{"nrhp_refnum":"04000548","name":"Rand, William, Tavern","other_names":["Rectory of the Christ Episcopal Church","Sykes Inn","Smithfield Inn"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"112 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Smithfield","county":"Isle of Wight County","state":"VA","lat":36.98217077600003,"lon":-76.63199034799999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-05-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Colonial-era brick and frame tavern building at 112 West Main Street in Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, built circa 1752, two lots from the Colonial courthouse, with a rear addition of 1922-1923.","why_significant":"It was the earliest tavern in Smithfield, licensed in 1759 by William Rand, and is one of the few surviving Colonial-era taverns near its original Colonial courthouse in Virginia. It retains integrity of form and material, including its original mantels, parlor windows and first-story room layout. It is significant under Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Built around 1752 on Lot 7 in Smithfield, Virginia, this two-story building with an elevated brick basement sits two lots from the Colonial-era Isle of Wight courthouse. William Rand, a carpenter and joiner who built the courthouse, bought the lot in 1756 and applied for a tavern license in 1759. It was the only tavern in town until the 1770s and served travelers and people attending monthly court days. The county seat moved south in 1800, but the tavern kept operating until 1854, when Christ Episcopal Church bought it as a parish house. In 1870 the church replaced the dormered attic roof with a full second story. Daniel Webster Sykes and his wife bought it in 1922 and converted it to an inn, adding the rear ell and the full-width porch. The parlor and dining room keep 18th-century mantels and other original fabric. It is listed for its commercial history and as a rare surviving courthouse-area tavern. It still operates as an inn and restaurant.","period_of_significance":"1759-1953","architect_builder":"William Rand (original owner, a carpenter and joiner who built the Isle of Wight courthouse); the form refers to a continuation sheet for other architects","architectural_style":"Colonial: Georgian","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Currently operates as the Smithfield Inn, with a restaurant on the first story and guest rooms on the second story.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.216505-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/40/6813/41681340/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/04000548.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000548/ddcdcbb943-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000548/ddcdcbb943-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Greg Vassilakos","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smithfield_colonial_tavern.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Greg Vassilakos</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smithfield_colonial_tavern.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"73002022","name":"Smithfield Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/smithfield-historic-district-73002022/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681340","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rand_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713535"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/isle-of-wight-county/rand-william-tavern-04000548/"}