Old Stone Tavern, also known as Rock House, is a historic

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

and

tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...

located near

Atkins Atkins may refer to: People * Atkins (surname) Places in the United States * Atkins, Arkansas, a city * Atkins, Iowa, a city * Atkins, an unincorporated community in Bossier Parish, Louisiana * Atkins, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Atk ...

Smyth County, Virginia Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion. History Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The coun ...

. It was built by Frederick Cullop before 1815, and is a two-story, three-bay,

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

structure with a central-hall plan. A frame rear ell was added in the mid-19th century. It has a side-gable roof. The front facade features a mid-19th-century porch supported by chamfered columns connected on each level by a decorative cyma frieze and sawn

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

. The tavern was built to accommodate travelers in the heavy migration through

Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a Mountain pass, pass in the Eastern United States, eastern United States through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains and near the tripoint of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. At&n ...

to the west in the early 19th century. an
''Accompanying photo''
/ref> It received Virginia Landmark status in 1981 (VLR Listing Date 03/17/1981)–– and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1982.

References

Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Commercial buildings completed in 1815 Buildings and structures in Smyth County, Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Smyth County, Virginia {{SmythCountyVA-NRHP-stub