut, Litchfield is the quintessential New England weekend getaway with historic landmarks, museums, and scenic rural landscapes, once home to notable figures such as abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe and Green Mountain Boys leader Ethan Allen. And just in time for fall foliage season, the town has a new boutique hotel that perfectly epitomizes its historic roots without compromising modern-day luxuries.

The Abner, which opened on Sept. 12, is an intimate 20-key property housed in the former Litchfield County Courthouse with a seasonal rooftop bar with panoramic views of the town, a restaurant, and private dining and event spaces.

“This project has been a labor of love, preserving the courthouse’s architectural heritage while creating a sophisticated retreat for modern travelers,” Kevin O’Shea, co-founder, and chief creative officer of Salt Hotels, the property’s minority owner and operator, said in a press release provided to Travel + Leisure.

The interior design, helmed by O’Shea, pays homage to the building’s fascinating history by repurposing many original details into the new design concept. For example, while dining, some guests will be seated on the original judges’s benches, now serving as banquette seating, while the reception is outfitted with old jury boxes. Similarly, in the guestrooms and suites, which range from 150 to 450 square feet, O’Shea hand-curated a selection of vintage and custom furnishings and artwork and paired them with a color palette inspired by the legal tomes he and his team found on-site (think rich ochre and black accents). However, he also infused the spaces with modern comforts such as luxury bath amenities, Tivoli Bluetooth radios, minibars stocked with local delicacies and snacks, and plush bed linens.

This hotel’s signature restaurant, The Courtroom, serves elegant tavern fare in a sunlit dining area with soaring ceilings, oversized windows, and marble accents. The menu, dreamed up by chef Michael Alfeld, features continental and coastal dishes like Cajun chicken, cottage pie, lobster ginger halibut, and stuffed Atlantic cod with white wine butter.

The hotel is crowned by The Verdict, a chic rooftop bar awash in natural hues, treating patrons to handcrafted cocktails and lush countryside vistas. 

And if you’re wondering what happened to the courthouse jail, it is now an intimate, stone-walled space with a fireplace — aptly named The Lock Up — and is part of the property’s unique events spaces.

“We are so excited to revitalize this important piece of historic architecture and to create a vibrant gathering place for Litchfield’s local community and our future guests,” David Bowd, Salt Hotels co-founder and chief executive, said, adding that the hotel’s team is eager to create “experiences that we hope will be truly memorable for all of our guests.”

Nightly rates at The Abner Hotel start from $250, and you can book your stay on theabnerhotel.com.