Imagine living in a home that is older than the country itself, without paying rent. The Fairfax County Park Authority is offering the opportunity for two separate houses, one dates back to the 1750s and the other 1823.
The park authority is looking for what they call “resident curators,” who will be responsible for some long-term maintenance and rehabilitation on the homes.
The Fairfax Arms Tavern is one of the options.
It was built in the 1750s and is the only surviving building of what used to be the town of Old Colchester. While it may be some hard work, it is rent free and also sports an expansion with a modern kitchen, so you won’t quite be living like a settler on the frontier.
Fairfax Arms Tavern is listed under both the National Register of Historic Places and the Fairfax Inventory of Historic sites.
That is not the only place accepting resident applications. On the other side of the county, the park authority is looking for someone to live in the Dranesville Tavern on Leesburg Pike.
It was built in 1823 and served as an inn for weary travelers. The tavern was open to the public until the 1940s.
Decades later, it was bought by the park authority and then moved one hundred feet away to make room for a road expansion on Route 7.
According to the park authority, The Resident Curator Program will be offering these long-term lease agreements to tenants who are qualified. Those leases are free of charge in exchange for a financial commitment and approved rehabilitation for the historic taverns.
Applications can be filled out on the park authority’s website.
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