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ST. GEORGE TUCKER HOUSE ARCHITECTURAL REPORT BLOCK 29 BUILDING 2

LOTS 163, 164, 169

St. George Tucker House Archaeological Report, Block

29 Building 2

Originally entitled: "Archaeological Report on Old Foundations on

Coleman-Tucker Lot at N. E. Corner of Palace Green and Nicholson
Street"

H. S. Ragland

1931

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library Research Report Series - 1567

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library

Williamsburg, Virginia

1990

February 17, 1931

Mr. Harold R. Shurtleff
Department of Research & Record
Williamsburg, Virginia

Dear Mr. Shurtleff:

Mrs. George Coleman suggested to me yesterday that the well on the Coleman-Tucker lot be re-opened to provide
water for watering the plants and flowers. She said that this could be done with safety to the public, as the water was
pure and harmless should anyone drink it, and that very little work would be required to re-open the well as it was
lined with brick in good condition and, when use of it was discontinued, had not been filled, but merely closed by the
placing of a concrete top over it, which could be easily removed.

This suggestion seems a good one to me, so I am passing it on to you.

Yours very truly,

Herbert S Ragland
Herbert S Ragland
HSR/vbl

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October 16, 1930

Attention: Mr. Geddes
Perry, Shaw & Hepburn
Williamsburg
Virginia

Dear Sirs:

In answer to your request of October 15th for complete archaeological and research information on the Tucker
House Laundry, I will say that such excavation awaits completion of the General Excavation Authorization and the
permission of the owner of the site, both of which I believe are on the way. As far as research goes, all we have in
our files is the insurance policy which I showed you today and a casual mention by Charles in his Memoirs that this
building was used as a carriage house.

Mr. Macomber informs me that Mr. Coleman, the owner, said that it was not only used as a stable but also at times
both as a laundry and servant's quarters, and that Mr. Coleman had already given the architects' office information
as to the division of the intersection which embodied in the sketched plan which I presume is in your files. I have
asked Mrs. Bullock to see whether a search through our notes on the Theatre Site may not throw some light on the
adjacent building which is the same so called "laundry", and will send forward a report as soon as this inquiry is
finished.

Yours very truly,

Harold R. Shurtleff
hrs/[]r[]

September 22, 1930.

St. George Tucker House
House # 2 Block 29
Mr. Harold R. Shurtleff
Department of Research & Record
Williamsburg, Virginia

Dear Mr. Shurtleff:

I hand you herewith drawings showing archaeological survey of old cistern and kitchen foundations, St. George
Tucker House, which were exposed when western end of the building was pulled down.

I could get no labor from Todd & Brown to excavate here, there being no authorization, as I understood, for
excavation at this house, so I have been unable to get measurements to bottom of footings of walls, and to the
outside grades. This information can be secured when I can excavate, but as it may not be required, and the
information in hand can be used now, I am submitting it. The relation of elevation of kitchen and cistern floors to the
elevation of dining room floor is shown.

Yours truly,

Herbert S. Ragland

To: H. R. Shurtleff, Research & Record Department

From: H. S. Ragland
Subject: Archaeological Report on old foundations on Coleman-Tucker Lot at the N. E. corner of Palace Green and
Nicholson Street.
Date: March 5, 1931

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Submitted herewith is a drawing showing the remains of foundations recently uncovered by excavations at the above
described site.

Remains of foundations of several buildings were found. The walls numbered 1 are part of the oldest foundation
uncovered, for walls numbered 2 of a later building are superimposed on them. Mr. George Coleman, with whom I
talked concerning these old foundations, said that he thought walls numbered 1 were a part of the "First Theatre in
America". It is set back from the street the 6 feet called for in Hening's Statutes to allow for entrances and porches
and has every appearance of being colonial brick work.

Walls numbered 2 are apparently foundations of an outbuilding, which, as no chimney foundation was found,
perhaps was a stable, barn, or laundry. Mr. Charles, in his "Recollections of Williamsburg", page 36, says,

"On the square bounded by Scotland, England, Nicholson and Dunmore Streets, there are now only
two more dwellings than in 1861. The "Audrey House" then had a single front porch. The small brick
office is very much as it was then. The only other house in this block, facing the "Palace Green", was
the

old frame house which stood on the western line of the "Tucker" lot with side to the street. This was
used as servants quarters."

Walls marked 4 and chimney numbered 5 are apparently parts of the foundation of the servant's building to which
Mr. Charles referred. I think this is a colonial foundation. It is set back 6 feet from the street, like Foundation 1: the
bricks are the usual colonial size and color; the mortar, oyster shell; and the bond, English. Walls at number 6 are
evidently parts of the foundation of an addition to this house.

Foundation No. 7 appears to be colonial. Perhaps a dairy or smoke house was there.

In the 6 foot space between the foundations and the Dunmore Street line there are indications that this space was
once paved with bricks. Apparently, there was a brick walk also at No. 9.

No. 8 looks like a part of a chimney foundation, but seems to have no connection with any of the other old walks
found on the lot.

All articles of glass, china, iron etc. found in the excavations have been turned over to Mr. R. Goodwin. The
Foundations have been left uncovered.

Very truly yours,

Herbert S. Ragland
In charge of the Archaeological Excavations.
HSR/vbl

blueprint

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