The Bell Tavern marker is placed on the front of the 4C’s Restaurant building located at 302 South Main Street. Text of marker: Three structures have occupied this site including Bell Tavern (1790s-1845), Macoy house (1850s-1940s), and the present building which has served as a pharmacy and restaurant. Bell Tavern, named for the large bell that stood in front, was operated by Benjamin Shackelford (1790-1817), Jeremiah Strother (1817-early 1830s), and William Ashby (1830s-1845). While operated by Shackelford and Strother, Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, James Madison, and Attorney General William Wirt, stayed at the Tavern. The Fairfax Masonic Lodge and Post Office were both first established here in 1794. Jefferson stayed here during a March 13, 1809 snowstorm after completing his presidency. Lafayette dined here on August 22, 1825 as a grand banquet was prepared for him in the enclosed sunken garden in the rear of the tavern during his triumphal Farewell Tour of America. Lafayette’s entourage included his son, Georges Washington Lafayette, President Monroe, and Lafayette’s secretary, Auguste Levasseur.

2025 marked the 200th anniversary of the 1825 visit to Culpeper by the Marquis de Lafayette of France, an American patriot who left his homeland to fight alongside the Culpeper Minutemen for the cause of freedom from British rule. Culpeper Lafayette Days 2025, was a once-in-a-generation celebration honoring Lafayette’s legacy, his friendship with America, and the enduring alliance he helped forge. Two centuries after his grand tour of the United States, we will welcome history back to life!

This is the regular monthly meeting of the Culpeper County School Board.

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