Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

COLONIAL LOT #46 (LOT EAST OF PARADISE HOUSE)
Block 18

Colonial Lot #46 was originally granted by the Trustees of the City of Williamsburg to Archibald Blair in 1700. The terms of the grant were as follows:

Consideration: 15 shillings

One lot of ground in the city of Williamsburg designed in the plot by the figures 46, bounded as followeth:
Lying upon the North side of the Duke of Gloucester Street, beginning upon the street and running along that street E ¼ N 5 poles to ---- Lanes thence, along that Lane N ¼1P 16 poles to Nicholson Street, thence along that street W ¼ S 5 poles, thence S ¼ E 16 poles to the place begun at.

Shall build within 24 months - dwelling house 30 foot in length 20 foot in width, of such pitch and placed in such manner as by An Act of Assembly April 27, 1699.

Though this deed was admitted to record as late as November 24, 1702 [York County Records, Deeds, Bonds, Vol. II, p. 60] Blair's title seems to have lapsed, for by 1715 the city deeded it, along with other property, to William Timson. [York County Records, Deeds & Bonds, Book III, pp. 109-110] Two years later Timson mortgaged lot #46, with the other property acquired from the city in 1715, to James Shield:

May 31, 1717

Timson, William
to
Shield, James, taylor.
Consideration: 300 Pounds

All those three lots of ground in the city of Williamsburg denoted in the plan of the city by the figures 46, 47, 323, which three lots were granted unto William Timson by the Trustees of City of Williamsburg, together with the house thereon.

From 1717 to 1779 no records relating primarily or directly to this property are available, and our knowledge of it during that time is derived principally from incidental references to it in records relating to Lot #47, the lot next to the east of it. It is known that a 2 storehouse had been erected on Lot #46 sometime prior to June 15, 1719, for a deed to Lot #47 given on that date describes that lot as "Joining on the Great Street between the storehouse now in the tenure of Archibald Blair Gent and the house now in the tenure of Henry Gill." (Henry Gill had acquired Lot #49 in 1707 and Lot #48 was vacant until bought in 1719 by Michael Archer. See report on Virginia Gazette Site.)

When Lot #47 was sold in 1722, the deed described it as "adjoining on the Great Street between the storehouse now in the tenure of Archibald Blair and the house now in the tenure of Michael Archer." A third deed to Lot #47 in the year 1729 referred to it as "adjoining the great street between the storehouse of Mr. Archibald Blair and the house of Henry Gill." [York County Records, Book III, Deeds, Bonds, p. 385; Ibid., Book IV, p. 8]

Sometime, prior to November 10, 1779 Lot #46 was acquired by the firm of John Prentis & Company, and it seems likely used by them in carrying on their mercantile business. On that date the agents empowered to settle the business of this firm, which was being dissolved owing to the death of two of its members, apparently deeded the lot to William Hornsby, as the trustee for Robert Prentis. (Lot #46 is found to be in the possession of Robert Prentis at a later date) The consideration was 1000 Pounds Current Money. [York County Records, Deeds, Book, VI, p. 79] The size of the consideration and the fact that the deed referred to the "storehouses" on the lot, would seem to indicate that several substantial structures had been erected on the property prior to that time. At another point this deed referred to "the storehouse above mentioned with all the appurtenances whatsoever to the same belonging." It seems likely that the mercantile business conducted by John Prentis & Company had been 3 operated on this same site at a much earlier date, for in his will drawn in 1761, William Prentis, father of John Prentis, stated that for a number of years past he had been engaged in a "Copartnership of Trade" with John Blair and Wilson Cary. Both of these men were later members of the firm, John Prentis & Company. [York County Records, Wills, Inventories, Book 21, pp. 241-243]

Robert Prentis, the cousin of John Prentis, had been made manager of the firm, John Prentis & Company, as early as 1775. The firm soon came to be known as "Robert Prentis and Company." Since the Land Tax Records show only one lot in the city of Williamsburg in the possession of Robert Prentis at that period, an account of Humphrey Harwood for some work done for Prentis between 1778 and 1783 apparently throws some light on the character of the buildings on Lot #46 at that time. This account was as follows:

Mr. Robert Prentis

1778
June 30th	To Mending Arch over back door 6/. & 1 bu. Mortar & labr 2/Painting Wall	. . . 9 6
July 26	To 6 bushs lime a 1/6. Hair 1/6 Repairg larths. & plastwe in Store 22	. . . 1 12 6
	To 300 L Nails 11/3 & 2 days labour a 2/6 6	. . . 1 12 6
August 27	To Whitewashing the 2 back Rooms & Stareway 12/	. . . 12
Septr. 26	To 2000 bricks at 33/. to 3 bushs. of Mortar 3/4/6 Laying a harth 3/. 5/	. . . 5 9 6
	To Altering Chimney 5/.10/ & 1 Days labour 2/6 6/	. . . 16
Novembr 2	20 bushs, lime 20/ 30/ & Carting a load of Sand 2/4 2/12	. . . 1 14
5	to 12 Do 18. 400 bricks 11 22/ & Carting a load of Sand 4/	. . . 2 4
	To building a Chimney 40/ 60/ & 4-½ days labour a 2/6 6/	. . . 4 7
1779
March 11	To 20 bushs of lime a 2/6 4/6 & underpining Stable 20/ 80/ 5/ & 3 days labour a 2/6/12.	. . . 10 6
13	To 5 bushs. of lime a 4/6. hair 3/. & 80 larches 10d 4/ & putting up Step to Store 1/6/6.	. . . 1 15 6
	To larthing and plastering Nesacary House 24/ & 1 Days labour 2/6 12/	. . . 1 16
4
May 19	To 4 bushs, of lime 6/ 24/ & underpining Paleing 10/ 60/ & 1-¼ Days labr. at 2/6/15	. . . 5 2 9
November 13	T To 80 bricks 2/6 24/2 bushs. of lime 2/ 30/	. . . 2 14
1783
	To Pillering Poarch 6/ 60/ & labour work 2/6 15/	. . . 3 5
	To a load of Oat straw 30/ £ 14. 2.6
January. 8th	To 2 Sills 21 feet long (illegible)
	To 14 Rafters 16 do. long 3-½ by 2-½	. . . 1 5
	To 25 studes 7-½ Do. long	. . . 16 3
	To 4 Posts 7-½ Do. long 6 by 4 25 Do. a 3	. . . 6 3
	To 4 Braces 6 Do. 6 by 4 13 Do. a 3	. . . 3 3
		£ 19. 4..1
		-----------
		£ 19 4 1
	[payment refused (?) by Jo. Prentis]

The Frenchman's map of 1781 (or 1782 or 1786) indicates that at that time one large "L" shaped building, or perhaps two closely joined structures, faced on the Duke of Gloucester Street on this lot, with a smaller structure somewhat to the rear of them, and also another small structure near the Nicholson Street boundary of the lot. Both the Unknown Draftsman's map of c. 1790 and the Bucktrout map of 1803 show lot #46 in the possession of a person or persons named Prentis.

In a will made in 1786 Robert Prentis bequeathed his lot and storehouses in the city, to his nephew William Prentis, (Typed copy of manuscript will in Letters of Robert Prentis, p. 5.) The Land Tax Records of Williamsburg reveal that William Prentis was in possession of a lot in the city as early as 1806. In 1807 William Prentis rented his store to Robert Warburton [Robert Anderson to William Prentis, Feb. 10, 1807, Robert Anderson Letters Book I, Virginia Historical Society]

On March 24, 1809 William Prentis sold his lot, with the "Brick Store" on it to Robert H. Warburton bequeathed the residue of his estate, after certain debts and legacies should be paid, to certain of his nieces and nephews, members of the Drummond family, and their husbands and wives. [Idem.] Warburton died sometime prior to April 8, 1811, and on that date 5 his "house and lot" were sold as apart of the residue of his estate under court order to Samuel Shields, Jr. The property was described as "on the Main Street in the city of Williamsburg, bounded on the East by a cross street, on the South by the Main Street, on the West by the brick tenement occupied by Mrs. Paradise and on the North by the Back Street, which said lot Robert H. Warburton purchased of ---- Prentis." [Ibid., pp. 502, 257]

On April 18, 1814, Samuel Shield sold the house and lot with "all Houses, Outhouses, Ways, Waters, Easements, profits, commodities, Hereditaments, and Appurtenances to the said House and Lot belonging", to William Cary Drummond for $723. [Ibid, Book 9, p. 107] Robert Anderson became the trustee for Drummond's debt to Shield and was deeded the property as security. [Ibid., Book 8, p. 259]

In an indenture of 1815, through which certain of the heirs of Robert Warburton sought to clear the title of the property for Wilson Cary Drummond, they described it as "the House and Lot as aforesaid being the House commonly called the "Brick Store" the lot whereof is bounded on the east by the land which separates it from the House occupied by Doctor ---- Dufort, on the South by the Main Street, on the West by the lot late in the occupation of Lucy L. Paradise deceased & on the north by ---- Street, and which is the same House and Lot sold to the said Robert H. Warburton by William Prentis and Mary his wife by their deed bearing date the twenty fourth day of March 1809, and proved and recorded in the Hustings Court of Williamsburg..." [York County Records, Deed, Book 8, p. 502]

The Williamsburg Land Tax Records show William C. Drummond in possession of one lot, of the annual value of $100.00 (sometimes listed as Cary Drummond) from 1812 to 1818. Drummond apparently sold lot #46 to William Lee at that time, for the Tax Records for 1818 show Lee had obtained 6 "via Gary Drummond lot and brick store on the north side of the main street; and is the same formerly the property of Robert H. Warburton decsd." From 1820 to 1830, the buildings on William H. Lee's lot were assessed at $1000, buildings and lot together, at $1,100. In. 1838 a new building added $225.00 to the assessed value of Lee's lot.

By 1838 Lee had sold a portion of his lot to Sheldon and Maupin, a mercantile firm in the city. The Williamsburg Land Tax Records for that year show this firm in possession of a lot acquired "via Wm. H. Lee." The buildings on this lot were valued at $150.00; the lot and buildings together were assessed at five hundred dollars. At the same time the assessed value of Lee's property was reduced. The buildings were now assessed at $925.00; the lot and buildings together at $1,175.00. Lee sold the remainder of lot #46 about three years later to another mercantile firm. In 1843 the firm of Millington and Griffin were assessed in the Land Tax Records for a lot and buildings acquired "via William H. Lee," and at the same values placed on Lee's property in 1838, after he had sold a portion of his property to Sheldon and Maupin. (It should be noted that after 1820 portions of one of the original city lots were assessed as lots in Tax Records) The Records indicate that this property was "Transferred in 1841." By 1847 the portion of lot #46 which Millington and Griffin has purchased from Lee had come into the sole ownership of John Millington, one of partners of the firm. The Land Tax Records show John Millington in possession of a lot "formerly charged to Millington & Griffin" that was assessed together with the buildings on it at $1,175.00; the buildings alone at $925.00.

From later records it appears that the portion of lot #46 acquired from Lee by Sheldon and Maupin was one on its western end, and touching on the present "Ludwell-Paradise" property on lot #45, and that Millington's lot comprised the eastern section of the original lot #46, on which the 7 "Brick Store" stood. Millington sold his property to Edward Camm, a druggist, sometime prior to 1857. [See deed of Eliza Camm to Wm. W. Vest of 1877, Williamsburg Deed Book, I, p. 458] Camm's property was described at a later date as "That lot of land in the City of Williamsburg, with the buildings thereon, bounded on the South by Main Street; east by Colonial Street; north by Nicholson Street; and west by the lot of Julia Minson. Which the said Camm purchased of John Millington." (It will appear that the western portion of lot #46 was at this time owned by Julia Minson.) Camm operated a drug business in the brick store on his lot for some time. On October 1, 1857. Camm transferred his business to his son, William, who continued it in the Brick Store. [Williamsburg Gazette, Richmond & Norfolk Advertiser, Nov. 11, 1857] By 1860 Camm had erected a new building on his lot, and contiguous to the old brick drug store, to house his son's business. [See Weekly Gazette and Eastern Virginia Advertiser, Nov. 23, 1859 and Ibid., April 11, 1860]

Thus by 1860, it is seen, two storehouses stood contiguous to each other on the eastern portion of lot #46. It appears also that by this time a third structure, likewise used at times for business purposes, stood on lot #46, on its western end, and adjoining the "Ludwell-Paradise" property. This portion of lot #46 appears to have been sold by Sheldon and Maupin in 1851 to William S. Peachy. In a deed of that year by which they conveyed several pieces of property to Peachy, one of the lots conveyed was described as "All that lot of land in the City of Williamsburg on Main Street of the said City adjoining the lots of Parkes Slater and John Millington now occupied by Wm. W. Dodd, which said lot with the houses thereon is a part of the partnership property of the said Sheldon & Maupin." [Southall Papers, Folder 201, May 3, 1851] Describing the appearance of the structure which stood on that portion of the lot adjoining 8 the "Ludwell Paradise" house as it looked at the beginning and just prior to the Civil War an aged resident of Williamsburg wrote in the twentieth century: The next house on the east was a small one story house with dormer windows, used as a tailor shop in days when 'hand-me-downs' were unknown. The house next on the east had about the same appearance as it has today. This was Dr. Camm's drug store, built not many years before the War. The brick house, now standing on the corner, and improperly called the "Red Lion" was used as an apothecary shop, but was used for other purposes when the new drug store was built. There were no other houses then on this square facing on Nicholson." [Charles, Recollections, p. 43]

Mrs. Victoria Lee, writing of "Williamsburg in 1861", said the following with reference to the buildings then standing on lot #46:

The brick building, across the street from the Barlow house, which has [been] mistakenly called for years the Red Lion, closely resembles its former appearance, though the interior then, was not like it is now. Between this building and the Paradise house was a small, frame cottage. Like so many other frame buildings in Williamsburg, this was a story and a half-house. A negro women, Julia Minson owned and lived in this cottage. [Recollections, p. 76]

(In this account Mrs. Lee had apparently overlooked the new store which Camm had built between the Brick Store and the small "cottage" on the western end of the lot.)

A photograph in the Coleman Collection, made some decade or two before the end of the nineteenth century shows that the three buildings mentioned above were standing on lot #46 at that period: the old Brick Store (in which Edward Camm first conducted his drug business); a wooden, two story store house to the west of the "Brick Store" (apparently the one built by Camm); and a story and a half house, with dormer windows, standing on the western portion of the lot, and immediately adjoining the "Ludwell-Paradise" property. This small white structure has certain characteristics of an eighteenth century house. While the records do not 9 reveal the fact, it seems probable that this is a building which had formed a part of the stock-in-trade of the firm of Sheldon and Maupin during the first half of the nineteenth century. The records do not indicate whether the building had been erected during the nineteenth century or at an earlier date in the eighteenth. Archaeological excavations were made on lot #46 in May, 1930 under the direction of A. A. Shurcliff. These excavations were, however, not complete and they were only partially recorded. It would appear, therefore, that further excavations on the site will be necessary before definite or final conclusions regarding the date at which buildings on the lot were erected can be reached.

According to the testimony of citizens of Williamsburg, all three of the above mentioned buildings were standing until after 1900. The two store houses were still standing when restoration was begun. Sometime between 1900 and the beginning of the work of restoration the story and a half structure with dormer windows had disappeared.