Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library
Research Report Series - 1105
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Library
Williamsburg, Virginia
1990
Figure - Digital version unavailable
York Road, or Woodpecker Street (as it was known even in colonial records) was one of the most important avenues of approach to colonial Williamsburg. A regular stage operating from Yorktown passed this way, and travellers arriving by water at the Capitol Landing were on a wide road to the Capitol that extended into Woodpecker Street.
This area was as important as the first block of Duke of Gloucester Street west from the Capitol. As the Main Street in this section was the coveted location of tavern keepers and shop keepers, so the York and Capitol Landing areas were the chosen locations of craftsmen and manufacturers, as well as ordinary keepers.
Just back of the Capitol was an open street, an extension of Duke of Gloucester, which was known as "The Exchange". Here all the financial transactions of the colonists were carried on when they gathered in the little Capitol city for court day. According to a French traveller in 1765, there were 5000 or 6000 people in the town during courts.
The more pretentious taverns centered near the Capitol, one of the most famous, the Coffee House, being in front of the "Exchange". George Washington and others prominent Virginians staid in the taverns in the York road area; he refers frequently to the Coffee House (Mrs. Campbell's) and to the "Club" at Mrs. Campbell's Preceding the Revolution many momentous matters were considered in the taverns of this section.
2The Hallam theatre, where the first regular company of players performed, adjoined the Coffee House.
In April 1749, a survey of the York road and Capitol Landing sections was made and recorded by William Waller, who owned and controlled the bulk of this property. He was one of the generations of ingenious Wallers who made their fortunes by a profitable combination of land holding, office holding and law practise. In fact one of these Wallers had such political influence, according to local tradition, that he succeeded in having an act passed by which citizenship in Williamsburg, could be acquired in only two ways — being born in Williamsburg, or buying land from the Wallers. Waller's survey map of 1749, has been traced from the Yorktown records, and the copy certified. The detailed history which follows of the lots in this area has been gathered in relation to this map.
At the present time there are ten or more colonial buildings in this area or recently moved from it. The status and character of the property owners was a determining factor in the architectural character of their buildings. In general these land holders were master craftsmen, professional men (lawyers and doctors) or "gentlemen". In general an important part of the life of old Williamsburg centered in this section.
The following data is compiled by lot numbers as given on Waller's map of 1749:
Just back of the Capitol, across the end of the extension of Duke of Gloucester Street that originally extended back of Capitol Square, were two lots that are now the site of the "Kelly" house, that were originally the site of the Famous Hallam theatre, and of one of George Washington's favorite Williamsburg Taverns.
These buildings were of such historical interest that they are being treated in separate reports, although at one time they occupied this same lot.
See Reports:
Theatre near Capitol, Block 7 - # 28.
Coffee House near Capitol, Block 7 - # 28.
From the Virginia Gazette, September 23, 1773:
To be sold the 5 following tenements in the City of Williamsburg which formerly belonged to the Hon. Phillip Ludwell, and are now held by William Lee, Esq., of the City of Williamsburg in the right of his Lady; namely ......... and the house called the Blue Bell below the Capitol opposite to the Play House and in which Mr. Boammer formerly lived.
The above advertisement indicates that another tavern was located in this area, and adjoined the Capitol Square. No further data is available about the Blue Bell at this time.
These adjoining lots were frequently sold together, and are also located in that important area just back of the Capitol where the Capitol Landing road extends to the York road.
Benjamin Waller sold the two lots to Benjamin Powell in May, 1763, for £75. Powell built on these lots and 19 years later he sold them to Zachariah Rowland "with all, houses, buildings, etc," for £340.
As usual with most property in these sections, it found its way back to the Wallers, Benjamin Waller purchasing it for£ 150 in 1791.
Benjamin Waller who held such a large proportion of the land in this area sold this corner lot on York Street and the extension of Capitol Landing for£400., in November 17707,
to David Morton. That there was a building on the lot is evident from the price paid, but no description is given in the deed.
Benjamin Waller conveyed this lot to Lewis Hansford in 1757 for£20 with the condition that he build a house on it within two years. At the present time there is an old ruinous house on the site, which probably dates from 1757 -9, as the property did not revert back to Waller within that period.
February 17, 1748, Benjamin Waller sold this lot for £10 to Alexander Craig, saddler. Craig was a prosperous craftsman, and at the time of his death the Virginia Gazette Jan. 19, 1776, commented that he had carried on the Saddling business in all its branches to a greater extent than anyone ever did before in this country. The house in which he lived was built on this lot, and sold by his executors at public sale. A building is indicated on the Frenchmans map of about the same dimensions, without the wing, as the present building on the site. Today the building is used as a printing office.
Just west of the building was a very narrow street.
In 1796, when Nicolson insured his building on lot # 26, Mrs. Craig was still residing in her house on # 25. Mrs. Craig kept a tavern in the house at one time, according to the diary of Alexander MacCauley, written in 1783.
This lot, having a frontage of 82½ feet on York road is the site of Robert Nicolson's famous public house and residence, and is now owned by Dr. Lindesly. The house is a large gambrel-roofed building of the same dimension as given on the Frenchman's map of 17862. This house was built after May 17, 1757, at which time James Spiers a cabinet maker deeded the lot to Nicolson for£10 with the condition that he build within the next two years.
In 1796, Robert Nicolson insured his dwelling house "on Woodpecker street" and the Kitchen to it for $1100. The dwelling house was described as wood 46 x 28 feet, and the kitchen was also wooden, 26 x 25 feet.
These lots were a part of the parcel of land owned by Spurr on which was his large dwelling house on lot # 27. Lot # 28 was a full 82½ foot lot, but # 29 was a triangular piece on the corner of York road and a small street about 20 feet wide, called Page street, indicated on the Frenchman's map and by the deeds.
Samuel Spurr, Bricklayer, was a man of importance in colonial Williamsburg, and during the 50 years he was a resident of Williamsburg had some part in laying the bricks of most of the buildings in the city, including the Lunatic Hospital. He trained a number of apprentice masons, also.
Colonial lot # 30 is the site of the present "Armistead" house, now moved to Francis Street. It was built on the corner of Page and York Streets, after the year 1752 and before 1767, and lot # 31 contained no buildings until after 1786, unless they were temporary outbuildings.
About 25 feet from the house, on Page street was a smaller building 20 x 16 feet, probably the kitchen to the house.
The house was probably built for one of the first owners of the property, Thomas Powell, a noted surgeon; and his widow deeded it to her son Thomas Powell, who was also a surgeon, on April 17, 1767., describing it as ........... "the lot whereon the new dwelling house stands, with all outhouses, ways, etc."
Thomas Powell mortgaged it to William Prentis, Merchant, for £ 250 in May 1772, and in August sold it to John Lamb, carpenter, with the two lots, for£200. John Prentis (brother and heir of William Prentis) sold the house and lots July 5, 1773 to William Hornsby for£ 285.
William Hornsby sold the lots and houses in April 1777 for£ 600 to Ambrose Davenport, a tailor.
Ambrose Davenport played an important part in the Revolutionary War, making shirts for the soldiers, and tents for the army. Davenport also kept shop in the house, selling dry goods there.
Benjamin Waller sold this lot to William Digges on November 10, 1756, with a building clause in the deed. The records of this lot are incomplete.
A small building, or shop, was erected on this lot between November 1756 and September 1757. Robert Brown, a butcher, purchased the lot and building at the latter date from Benjamin Powell for£ 50.
Benjamin Waller sold this lot in 1749, with a building clause, to Stephen Brown, a butcher. Benjamin Powell acquired the lot and sold it to Collin Ferguson for£150 in 1757, deeding "buildings, yards and gardens."
This small irregular lot was also deeded to Stephen Brown the butcher. No buildings were erected on it until after 1759, if at all with in the eighteenth century.
NOTE: Colonial Lot # 32, see separate report: Mayo House.
Alexander Finnie, one of Williamsburg's famous tavern keepers may have been the builder of the tavern that succeeded the theatre, because he sold the lots "with all houses gardens, etc." to Nathaniel Walthoe, another famous property holder and innkeeper for£ 450 in December 1757.
Mrs. Jane Vobe ran the tavern for a number of years; it was a "genteel" house and a great many important members of the House of Burgesses and other legislative bodies stopped in it during court sessions. George Washington refers to it many times.
Mrs. Christianna Cambell succeeded Mrs. Vobe as tavernkeeper in October 1771. At this time the tavern was called "The Coffee House". There were several Coffee Houses in Williamsburg at various times, it appears from the Virginia Gazette, and one called the English Coffee House. This tavern, so close to the Capitol was by far the most important. George Washington refers to "The Club" at Mrs. Campbell's, where he staid frequently until the Revolution.
The extension of Duke of Gloucester street was the "Exchange" for the colony of Virginia; and this fact added to the nearness of the Capitol enhanced the importance of the location of this tavern. During the stirring times preceding the Revolution many important meetings were held there.
The following extracts from a letter of Governor Fauquier to the Board of Trade and Plantations written November 3, 1765 (London P.R.O.) are of interest in connection 13 with the Coffee House:
"........ I then thought proper to go to the Coffee House, (where I occasionally sometimes go) which is situated in that part of the Town which is call'd the Exchange, tho' an open street, where all Money Business is transacted. They follow'd him (Colonel Mercer) to the Coffee House, in the porch of which I had seated myself with many of the Council and the Speaker . . . . After some little time a cry was heard 'let us rush in', upon this we, that were at the Top of the Steps, knowing the advantage, our situation gave us to repell those who should attempt to mount them, advanced to the edge of the Steps, of which number I was one. I immediatly heard a cry See the Governour take care of him."
Mrs. Campbell remained the mistress of the Tavern until her death, in the late years of her life the Capitol was moved to Richmond, and her house steadily declined until in 1783 a traveller remarked in his diary that he found the tavern cold and cheerless and was sent by Mrs. Campbell to Mrs. Craig's where he had a good dinner "and was entertained with that degree of good nature peculiar to fat people."
That this tavern may have remained in existence until after the Civil War seems probable from the following reference to a building on that site from the "Recollections of Williamsburg" by Mr. Charles:
"The next house on Waller Street was a very large old dutch-roof frame building, known in the writer's time as the 'Ben Waller' house. This house stood about 100 feet in the rear of the present residence of Mrs. Kelly, and an old man Ben Waller lived there within the recollection of this writer. This Ben Waller may have been the son of the man for whom the Morecock residence was named. The old house disappeared many years ago."
Data for an extended history of the Hallam theatre is available in the research department. This history can be written at the request of anyone needing it, but for the present the department will concentrate on other areas.
On Page 2, leave out the tradition about the Wallers and citizenship — "buying lands from the Wallers."
Judge Benjamin Waller — see sketch in Tyler's Cyclopedia of Biography, Page 351.
Lewis Hansford was a descendant of Thomas Hansford, who was executed by a Court Martial during Bacon's Rebellion, contrary to the law of Virginia and England. He moved to Norfolk and was a prominent merchant in that place.
Samuel Spurr built the present brick wall about the Church.
Page 12. I doubt that Nathaniel Walthoe was ever an innkeeper. He was Clerk of the Council for many years.