The Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications from prospective resident curators for the rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of Dranesville Tavern and Fairfax Arms. Applications will remain open until staff receive a submission, at which point a deadline for additional applications for the property will be set following 30 calendar days.

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 Route 7 until the Park Authority purchased it and moved it 135 feet away from its original location.

The Fairfax Arms tavern was constructed in the 1750s and is the only surviving original building from the town of Old Colchester. Its owner Benjamin Grayson bought the lot and converted the dwelling into an operating tavern. It is believed that one of the upper rooms would have served as a living space for the innkeeper’s family, as well as female guests, while the men slept in a communal space. Fairfax Arms served Colchester and its residents until the early 1800s, when it became a residential dwelling. Improvements were made to the house over the years with much of the integrity of the original 18th century building preserved. In the 1980s, the current owners added a large addition to the northeast side of the building that included, among other things, a modern kitchen. The building is listed under both the National Register of Historic Places and the Fairfax Inventory of Historic sites.

The Resident Curator Program offers long-term lease agreements to qualified tenants in beautiful public park settings. The curator leases are without charge in exchange for a financial commitment and approved rehabilitation of the Park Authority’s underutilized historic properties.

Complete application forms and additional information about the properties are available by visiting the Resident Curator Program website.

For more information, contact Stephanie Langton, Resident Curator Program manager, at 703-324-8791 or by email at stephanie.langton@fairfaxcounty.gov.