When the Sagamore Mohawk Indian Chief Chickens Warrup sold a tract of land to Eli Sanford in 1742, little did the chief know that he was following a misguided precedent set by some earlier New York relatives on Manhattan Island. No mention is made of the price he got but even if it were only beads and trinkets it wasn't as one-sided as the New York scam. Eli waited over sixty years, till 1806, before he sold the land, with the inn he built on it, to Bradley Burr for $820. The astute Burr got a liquor license, expanded the inn's services, and entertained his guests with stories and strong drink in his newly converted tavern room.

The Spinning Wheel Inn today offers elegant country charm and a picturesque setting in the heart of Fairfield County. Grand stone fireplaces, wide-planked floors, wood beamed ceilings and bright and spacious rooms all create an ambience of warmth, and the charm of a bygone era.