Walkerton Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984; the listing included five contributing buildings and one contributing site.
History The main structure was built in 1825.
Condition at the time of listing At the time of the property's listing on the National Register in 1984, it was occupied and privately owned by George D. Bowles; its accessibility was limited. The property was noted as one of the best-preserved antebellum-era taverns in central Virginia and perhaps "the most impressive building of its type ever erected in Central Virginia."
Presidential visit President Barack Obama visited the site and held a rally as part of a campaign tour for his second presidential election.
Architecture The tavern is a brick structure with 4 stories of living space. It is more architecturally significant than other hostelries in the region of the same period. It has a double set of internal stairways, one set intended for guests and the other for the family and servants.
The main building also has an unusual semi-enclosed gable-end service porch and a unique swinging vertical-board partition, which allowed one of the upstairs rooms to serve as a temporary dance hall.
Some of the features that made the property distinctive were gone as of the time of its 1984 listing, including a caged bar, a plank walkway from the carriage stop to the front porch, three separate detached ice houses, and a stable with stalls for twenty horses.
Remaining early outbuildings Some outbuildings remain from the time when the building was initially in operation: these are the servants' quarters, a well-house, a smokehouse, and a carriage-house/outhouse.
References
External links Walkerton Tavern