Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/17/2009
NRHP Listing Date 11/12/2009
NRHP Reference Number 09000919
Albemarle County’s Boyd Tavern served travelers along Three Chopt Road from circa 1825 to 1937. The current building likely was constructed between 1825 and 1840 on the site of an earlier tavern that was built around 1750 for Thomas Jefferson’s brother-in-law, Col. Charles L. Lewis. Among notable patrons who visited the earlier tavern, known as Watson’s Ordinary, were Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Daniel Boone. In 1802 Thomas and Mary Boyd rented the tavern, then purchased it in 1812, operating it for nearly 50 years and establishing a store and post office. In the mid-1800s, the property was sold to the Shepherd family, who renamed it Shepherd’s Inn and maintained its popularity as a rest-stop, and general store. After 1937 the building was converted to a private residence in Albemarle County.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: July 29, 2022
