Taverns

Taverns. Four Centuries: City Point, Virginia 1613 A.D.. , The structure before you was one of three taverns which existed in City Point at the time of the Civil War. It was probably constructed in the eighteenth century. On June 15, 1864 the United States Christian Commission established its offices in this building. In front of the tavern facing the street, the Christian Commission erected a chapel and storehouse. These three buildings comprised the agency's headquarters., The Christian Commission was an interdenominational organization devoted to fostering religion and morality in the Union army. Its duties included the distribution of non-military supplies to the troops, the operation of special diet kitchens at the hospitals and visits with sick and wounded patients. The Christian Commission had relief stations within each army corps and at Bermuda Hundred, Point of Rocks, the Depot Field Hospital and the dismounted cavalry camp at Bailey's Creek., The tavern pictured here was located behind you, diagonally across the street. This building served as the headquarters of Captain E.E. Camp who was in charge of Camp and Garrison Equipage including items such as tents, shovels, axes and cooking utensils., [Captions:] , E.E. Camp's headquarters draped in black because of Lincoln's assassination., The Bank of City Point (now apartments) was built in 1915 on the site of the unidentified tavern., This building (left) stood on the west side of Prince Henry between Maplewood and Bank Streets. Very similar in appearance to the City Point House, this structure may have once been a tavern. Its use by the Army is not known. However, most of the buildings were taken over as offices for the Commissary Department or the provost marshal., Soldiers and Civilians pose in front of Camp's headquarters.