D. S. Tavern
Also known as: 1740 House
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Why it's listed
Beside Route 250 just east of Ivy, this two-story log and frame building began as a one-room log structure, traditionally a claims house on the Three Notched Road, the route from Richmond to the Shenandoah Valley. A frame section added in the late 18th century, possibly 1795, turned it into a tavern, and it served travelers until about 1850. It marks the site of the D.S. Tree and the road's zero milepost. Its most distinctive feature is a grated tap-bar cage uncovered during a 1976 restoration, inscribed "C. Buster, 1786, A.D." Claudius Buster kept the tavern until his death in 1807. Chief Justice John Marshall owned the property from 1810, trading Kentucky land for it. After 1850 a family converted it to a residence, and it later returned to commercial use. Few Albemarle taverns survive, and this is the only one known with a tap-bar cage, so it records early tavern life in Piedmont Virginia.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving taverns in Albemarle County and the only one with a rare surviving tap-bar cage, inscribed "C. Buster, 1786, A.D." It stands at the site of the D.S. Tree and the zero milepost of the Three Notched Road. It illustrates vernacular tavern life during the westward migration, and Chief Justice John Marshall owned it from 1810.
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 83003255, listed September 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | U.S. 250, Ivy |
|---|---|
| County | Albemarle County |
| Listed | September 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003255 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Mid- to late 18th century |
| Architectural style | Central-passage, single-pile 'I' house with Federal-style interior details |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1976 and described as in excellent condition; returned to commercial use and also occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 38.05356, -78.56727 (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 83003255.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712227
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.