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The Old Riverton Inn

Riverton, CT  
 

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Unlimited possibilities — Corporate Retreat, Fishing Lodge, Gallery/Retail, Family Compound, Farm to Table – or bring your own ideas to this classic property. Currently a turnkey sale with 12 guest rooms, 120-seat restaurant, tavern; all furnishings, fixtures, and equipment included. Serving the public since 1796 in the same location, steps from the world class fishing in the Farmington River, People’s State Forest, and Litchfield Hills recreation. Convenient to Bradley Airport for business travelers. Just two owners over the past 70 years. Consider writing the next chapter in the rich and storied history of this Connecticut landmark.

HISTORY OF THE OLD RIVERTON INN

Listed on National Register of Historic Places

The OLD RIVERTON INN was originally opened in 1796 by Jesse Ives and was then known on the post route between Hartford and Albany as the Ives’ Tavern. During the succeeding years it passed through many hands and undoubtedly had many names, not the least of which was Yale Hotel, when it was owned by the Yale family who had many properties in this area.
The Inn was restored in 1937 as it might have been in Ives’ time. However, with increasing business the Inn became inadequate for the demands made upon it and in 1940 the wing was added on the north side, necessitating the complete remodeling of the first and second floors. Naturally a certain amount of the old building was lost in this need for additional space, but by combining the old floors and fireplaces and the old hemlock beams with modern decor, the old charm was maintained with modern convenience.
In 1954 the Grindstone Terrace was enclosed to make it available for year round use. The floor in the room is made of grindstones which, according to the original records, were quarried in Nova Scotia and sent by ship to Long Island Sound, then up the Connecticut River to Hartford. They were then hauled by oxen to Collinsville where they were used in the making of axes and machetes.
Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was a frequent guest during this era, claiming she enjoyed visiting the area as a place to write.
It might be interesting to note that the village of Riverton was once called Hitchcocksville after the famous Hitchcock chairs that were manufactured for over a century in the old factory which still stands on the bank of the Farmington River opposite the Inn. Hitchcock remains a significant presence in the village to this day.

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