Rising Sun Tavern
Why it's listed
Built around 1760 by Charles Washington, youngest brother of George Washington, this one-and-a-half story frame tavern at 1306 Caroline Street in Fredericksburg is covered with broad hand-beveled clapboards and has a gabled roof with three small dormers and end chimneys. Inside, the banquet room has a paneled corner fireplace and a built-in cupboard. The tavern served southern statesmen traveling to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. In 1777, George Mason, George Wythe, Edmund Pendleton, Thomas Lee and Thomas Jefferson outlined here the bill that Jefferson later phrased as the Statute of Virginia for Religious Liberty. In 1781 the assembly room, since lost to fire, hosted the Peace Ball celebrating victory at Yorktown. The inn stopped operating as a business before the Civil War. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities bought it in 1907 and restored it. It is now a museum with late 18th century furnishings and an open public schedule.
Significance in brief: The tavern was a favorite stopover for southern statesmen traveling to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. In 1777 George Mason, George Wythe, Edmund Pendleton, Thomas Lee and Thomas Jefferson outlined here the bill that became the Statute of Virginia for Religious Liberty. The 1781 Peace Ball celebrating the Yorktown victory was held in its assembly room.
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 66000919, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1306 Caroline St., Fredericksburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Fredericksburg |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000919 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1760-c. 1781 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Washington |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Communications |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated January 29, 1964 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, extensively restored, and open to the public as a museum; owned by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, which bought it in 1907. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.30673, -77.46191 (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 66000919.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713135
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.