Dranesville Tavern

Dranesville Tavern, a popular wagon stand for teamsters and travelers traversing the Leesburg Turnpike, dates back to 1823 when businessman Washington Drane (for whom Dranesville is named), opened this hostelry in a location roughly at the midpoint between Georgetown and Leesburg.  This was one of five taverns in Dranesville and the only one still standing from that era.

The log building, which is flanked by distinctive Seneca sandstone chimneys, survived the Civil War and nearby battle of Dranesville in 1862.

Just over 100 years later, the tavern faced a different kind of threat when planning began to widen the Leesburg Turnpike.  In 1968, the Fairfax County Park Authority acquired the tavern and moved in about 100 feet from it’s original location onto land located in Herndon.