Near Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Penny’s Tavern Site

Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 4, 2013

1. Penny’s Tavern Site Marker

Inscription. Nearby stood Penny’s (Penney’s) Tavern, named for Lincefield Penney who purchased the site in 1811. The tavern catered to travelers making their way to the old Spotsylvania courthouse site (1781–1837), located approximately one mile north of the tavern site across the Po River. After the Court House burned in 1837 and was moved to its present location, business greatly declined. By 1840 the property was sold to Mansfield Wigglesworth who operated a tavern there called Wigglesworth Tavern. The tavern was closed by the outbreak of the Civil War. The intersection where the tavern once stood was known as Penny’s Crossroads into the twentieth century.

Erected 2005 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-129.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1811.

Location. 38° 9.818′ N, 77° 38.432′ W. Marker is near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. It is on Lake Anna Parkway (Bypass Virginia Route 208) just north of Courthouse Road ( Route 208), on the right when traveling east. There is a pull-off for the marker. Touch for map.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Marker is at or near this postal address: 7501 Lake Anna Pkwy, Spotsylvania VA 22551, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area,

in Northern Virginia,

and in the Piedmont.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Third Spotsylvania County Courthouse Site (approx. 1.7 miles away); John J. Wright School (approx. 2.3 miles away); Secondary Education for African American Children (approx. 2.3 miles away); Spotsylvania Sunday School Union Parksite (approx. 2.3 miles away); John J. Wright Parksite (approx. 2.3 miles away); Asbury’s Deathplace (approx. 3.2 miles away); Batter Up: Spotsylvania Yellow Jackets (approx. 3½ miles away); Pastor's Office (approx. 3.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Civil War Veterans at rest in Zion's Cemetery (was approx. 3.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. The fresh markings on the pavement (see Photo 2) indicates that the marker was recently moved to this pull-off.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 4, 2013

2. Penny’s Tavern Site Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,643 times since then and 241 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 5, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.