Owners: Roger Sherman Inn To Close Jan. 2

The owners of the Roger Sherman Inn said in a social media post Monday that the Oenoke Ridge Road landmark will close Jan. 2.

Calling the Roger Sherman a “treasured home away from home for many of our loyal families,” owners Nesreen and Joseph Jaffre in a Facebook post on the inn’s page called for people to patronize the business over the next few weeks.

“In appreciation and celebration of the many good times we’ve shared and the warm memories we’ll cherish as time goes by, please join us over the next four weeks as we gather to share stories, laugh together, cry together and say goodbye to the end of an era,” according to a Facebook post.

It included a photo of the Jaffres in front of an old-looking car and concluded: “Thanks for the memories, your support and your loyalty.” One hour after that post, the Jaffres put up a photo advertising a $250 per-person New Year’s Eve at the inn.

The 1740-built Roger Sherman occupies a special place in the hearts of many—it is not only a restaurant and inn that offers live music, but also stands as a reminder of when New Canaan was a weekend and summer destination for New Yorkers seeking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. The inn in recent years has also served as a meeting place for venerable local groups such as the Rotary Club of New Canaan, and is a popular special occasions destination for locals such as on Valentine’s Day and, recently, for pre-Senior Prom photos.

A Norwalk developer in September identifying himself as the “contract purchaser” of the inn put in an application to develop the property by converting the oldest part of the original structure into a residence and adding seven more on the 1.8-acre lot. The scope later was reduced to seven total units instead of eight, and several people spoke out against the project at a public hearing in October.

Others have spoken out against the project since then, including in letters to the editor of NewCanaanite.com.

Recently, the developer applied for the Planning & Zoning Commission to approve an entirely new overlay zone that would make possible the ambitious project there, though officials later confirmed that the application itself was withdrawn for technical reasons. P&Z commissioners said last week that the application to redevelop the inn is expected to be re-filed for discussion at a Dec. 20 meeting.

The Roger Sherman has been under wide speculation since it hit the market at $6 million two years ago.

It’s owned by a limited liability company whose principal is Joseph Jaffre of Heritage Hill Road and whose agent is Nesreen Jaffre of Ridgefield, according to tax records and records on file with the Connecticut Secretary of the State. They bought it for $3,415,000 eight years ago, records show.