Walkerton

One of a few surviving tavern buildings in eastern Virginia, Walkerton, named for John Walker, who built it, may also rank as one of the largest. The four-chimney, five-bay brick structure rests on a high English basement. The first floor shows evidence of a “cage bar,” and on the second floor is an unusual hinged panel wall that folds in and out, originally to create private space for overnight lodgers. An early kitchen and laundry building stands to the rear, along with a smokehouse and the Hopkins family cemetery. The Hopkinses owned the house for more than 100 years, beginning in the 1830s. The property, recently restored, is now owned by the county and will be used as part of its history program.