Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Lot #51.
(Present Service Station)

This lot on the corner of Botetourt street had a long gambrel-roofed house on it at a fairly early date. Jean Pasteur, a barber and peruke maker lived on lot #51 prior to October 13, 1735, at which time he conveyed it to William Prentis, describing it as a "messuage lott or tenement where said Pasteur now dwells". William Prentis owned the lot until his death in 1765, when he willed it to his daughter, Sarah Waters. In the inventory of his estate mention is made of the following rooms in his house:

The Hall, John Prentis' room, the Little Room, the Chamber, Daniel's room, the Dining Room, the Nursery, Mr Prentis' room, the little Closet, the Cellar.

The following outbuildings were also mentioned:

Kitchen and Wash-house, the Meal House, at the Store, Store-room at the House, outhouse.

Colonel John Prentis tenanted the house in November 1774, when it was mentioned in a deed for the adjoining lot, #52. He died in November 1775, according to an item in the Virginia Gazette. During his tenure, the following appeared in the Virginia Gazette:

May 20, 1773- For sale at Mr John Prentis' store, an exceeding elegant Spinet, in a Genteel mahogany case, with a Music Desk.

Rachel Anderson then owned and insured the house on this lot in May 1806 (Policy #669), describing it has a wood building covered with wood, 64 x 31 feet, having a Dutch roof, and being 14 feet distant on the east from a wooden house on the lot of William Russell.

The same property was insured again by Rachel Anderson in May 1810 (Policy #1043), the dimensions being given as 66x32, a porch having been added on the east. It showed a large number of outbuildings along the line of Russell's lot. A later policy in June 1815 repeats these same essential facts.

The Frenchman's map (1786) shows a long building on this site 66 x 32 feet, about 12½ feet distant from another building on the east.

Mr Charles in his "Recollections of Williamsburg" (p.45) mentions that:

"At the southwest corner of the square bounded by Duke of Gloucester, Nicholson, Botetourt, and 'Blair' streets, were, at the earliest recollections of the writer, the brick walls forming the cellar or basement of a big building that has been destroyed by fire. The cellar was filled in when the street was paved a few years ago."

#52

At this time the earlier deeds to this lot have not been listed. The first clue to this lot, at the present, is a deed dated June 4, 1770 in which George Gilmer, a Doctor of Physick, deeds to Jane Hunter, a Milliner, "that part of a lot of land now in the possession of the said Jane…denoted in the plan of the said city by the figures 52, and bounded on the west by the lot of the late William Prentis, deceased, on the South by the Main street, and on the east by the brick shop of Dr James Carter and the lot of James Craig".

The western portion of this lot was deeded by George Gilmer to William Russell November 15, 1774, in this deed it was described as being "bound on the east by the lots or parts of lots of James Craig and Margaret Hunter … on the west by the lot of Colonel John Prentis, being the greater part of the lot numbered in the plan of the city by the figures 52." This second deed indicates that the land had reverted from Jane Hunter to Gilmer again, and this time the consideration involved was £ 410.

The eastern portion of the lot, which today contains the Kinnamon store at that time had a small wooden building just east of the brick one. The brick building was tenanted by James Craig, a jeweler, whose shops was called "The Golden Ball" and the wooden building was tenanted by Margaret Hunter, the Milliner, who had succeeded Dr Andrew Anderson, the barber and peruke-maker. As Margaret Hunter and James Craig tenanted the lot at the same time, it is apparent from the following items from the Virginia Gazette that it was Craig who had the brick shop, and Margaret Hunter the wooden one, a theory checking perfectly with buildings indicated on the Frenchman's map: 4

October 1, 1772: James Craig, at The Golden Ball, Williamsburg has a new assistant in Watch and Clockmaking. Jewellery, Gold and Silver Work done in the neatest manner as usual.

May 27, 1774: Robert Bruce, Watchmaker, is moved from Mr. Craig's at the Golden Ball to the house at the opposite side of the street, the house above Mr. Robert Anderson's.

October 21, 1771: The Margaret Hunter sells merchandise at her shop lately occupied by Dr. Andrew Anderson.

November 21, 1771: The shop lately kept by Dr. Andrew Anderson has been bought by James Carter and added to his; both of them are run by James Russell.

The insurance policy data on these lots merely confirms the names of the owners and the relations of the buildings. Two additional facts are gained, however, one is that William Russell tenanted this lot from 1806 for about 10 years, at which time there was a small lane on the eastern boundary of the lot, and a wooden building which he tenanted.

#53

This lot, according to present evidence had a brick shop on it just 8 feet from the Raleigh Tavern.. The shop was Dr. James Carter's apothecary shop, "The Unicorn's Horn".

Dr. Carter owned this lot #53, advertising in the Virginia Gazette in 1767 that he had drugs for sale in "my shop, the Unicorn's Horn near the Raleigh Tavern." In 1771 he bought the small wooden shop that was about one foot distant from the shop on the west and joined the wooden and brick shops, as mentioned.

On July 19, 1799 Dr. James Carter conveyed to Dr. William Carter for the consideration of £ 1000:

"All that moiety of the brick house which belonged to the said James Carter, situate, lying and being on the North side of the Duke of Gloucester Street, as also all that part of ground whereon it stands, which said lot of land is bounded on the east by the lot of John Carter, merchant, on the west by the lot of James Craig, and on the south by the said Duke of Gloucester street, being the moiety of the lot and house where the said William Carter now keeps his shop."

The following advertisements of this property appeared in the Virginia Gazette:

March 29, 1763- For sale:… My brick house adjoining the Raleigh Tavern, with a store and counting room below, and 4 rooms above, Kitchen, etc- John Carter.
June 30, 1793.- Sold at auction, the house and lots of the late John Carter, also tenement adjoining the RaleighTavern now occupied by James Davis.

In May 1806 James Davis insured a two story brick dwelling house and shop 40 x 38 feet, within 4 (?) feet of the Raleigh Tavern, having a brick Kitchen 24 x 18.

#54

Lot #54, the Raleigh Tavern lot, will be treated in a separate report. The data at this time although extensive is not quite complete.