Little, Moses, Tavern
Why it's listed
Built in two sections around 1840 and 1845 on U.S. Route 40 in Amwell Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, the Moses Little Tavern is a two-and-a-half story brick building sited about sixty feet from the road on a sandstone and rubblestone foundation. The original three-bay block has a kitchen ell to the rear, and the four-bay eastern addition contains a barroom with front and rear entrances. Its pedimented gable, side-lit front door and tripartite window reflect the Greek Revival style in a vernacular form. Moses Little, a wagoner, kept a wagon stand here, and the building is the only one documented to survive among the roughly thirty National Road taverns in Amwell Township. Later alterations include a rebuilt west gable wall, removed chimneys and replaced windows, but the building is still regarded as conveying its early nineteenth-century significance tied to the National Road.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its association with the early nineteenth-century commercial development of the National Road, as one of the surviving taverns on that route. It also holds architectural significance as a vernacular Greek Revival building whose floor plan and kitchen ell still identify it as a tavern.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000088, listed February 16, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 438 E. National Pike, Amwell Township, Laboratory |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | February 16, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000088 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1840-c. 1853 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Western gable wall rebuilt in the late twentieth century, chimneys removed, and windows replaced; a modern trailer stands on the east side and a frame shed on the west. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.14952, -80.18829 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000088.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6915859
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.