Construction on the The Inn at the Crossroads was begun in 1818 and completed in 1820.  The Inn is listed on the National Historic Register and has been designated a Virginia Historic Landmark.  It was originally known as the Crossroads Tavern.

The Inn has served no other purpose in it's history other than as a stop for the weary traveler.  It recalls the period of the 1820's when the Inn first served as a tavern and overnight lodging for farmers and travelers using the Staunton-Jamer River turnpike and has been virtually unaltered since its construction.

Thus it gives present day guests a glimpse of how early 1800s taverns were built and what it must have been like to stay in them. Adding to the significance of the Inn at the Crossroads is the rare survival of the daybooks of C.G. Sutherland who owned and operated the tavern in the 1850s, currently kept at the Alderman Library at the University of Virginia.

One of the many entries in the daybook carefully records the number of gallons of whiskey and cider used to pay Dabney Carr, the nephew of Thomas Jefferson for rent on the property. A copy of one of Mr. Sutherland's daybooks for the year 1852 is on display at the inn. 

The Inn has been deemed to be of national importance for several reasons.  First it is a well preserved example of an early 19th century Virginia tavern.  There was a meeting that occurred in what was then the private dining room , now the Dabney Carr Room, in the Spring of 1823 between Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van Buren.  Jefferson was either traveling to or from Poplar Forest to be with his grandson, Francis Eppes and his family.  

There have been many other interesting events at the Inn, including a visit by President Teddy Roosevelt for supper during a day of birding while visiting his beloved Pine Knot and a 1936 speech on the Inn's front porch by Franklin Delano Roosevelt immediately prior to dedicating the George Washington National Forest. 

For complete details and to learn more about the Inn and other sites of national importance please click here to visit The National Register of Historic Places