French's Tavern
Also known as: Swan's Creek Plantation; Indian Camp; Harris's Store; The Colem
Why it's listed
French's Tavern is a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame complex on the north side of Old Buckingham Road in Powhatan County, Virginia. It has five sections: a main block with a brick basement, a western wing, a hyphen, an annex and galleries. The wing may be the oldest part, possibly the house Col. Francis Eppes mentioned in his 1734 will, after he patented 2,400 acres in 1730. The land later passed through Thomas Jefferson by his marriage to Martha Wayles. In the early nineteenth century Hugh French operated a tavern and a plantation of more than 2,000 acres here. The house has a swinging parlor wall, Federal-style wainscot and a basement once used for cooking and dining. Beside Buckingham Road, a route linking Richmond to the tobacco trade of Lynchburg, the property is considered significant for its link to early transportation and innkeeping. It remains a private residence, with a shed and a rock spring counted as contributing features.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A as an eighteenth-century structure that reflects its use first as the manor house of a large plantation and then as a nineteenth-century ordinary. It is described as the only structure of its kind in the area closely tied to the theme of transportation along the historic Buckingham Road.
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 89000293, listed April 21, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6100 Old Buckingham Rd., Ballsville |
|---|---|
| County | Powhatan County |
| Listed | April 21, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000293 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1730-1772, 1772-1777, 1807-1842 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular (colonial) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the form describes rehabilitation work in the 1980s, with the annex still unrestored. |
| Acreage | 120 |
| Coordinates | 37.49557, -78.08354 (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 89000293.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15221116
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.