The Avon Old Farms Inn
The Avon Old Farms Inn, comprising in a number of dining rooms, was formed by joining the original building erected by the North family on this site. John North, the first of the family to arrive in America from England in 1635, settled in the territory of this immediate vicinity, know as the town Farmington, Connecticut, which later became Northington, a contraction for “North Farmington”. Still later, the land in this particular area was called “Nod”, an abbreviation for “North District” of the church of Farmington. The road joining U.S. 44 at the corner just north of the Old Farms Inn derives its name from this, and our official P.O. address is 1 Nod Road.
Thomas North, the son of John, settled the present site of the Inn in 1678. After fighting with the British Colonial Army in King Phillip’s War, he became a “Freeman” and for his services received from the King of England a grant of land on the East side of the Farmington River “under the mountain and north of the Hartford-Albany Turnpike”. His son Nathaniel, built his home on a parcel of his father’s grant in 1757. The building is now part of the Avon Old Farms Inn, with the Foyer, Lobby, Private Dining Room, and second-floor bedrooms. Nathaniel’s grandson, Isiah, became Deacon of the Northington Church, and, upon his death left his property to his son, Joseph, estimating its worth in his will as:
‘one house & barn & land adjoining & 6 acres $600.00
one shop $30.00
land north and adjacent to the turnpike (30 acres) $600.00
land & north piece (in the meadow) (11 acres) $176.00′
In 1832, Joseph North, a blacksmith of Nod area, remodeled his shop, erecting a fine stone building, which is the part of the Inn known as the FORGE ROOM. There was an Inn established about 1678 across the turnpike from the site of the present Inn, known as Marshall Tavern, which stood until it was demolished in 1933. It was here that the Hartford, Albany, and Boston stage stopped overnight, and passengers, horses, etc. were accommodated, both at the Tavern and at Joseph North’s home and shop.
Supplementing the Tavern since this early beginning, the North homestead gradually grew as an Inn to its present size and in 1923 became the Old Farms Inn. It now consists of the warm “1757 Tavern”, with its oak paneled walls, stained glass ceiling, granite pub tables, and brass sided fireplace, the “HUNT ROOM”, echoing the “Call To The Hounds”, two delightful private dining rooms, both originally used by the Innkeeper’s family, the charmingly gracious COACH ROOM with its cathedral ceilings and coach latens, and the FORGE ROOM, with the original blacksmith appurtenances.
The Inn Today -
Our seven lovely dining rooms can accommodate groups from 8 to 130 for private parties
The heart of the Inn is the gracious Coach Room where you can enjoy many of our specialties from Yankee Pot Roast to Lobster Newburg. We serve a variety of American foods with a continental flair.
Our Forge Room is a welcome spot for lunch or dinner. Its giant fireplace, antique tools, and booths which were former horse stalls, are all the reminders of its day as a blacksmith shop.
If your group number is under 30, why not enjoy the warmth of our Hunt Room, with its walls of old Connecticut barn siding? Or, step back in time and let us entertain your group in one of our private dining rooms the original owners dined over 230 years ago. They are perfect for groups of 8 to 14.
In addition, in September of 1993, we completed a state of Art Banquets and Conference Facility. The Belle Terrace Ballroom is ideal for wedding receptions numbering from 150 to 250 guests, with its gold and crystal chandeliers, private cocktail room, and outside terrace. Our conference facility can accommodate up to 370 guests conference style, and offers a combination of New England Charm and the latest in sophisticated conference facility amenities.
For elegant country dining, magical wedding receptions, or the latest in conference facilities, discover the Avon Old Farms Inn.
The Innkeeper
