{"nrhp_refnum":"01001516","name":"Red Lane Tavern","other_names":["072-0044"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3009 Lower Hill Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Powhatan","county":"Powhatan County","state":"VA","lat":37.52975003500006,"lon":-77.85780412099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-01-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1 1/2-story log tavern and dwelling at 3009 Lower Hill Road, Powhatan, Powhatan County, Virginia, built in 1832 by Joseph B. Davis, with an attached 1 1/2-story kitchen.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a documented example of a rural roadside tavern, a type far less common than urban taverns. It represents the simple, utilitarian architecture of these buildings and served as a local gathering place. The site also has archaeological potential to illuminate an under-recorded building type.","narrative":"Red Lane Tavern is a 1 1/2-story log building on a raised brick basement, set on a six-acre tract at Lower Hill and Capeway roads in Powhatan County, Virginia. Joseph B. Davis built it in 1832, and Edward W. Preston ran a licensed ordinary and store there from 1836 to 1845, which gave the house its name. Its hall-and-parlor plan, full-width porch, large end chimneys and attached kitchen reflect the plain, practical character of rural taverns serving travelers on the Buckingham Road. Later owners used it as a farm stop and then as a private dwelling. Alterations include enclosed porches, a new foundation and vinyl siding, though the original features were retained beneath them. It was listed for its architecture and its role as a documented rural tavern, a type seldom recorded. A metal detector survey located a demolished office, smokehouse and barn, suggesting strong archaeological potential.","period_of_significance":"1832 to 1950","architect_builder":"Joseph B. Davis (builder, per the description text); the form's architect/builder field reads N/A","architectural_style":"Early Republic: Federal (described as Tidewater South folk house)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Currently used as a single dwelling; porches enclosed, a new foundation built and vinyl siding added over original surfaces.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.733053-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/50/6826/41682650/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/01001516.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001516/e603f803e6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001516/e603f803e6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"James Shelton32","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Lane_Tavern.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">James Shelton32</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Lane_Tavern.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682650","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lane_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15272152"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/powhatan-county/red-lane-tavern-01001516/"}