Centuries of Hospitality
Established 1728
Established in 1728, the Red Fox Inn & Tavern rests in the heart of the historic village of Middleburg, Virginia on open ground between the Bull Run and Blue Ridge mountains. Steeped in the lore of the Revolutionary and the Civil Wars, the Inn & Tavern maintains the traditions of days past providing locals and travelers with a timeless setting in the heart of Hunt Country.
Over the last four decades, The Red Fox Inn & Tavern has been owned and operated by three generations of the Reuter family.
Today it is managed by the husband and wife team of Matilda Reuter and Jonathan Engle. Combining their passions for regional history, local food and attentive customer service, they invite you to join them to experience a taste of the Piedmont in a bona fide Virginia landmark.
Many notable politicians, authors, musicians, athletes and celebrities have walked through our front door. Some of these include President John F. Kennedy, who held a press conference in our upper Tavern. The lovely and kind Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (seen below) frequently overnighted at the Inn while on fall foxhunting holidays.
Elizabeth Taylor and U.S. Senator John Warner, a local Virginian, often dined together in the Tap Room during their courtship and after their marriage. Hollywood’s finest regularly entertain friends here, notable ones have included Joan Woodward, Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, and Robert Duvall.
Move the slider to see the iconic Red Fox Inn & Tavern, past & present!
DID YOU KNOW?
Middleburg was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman John Leven Powell, who purchased the property from Joseph Chinn, a cousin of George Washington. Powell changed the name from “Chinn’s Crossroads” to Middleburg because the town was the halfway point between Alexandria and Winchester along the popular Ashby Gap trading route, along what is today Rte. 50.
The History of The Red Fox
1728
Joseph Chinn built a tavern out of local fieldstone at the half-way point between Alexandria and the frontier town of Winchester, VA, along what is today known as the John Mosby Highway. Chinn’s Ordinary, as it came to be called, soon became a popular stopping point for traveling colonists, and around 1748 was visited by an enthusiastic young surveyor named George Washington.
1787
Chinn’s Crossroads and 500 acres were sold to the newly chartered town of Middleburg for $2.50 an acre. Middleburg was so-named because it was a day’s ride by coach or horseback from Alexandria and another day’s ride to Winchester.
1812
Chinn’s Ordinary was christened the Beveridge House. It was enlarged to thirty five rooms and an extensive new wine cellar was added.
1861 – 1865
The Beveridge House was often used during the Civil War. At the beginning of the Gettysburg campaign, as fierce cavalry battles raged around Middleburg, the Inn served as both headquarters and as a hospital for the Confederate Army. Most notably, it was where General JEB Stuart met with Colonel John Mosby and his famous Mounted Rangers. While strategy was planned upstairs, wounded soldiers were cared for in the tavern rooms below. The pine service bar, which is in use today in the Tap Room, was made from the field operating table used by an army surgeon who served with General Stuart’s cavalry.
1887
The Beveridge House was renamed the Middleburg Inn, and continued to offer fine food and accommodations while Middleburg prospered and grew in reputation as a foremost area for foxhunting, thoroughbred breeding, and racing.
1937
A local citizen saved the venerable building from the wrecking ball and renamed it the Red Fox Inn. The historic structure was remodeled with the help of a young, local architect, William Dew.
1976
Purchased by Nancy B. Reuter, The Red Fox Inn & Tavern began a new era of transformation which continues today under the management of her granddaughter, Matilda.
1979
Turner Reuter, Jr. took the reins from his mother. Following her lead, he continued careful renovations and maintenance of the original building while adding other contiguous properties to the operations.
The Red Fox Inn & Tavern team, 1979.
