History

The Tollgate Tavern building, officially known as the Erving Davidson Clark Tavern, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was originally built in 1695 and quickly became a popular place for travelers on route between Heartford and Joah during the colonial times. The Tavern had undergone a complete kitchen makeover in 2009 and is ready to serve dinner as well as lunch and dinner on weekends.

Litchfield itself is home to natural unspoiled wonders, moss coated stone walls, verdant woodlands, great antiquing, covered bridges, and of course friendly people. In Litchfield, there are numerous beautiful areas to explore that make it the perfect relaxing weekend getaway. Some areas of interest are Mount Tom State Park, Lake Waramaug State Park, and Mohawk State Forest. Litchfield is also one of the fastest growing wine regions in the country blessed by the perfect winemaking climate. You can explore vineyards and wineries along the Connecticut Wine Trail. Book lovers will be delighted to visit Johnnycake Books, which has over 8,000 titles to browse from and cozy chairs to sit on. The shop is located on a 19^th century farm cottage surrounded by beautiful perennial gardens. There are historic homes, churches and shops nearby. There is definitely something for everyone in this quaint little town. The Tollgate Tavern is located just 3 miles from the Town Green of Litchfield.