Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

SHEWMAKE HOUSE
BUILDING NO. 2 IN BLOCK 10

^Obsolete

Examination of the building now standing on the southwest corner of Block 10, at the intersection of Francis and Colonial streets, known as the Shewmake House, seems to indicate, first, that it is the second building to have been built on the existing foundation. This seems to be evident for a number of reasons. The existing house does not tie in properly with the chimney on the east end, which is without question contemporary with the foundation. Also the foundations have been patched in a number of places with brick and mortar of the Colonial Period, the original basement filled in with earth and the basement window opening bricked up. The present first floor windows also do not center over the original basement openings.

It would also seem logical to suppose the reasons this building does not show on the Frenchman's map is because the map was made after the first house had been destroyed by fire and the second one had not been started. The character of the design and construction of the foundation and the east chimney are more typically pre-Revolutionary than of a later period.

The first building to occupy the foundations seems to have been a house of the same size and approximately the same character as the existing building. All that now remains of the first building is the major part of the brick foundation walls and the chimney on the east end. Excavation and careful 2 examination discloses that the first building had a basement, with a brick paved floor. The only known entrance to this basement was through an areaway on the north side of the east chimney. Brick fragments have been found here clearly indicating steps with wood nosings; also a sloping mortar line against the chimney indicating a roof over the steps.

Indications are that during colonial times the basement was subject to continual dampness and standing water, due to the very low site of the building. This seems to be borne out by the fact that at some early period of the house the basement was filled with 6 or 8 inches of clay and a second brick floor laid over the top. At this time, as a double precaution against standing water, a brick drain was put in, running from a point under the exterior entrance, connecting very probably with the large drain that empties into the ravine across the Duke of Gloucester Street. The basement entrance was also changed somewhat at this time to conform with the new condition created by the new floor and drain. The date of the change is more or less determined as colonial as oyster shell mortar was used for the brickwork. Still later, perhaps after the brick drain had become stopped up, or the first house had burned, the basement was apparently found to fill with water so it was abandoned and filled with earth. The first house had two basement window openings on the south side and also two on the north side which have since been bricked up. The location of these basement windows, the length of the house and the fact that no evidence of any other 3 chimney can be found seems to indicate that the original house contained two rooms on the first floor and very probably two rooms over on the second floor. The entrance to the house were directly into the room on the western end of the building in the south and north walls. This would explain why the windows nearest the west end of the building seem to be somewhat out of place. The cornice height and the height of the ridge on the original building were very probably much the same as on the existing building. This, of course, is determined from the height of the original chimney.

The second building to be built on the foundations, which is the existing building was much the same as it is now, with two rooms on the first floor and two on the second, with a hall between on each floor. Many changes, however, have been made from time to time and especially in recent years by the last owner. The most recent addition and changes being the addition of the wing on the north and the chimney on the west end of the main building. Both interior partitions on the first floor were moved approximately two feet to the west, as was also the partition on the second floor nearest the west end of the building. The present stairway is now, replacing a steep sheathed stairway which was located in the southwest corner of the hall, behind the front door. The front door was also moved a short distance to the west. The rear door in the first floor hall has been relocated a few feet farther to the east. The center dormer on the front elevation and the dormer over the rear door are both new additions 4 by the past owner. The window in the east end of the building and the two second floor windows in the west end were also added. Many of the colonial doors now in the house, the wide board flooring, most of the lathing and plastering and many window sash also comprise the changes made by the last owner. The only changes made before those of the last owner were probably the changing of the first floor window frames and sash on the south elevation. These windows are colonial but are only five lights high, whereas the window in the north wall in the east room is six lights high and seems to be original with the building now standing. From examination of the framing and the varying heights of the two colonial windows in the south wall, it would appear that they have been installed at a date later than the six light window. This indicates that the first windows in the south wall were also six lights high when this building was built.