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The Dranesville Tavern is one of the few remaining examples of a rural Virginia inn or ordinary. Built at the intersection of two major roads (Georgetown Pike and Alexandria Leesburg Pike) it served travelers moving through the region. Built in 1823 by Stanford Cockerille, it originally consisted of two two-story log structures connected by a dogtrot. The inn changed hands over the years with various owners adding onto the original structure. The tavern remained open to the public until 1946, and to boarders until 1968. In the 1970s, the tavern was threatened by the expansion of Rout 7 until the Park Authority purchased it and moved it 135 feet away from its original location.
The tavern is a vernacular style building two stories tall with a contemporary basement. It features seven rooms on the first floor and five on the second, including two bathrooms. Dranesville Tavern has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as on the Fairfax Inventory of Historic sites for its association with the turnpike trade in Virginia.
