Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

BLOCK 13-2
LOT 159-[?]
NO. 25, MAP OF 1940
THE BOOT AND SHOEMAKER'S SHOP

^obsolete

As early as 1773 and apparently in 1774, a shoemaker's firm, George Wilson & Co., had its shop next door to John Greenhow's store. The following announcements in the Virginia Gazette are given as proof:

September 9, 1773.

JUST IMPORTED, by the Subscriber,& a choice Cargo of the best Sorts of ENGLISH LEATHER for all Manner of Mens Shoes and Pumps, and excellent LONDON DRAWLEGS for BOOTS with which he will be glad to accommodate Gentlemen. He returns his most greatful acknowledgments to those who formerly favoured him with their Custom and hopes his past Workmanship will merit a Renewal of it, and he will make it his constant Study to give Satisfaction to all who shall please to favour him with their Commands.
GEORGE WILSON, & CO.

N. B. Two or three JOURNEYMEN SHOEMAKERS, who understand making of BOOTS and Mens WOOD HEELS, will meet with good Encouragement by applying immediately to me, Next Door to Mr. Greenhow's Store in Williamsburg.

(Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)

Williamsburg, May 26, 1774.
The subscriber has just received a CARGO of ENGLISH CALF SKINS, and light DRAW LEGS for the summer. Those gentlemen who formerly applied to him for boots, when it was out of his power to supply them, will now please to renew their orders, which shall be strictly complied with, at whatever distance they live. --Two or three journeymen shoemakers, will have good set of summer work, by 2. applying early, at the rate of 3 s. 6 d. for plain shoes, 5 s. stitched work, and 10 s. for boots-
GEORGE WILSON (Clementina Rind, Ed.)

Neither the preceding nor the future history of Wilson or of his firm could be learned from the available records. The definite location of this bootmaker is a difficult one, unless Greenhow kept his store in his house or had more than one building on his lots that could be used as stores. The location of Peter Scott, cabinet maker in John Custis's tenement, at lot No. 355 (Deneufville's in the early 19th century- See report on the John Custis tenement, Block No. 13) until Scott's death in 1775 (Virginia Gazette, Alex. Purdie, Supplement, Dec. 1, 1775) eliminates that lot as the one on which Wilson & Co. sold shoes.

From the available records, it appears that John Greenhow who advertised his store as "near the church" in 1766 (Virginia Gazette, Purdie and Dixon, Sept. 19) was still selling merchandise at his old location in 1784. (Virginia Gazette or the American Advertiser, James Hayes, Jan. 3, 1784); and possibly until his death in 1787 (Virginia Gazette and Independent Chronicle, John Dixon, Oct. 6, 1787) His son Robert was sole executor and offered most of the estate, including "a large and commodious Dwelling House on the main street" of Williamsburg for sale (Ibid)

By 1793, it appears that Robert Greenhow was offering goods for sale in Williamsburg (Virginia Gazette and Richmond Chronicle, John Dixon, Aug. 30, 1793) and continued to do so for the next two years. (Ibid, June 13, 1794, Jan 13, 1795)

Sometime before 1807, Robert Greenhow built a new store 3. (Williamsburg Land Transfers in the Virginia State Library had this information and credits Greenhow with ½ lot.) In 1806, he insured a store on the main street and described the property he was insuring as his "two buildings on the Main Street how occupied by myself situated between the lot of Peter Robert Deneufville and my building declaired [?] Declaration of revaluation in the county of James City" (Policy No. 103 p. 24) He valued the store house a [See Exhibit A] at $1500 and described it as "1 story high entirely wooden 36 by 30."

The dwelling house of wood was described as 36 feet distant eastward. (By a deed from Wade Mountforth and his wife to John M. Maupin, July 17, 1838, in the miscellaneous cards under Colonial lot No. 355, it has been possible to locate Deneufville at lot No. 355 on the unknown draftsman's map.) Greenhow made no reference to King Street which separates his lot from Deneufville's lot, but writers describing the boundaries of their property often gave general rather than definite descriptions. This information dovetails with the information given in the first policy. ^{Leave Out}

On the same day, Greenhow (in policy No. 644, p. 25) insured the four buildings on the lot where he lived, for $7,060. Nothing is said about the store, but in the drawings, a "wooden house" in the extreme northwest corner is declared to be 35 feet distant [west] from the two-story wooden dwelling house. ^{(Exhibit B)}

Greenhow's third policy No. 1022, p. 26 of the date April 5, 1810, seems to have no bearing on a store in Greenhow's lot and is therefore not included.

His revaluation on Aug. 20, 1811 of Nos. 644 and 103 in policy No.1082 (p. 27) shows that the property described therein now belonged 4. to John Page Shields and was occupied by him and Edward Cheminant. The property was described as bounded on the west by Deneufville and on the east by Joseph Repiton. (See Exhibit C) In the drawing, Edward Cheminant is shown occupying the store.

On June 15, 1815, Simon Block in policy No. 1512 revalues John Page Shield's buildings formerly declared for assurance in policy No. 1082. For the first time, a street is given as the western boundary by the phrase ^{He describes his property as bound} "on the east by Joseph Repiton and streets otherwise." The store house was valued at $1,000 (See Exhibit D.)

The Williamsburg Land Transfers show the following facts:

1807	- Simon Block via Anderson 2/4
1809	- Robert Greenhow via Girardin -½ (Lewis H. Girardin was located east of Robert Greenhow in Policy No. 1022)
1813	- Simon Block via Saunders and Greenhow

In the Williamsburg tax records for 1817, ^{it appears that}Peter Devergers ^{had come into possession of this property} is shown with 3 lots, annual rent $210. He seems to have [illegible] the lots in the following manner: ^{According to the records} he acquired "2 via Simon Block, Dwelling house and lot, containing one acre more or less, bounded on the north by main street, on the east by Joseph Repiton, on the south by a back street; also the lot and store house 40 feet front leased from the Corporation."

It is quite possible that this ^{the store house} was Robert Greenhow's store.

The information above is given merely to show the persistence of storekeepers in locating themselves in a well-known, well-built, or well-located store ^{and to indicate the difficulty involved in locating the boot makers shop.}

Possibly Block's name was properly spelled Bloch.

5.

The failure of George Wilson to state whether he was located above or below Greenhow and the smallness of the Repiton House 9 (31 x 20 - See report on the Repiton House) lead to the question of the use of the latter house by Wilson. It is a more logical place to locate him than John Greenhow's store or the "commodious dwelling" that is illustrated in this report.

Policy No. 1512 p. 9

Policy No. 103 p. 24

Policy No. 644 p. 25

Policy No. 1082 p. 27

Policy No. 103 Page 24

Policy No. 1512

Addenda to Report on Colonial Lots 159 & 160

It is not known at what date a "hotel" began to be kept at Lots 159 & 160. A further search in the newspapers from 1806 on may clear up this doubt. In view of the fact that John P. Shields was located on these lots or one of then in 1810 (See report p. 4) the following announcement although referring to Richmond, seems extremely pertinent:

"Boarding House

And Private Entertainment for Gentlemen and their Horses, Kept by John P. Shields, at his usual stand by the Bank, and in view of the Capitol. Accommodations as usual, and prices as low as the times will admit. About 20 Members of the Assembly can be privately and agreeably situated as to lodging and board.
October 26th, 1808."

Virginia Argus, Nov, 4. 1808 Samuel Pleasants, Jr.

SHOP EAST OF THE TRAVIS HOUSE
COLONIAL LOTS # 160
BLOCK 13, # 21 (22)
June 23, 1932

This shop was standing at the time of the Frenchman's map, 1786, and is shown on an insurance policy of 1815. It probably dates back to 1750 but no data can be found on this small building.