Litchfield courthouse transformed into hotel by Hartford-based developer to open Labor Day weekend
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The Abner hotel in Litchfield is set to debut later this summer.
A 135-year-old courthouse in the center of Litchfield, shuttered in 2017, will reopen at the end of August as a boutique hotel with an upscale restaurant following a roughly $14.5 million renovation led by Hartford-based developer Lexington Partners.
Rooms at The Abner are booking between $375 and $525 nightly, depending on the day of the week. The restaurant in the former courtroom and a rooftop dining area/lounge overlooking the town green and the Litchfield hills beyond will open to the public as the hotel launches.
Lexington Partners began the renovation of the granite-sided, Romanesque Revival building in spring 2023. Plans focused on retaining and capitalizing on the building’s antique charm, including its Seth Thomas clock tower. The majority owners include Lexington and prominent Hartford businessman Alan Lazowski.
Massachusetts-based hotel operator SALT Hotels has been enlisted to run operations as a junior partner. It is currently booking rooms beginning Friday, August 30.
Lexington is known for developing and managing large-scale multifamily properties, but opted for a hotel after speaking with locals, including the Litchfield Preservation Trust Inc.
The local nonprofit acquired the former courthouse after the state moved operations to a new Torrington courthouse in 2017. The developers bought the property for $1 million.
Holyoke-based PeoplesBank is the senior lender for the project. The project used a clean energy loan through the Connecticut Green Bank and received a state historic tax credit. Lexington also recruited outside investors.
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