Page 128 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

figure 8
Structures located near the Charles Town landing.
C) Thomas Hollyday's store
D) Structure with cellar
E) 18 x 24 ft dwelling/ ordinary
F) 10 x 20 ft quarter associated with structure E
G) Probable outbuilding associated with structure E
H) 20 x 40 ft store/ dwelling
decades of the 17th century, and a major presence in Maryland and the Patuxent drainage. Holly- day’s store was substantial enough to be used for court sessions before the courthouse was complet- ed in 1698, and a location near the landing would have been ideal for Hollyday. David Small also kept a substantial store by 1697 for Joseph Jack- son and Company. In addition, Thomas Hollyday was a “seafaring man” who owned a brigantine and David Small operated a sloop in joint partnership with Capt. Thomas Emms.31 Given their promi- nence in early town trade, it is likely that one or both kept their stores near the landing.
It is impossible to determine the precise lo- cation of these structures through the historical record alone, but a sequence of how they may have been situated in relationship to each other is found in James Stoddert’s purchase of a one- acre lot in 1697. Stoddert’s lot was purchased for 800 lbs. of tobacco from David Small and Thomas Emms who were leasing the 163-acre portion of Mount Calvert manor not including those town lots that had already been taken up. The boundary survey describing the lot places Stoddert between Ninian Beall to the northeast and Thomas Holly- day to the southwest. Henry Darnall’s lot was at or near the point and the Beall, Stoddert, and Hol- lyday lots were likely situated along the main road to the south in the vicinity of the town landing. This location and sequence is plausible consider- ing the prominence of these individuals in early
Prince George’s County politics. Archaeological excavations confirmed several buildings in the area that represent improvements to lots probably owned by Hollyday, Stoddert, and Beall.
Between 1997 and 2012, the M-NCPPC Archaeology Program conducted a series of ex- cavations that uncovered the remains of at least 4 structures dating from the late seventeenth to the early eighteenth centuries. A shovel test survey in 1997 identified two distinct concentrations of historic artifacts. Subsequent staggered unit and block excavations in 1998, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, identified structural elements and other features associated with the buildings.
Moving from the point to the southwest, the first structure (figure 8, Building H) identified in the area was a 20 by 40 foot earthfast building ori- ented with the long axis parallel to the Patuxent River terrace. This building site was designated “Terrace Site B.” The building was constructed with fully framed walls supported by posts spaced at 10 foot intervals. Irregularly spaced interior supports were found in the center of the build- ing running along the long axis. The supports that were excavated were shallow and these supports may have sat on blocks. These interior posts were used to support the superstructure as well as for creating divisions within the building.
Evidence of a brick hearth was identified along the western exterior wall of the structure. The shape of the hearth was not determined during the excavations but the general location was established. The absence of historic artifacts within the post holes indicates that this was the original structure built on the lot, although it ap- pears that some of the interior support posts were either added or replaced after the building was in use. A small subfloor pit was also identified in the southwest corner of the building.
The type and frequency of artifacts recovered from the site are very different from other Charles Town sites excavated to date and suggest the building was probably used for a variety of pur- poses during its lifetime. First, the hearth would have allowed the building to be used as a dwell- ing. If the building was used as a dwelling, then it probably served this purpose for a very short peri- od based on the small quantities of ceramics and other domestic artifacts recovered. Just over 8,700 ball clay tobacco pipe stems were recovered from the site compared to just 357 ceramics, indicating a significant amount of non-domestic activity at the building. Second, over 700 lead shot were re-
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MAP BY SUSAN WINCHELL-SWEENEY.