Abingdon Tavern
A Place Rich with History!
History
The Tavern is the oldest building still standing in Abingdon, Virginia! The Tavern was built in 1779 and is 247 years old as of 2026. The Tavern has served many purposes throughout history. Some of these purposes are: a Civil War hospital, stagecoach stop, and a general store! Currently the Tavern is a wonderful restaurant to enjoy nice food and a rustic 18th-century dining experience.
It has served as a stagecoach stop, the first post office west of the Blue Ridge, a general store, and a Civil War hospital. It was a mail slot in 1779 and served as the first post office west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can visit and see the original mail slot from the street still standing after all these years! You can also go on a ghost tour, in its history it has served as an inn and hospital for decades and is now considered one of the most haunted places in the area.
How it Helps our Community
The Tavern serves not just as a building of history but as a place for our community to gather. It helps our community by attracting tourists and boosting our economy. Another way the tavern helps our community is by providing jobs, while also allowing the workers at the Tavern to take pride in their jobs and treat visitors like family. The Tavern serves as a bridge between the past and the present with its rich history. Overall the Tavern is a wonderful place where our community can admire and take pride in.
FUN FACTS
- Originally used as a tavern, inn, and as a stage coach stop in 1779.
- Functioned as a bank, bakery, and hospital during the Civil War in 1861-1865.
- Built in 1779 served as a crucial stop for travelers on the wilderness road.
- Louis Philippe, President Andrew, Jackson Pierre, and Charles L’Enfant have all been to the Tavern
- Over its >200-year history, the building has served as a tavern, overnight inn, bakery, general store, bank, cabinet shop, post office, and barber shop.
- The tavern served a purpose during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
- The tavern is exactly 247 years old as of 2026.
