Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

It is recorded in York County Court House that Dr. William Carter in 1764 owned a large brick house in Williamsburg. The site, according to boundaries given in the deeds, was located on the South West corner of Duke of Gloucester and Botetourt Streets. Two plans, a cellar and a first floor plan were recorded with the deeds. Extracts from them follow:

February 16, 1764.

William Carter, Surgeon
to
Hugh Walker
Consideration: 300 Pounds.

One half the large cellar under the brick house of the said William situate on the South side of Duke of Gloucester Street in City of Williamsburg, denoted in the plan of the said house hereto annexed by No. 3, the two rooms on the lower floor of the said House N. 4, and the two rooms on the second floor above No. 6 as dented in the said plan ...... the said William or assigns may at any time have the privilege to inclose a small piece of ground adjoining his or their back door...... and at his own or their own expense build a cellar cap to the East end of the said Williams cellar No. 6, and a cellar cap to the said cellar and also erect a brick partition dividing his cellar No. 3 from the cellar No. 4. (Book VII - Deeds, p. 13 - 16)

August 8, 1764.

William Carter, Surgeon
to
Robert Anderson
Consideration: 225 Pounds.

One half the large cellar under the brick house of the said William Carter, situate on the South side of 2 Duke of Gloucester Street in city of Williamsburg denoted in the plan of the said house annexed to a deed from the said William and Rebecca to Hugh Walker recorded in the Court of York County No. 4 the two rooms on the lower floor of the house No. 6 being at the East end Thereof .... (Book VII -Deeds, p. 67. )

June 27, 1767.

William Carter - Surgeon
to
James Carter Surgeon
John Carter - Merchant
Consideration: 130 Pounds.

....also all that piece or parcel of ground situate on the South side of the Duke of Gloucester Street in the said city and bounded on the North by the last mentioned Street, on the East by a cross street running from the said street to Francis Street, on the South by the ground sold by the said William to James Anderson, Blacksmith, and on the West by the ground sold by William Withers to William Holt, and is part of the two lots purchased of the said Withers of Dudley Digges, and sold by the said Withers to said William Carter. And all houses . ... (Book VII - Deeds p. 300)

June 8, 1770

Hugh Walker
to
William Acrill - Gent.
Consideration: 200 Pounds.

One half of the large cellar under the brick house called Doctor William Carter's situate on the South side of the Duke of Gloucester Street in the City of Williamsburg, denoted in the plan of the said house duly recorded in the County Court of York by No. 3, the two rooms on the lower floor of the said house No. 4, and the two rooms on the second floor above No. 6 being over the two rooms below No. 6 as denoted in the said plan being the rooms conveyed the said Hugh Walker by the said William Carter. (Book 8 - Deeds - p. 62.)

Virginia Gazette - March 21, 1766. We have opened shop in Williamsburg at the back of Dr. Wm. Carter's brick building, and purpose carrying on the 3 Riding Chair Maker's business in all its branches, - Wm. Cosby & Filmer Moore.

Excavations have been recently made at the site and fragments of old brick foundation and basement walls and chimney foundations have been uncovered, which undoubtedly are the remains of the foundation of William Carter's brick house, for the plan of the foundation is the same as the plan recorded with deeds.

I submit herewith a drawing showing the foundations and a copy of the plan recorded in York County Court House.

P.S. There is new data, Mrs. Bullock says in the Research Department, not yet assembled, which contains additional information about Dr. Wm. Carter's Brick House, and its furnishings.

In William and Mary Quarterly 2nd. Series III: 234, Miss Mary F. Goodwin found the following, in the diary of A United States Soldier quartered in Williamsburg, December 14, 1814, "I am in a back room in our barracks, which is an old brick building situated on the south side of the Main street of the City of Williamsburg."