{"nrhp_refnum":"96000575","name":"The Coffee Pot","other_names":["Joe's Ranch House Restaurant","DHR file no. 128-50"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2902 Brambleton Ave., SW","address_restricted":false,"city":"Roanoke (Independent City)","county":"Roanoke (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.24329517700005,"lon":-79.99113884599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1996-05-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story vertical log roadhouse restaurant at 2902 Brambleton Avenue S.W. in Roanoke, Virginia, built in 1936 by Clifton F. and Irene L. Kefauver, topped with a large stucco coffee pot.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is a significant example of two architectural styles at their height in the 1930s: Rustic and Mimetic Roadside. It also records the building's role as a popular entertainment and recreation spot for Roanokers, and notes it is the only Roanoke Valley roadhouse still operating.","narrative":"Built in 1936 on the edge of Roanoke, this one-story log building at 2902 Brambleton Avenue was meant to catch the eye of passing drivers on the then-new U.S. 221. Clifton and Irene Kefauver built it as a filling station and tea room, but it soon became a roadhouse where locals danced, drank beer and socialized. The T-shaped building has vertical pine logs painted black with white mortar caulking, exposed log rafters and trusses, and a large natural stone chimney. On the roof sits a roughly 15-foot stucco coffee pot, which once released steam from its spout. The design combines Rustic architecture with mimetic roadside architecture, in which a structure illustrates the business it houses. Later changes include an enclosed porch, a kitchen addition from about 1960 and replaced windows. It remains the only Roanoke Valley roadhouse still in operation, and is listed for its architecture and its place in local entertainment history.","period_of_significance":"1936","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Rustic and Mimetic Roadside","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"In good condition and still operating as a roadhouse restaurant with live music on weekends.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.659076-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/17/6833/41683317/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/96000575.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96000575/f931b17b21-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96000575/f931b17b21-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Patriarca12","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Coffee_Pot_(Roanoke,_Virginia).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Patriarca12</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:The_Coffee_Pot_(Roanoke,_Virginia).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683317","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coffee_Pot_(Roanoke,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7726607"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/roanoke/the-coffee-pot-96000575/"}