Rising Sun Tavern
About this property
The Rising Sun Tavern is a historic building in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was built in about 1760 as a home by Charles Washington, youngest brother of George Washington, and became a tavern in 1792. This house, built by the youngest brother of George Washington, was occupied by the Washington family until about 1780. The property was sold to Larkin Smith in 1791 and in 1792 was bought by Colonel Gustav Wallace who rented the building to Mr. John Frasier, who operated a tavern there. Though the tavern became known as the "Rising Sun Tavern" in the 20th century, it was actually known as the "Golden Eagle" or the "Eagle" in the 1790s. The ordinary at the old Washington family home served travelers into the 1820s under various owners. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, which is now called Preservation Virginia, purchased the building in 1907 and it was given to the Fredericksburg branch of that group to operate. In 1933, the Society of Cincinnati hosted a Sesquicentennial celebration on the property and presented Preservation Virginia with a bronze medal in appreciation of their preservation efforts. The building is filled with period furnishings and stories of early life in Fredericksburg. In mid-2012, Preservation Virginia signed an agreement passing ownership to the newly created "Washington Heritage Museums" group by 2013. The site continues to be open as a museum. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Originally, the large front porch was not part of the structure. It was added during the tavern phase of the property. No longer serving food and drink, guides provide visitors with a lively interpretation of eighteenth-century tavern life. The site is open daily. Media related to Rising Sun Tavern (Virginia) at Wikimedia Commons Rising Sun Tavern, Fredericksburg, one photo at Virginia DHR Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. VA-11-1, "Rising Sun Tavern, 1304 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg, VA", 14 photos, 6 measured drawings, 7 data pages, 1 photo caption page, supplemental material
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Rising Sun Tavern
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Questions about this property
When was Rising Sun Tavern listed on the National Register?
Rising Sun Tavern was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Rising Sun Tavern?
Rising Sun Tavern is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Rising Sun Tavern a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Rising Sun Tavern has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Rising Sun Tavern?
The period of significance for Rising Sun Tavern is recorded as the early_republic era.
Can I research the history near Rising Sun Tavern?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Rising Sun Tavern will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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