APVA Preservation Virginia purchased the tavern in 2001 to save it from demolition by neglect. (APVA Preservation Virginia)

A preservation group has found a new owner for one of the country's few remaining taverns, the DeJarnette Tavern, built c.1780 in Halifax County, Va.

Named after Daniel DeJarnette, son of a Revolutionary War captain, the building was a colorful stagecoach inn and watering hole. "The tavern is said to have attracted a fun-loving clientele, particularly those who enjoyed horseracing, card playing, and cockfighting," according to the National Register nomination, which APVA Preservation Virginia prepared.

The Oct. 15 sale transferred the dilapidated tavern to a Connecticut couple, Mark Hubina and his fiancee, Tania Bongiolatti. Using state historic tax credits, the owners plan to restore the 1,300-square-foot building to its Civil War appearance, APVA Preservation Virginia announced this week.

In 2001, APVA Preservation Virginia used money from its revolving fund program to rescue the building, listed on the National Register and a state landmark. DeJarnette's Tavern was priced at $29,000. The former state program, transferred to the nonprofit in 1999, is a $1.5 million fund to purchase endangered properties, find the right buyer, and place easements on the property before the sale.

APVA "worked with several potential owners before finding the current owners, who demonstrate the right mix of resources, vision, and appreciation to undertake significant restorations," said Louis Malon, director of preservation services.

"We're thrilled to have it," Hubina says. "We've got four years or so to make it habitable.
There's a lot of work that needs to be done."

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