Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

COLONIAL-LOT #49
Block 18 - About site 26
January 6, 1932

This lot #49 contained store buildings throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It usually transferred with #50 the lot just east of it. See report on Colonial lot #50.

On July 19, 1760, however, William Waters deeded a portion of lot #49 to William Holt, a merchant, describing it as follows:

1760 — July 19 (Book 6 - Deeds)
"All that piece or parcel of a certain lot lying and being on the North side of the Main Street in the city of Williamsburg which said lot is denoted in the Plan of the said city by the figures 49, and to begin at the West corner of the said lot on the Main Street and to extend from thence Eastwardly and along the line of the said street 24 feet, thence to run Northwardly down into the said lot 87 feet, thence Westwardly a line 24 feet parallel to the front line and thence along the West side of the said lot being a South direction to the beginning, being part or parcel of one of the lots conveyed to William Waters by Indenture bearing date December 13, 1754, made or mentioned to be made between Peyton Randolph, then of London, Esq. of the first part, the Honorable William Nelson and John Robinson Requires of the second part, Elizabeth Holt of the city of Williamsburg aforesaid of the third part and the said William Waters of the fourth part. Together with the storehouse thereon lately erectad and all other buildings…
Consideration: £ 300."

This dead indicates that lot #49 van subdivided and the western portion had a store erected on it in 1766.

William Holt mortgaged this store and the part of the lot #49 to John Lewis on November 17, 1770 for £ 300.

There was evidently another store on this same lot which William Waters rented to tenant merchants. In November 1768 Jerman Baker 2 paid William Waters' estate £ 72:10:7 ½ for store rent.

In November 16, 1769 the following advertisement in the Virginia Gazette shows that this store was taken over by Jacob Allan, a merchant:

"1769 — November 16
Just IMPORTED, Irish and brown linens, handkerchiefs, lawn, gauze, Scotch threads of all sorts, &c. to be sold wholesale, at a reasonable advance, at the store lately occupied by Mr. Jerman Baker, in Williamsburg.
Jacob Allan."

Jacob Allan's store continued in business several years and in January 16, 1772 he advertised that John Turner was his business partner. The Allan and Turner store carried a very large stock of general merchandise and was advertised frequently in the Virginia Gazette. In December 16, 1773 John Turner took over the business alone.

The western portion of lot #49, which was owned by Holt, was leased by various tenant merchants. It was a desirable business location as it adjoined the printing office on lot #48 which was a post office, and center of a great deal of activity. These records of the tenancy of the western portion of lot #49 are from the Virginia Gazette:

1767 — September 17 (Purdie & Dixon, Eds.) "William Waddill, Goldsmith and Engraver, in Williamsburg, Begs, leave to inform the publick that he intends opening shop, next door below the Old Printing Office, by the ensuing General Court; where may be had…"

1770 — April 19 (Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)"Just Imported in the RANDOLPH, Captain WALKER, and to be sold by the subscriber at Mr. William Holt's store at a very low advance, for ready money,
[millinery]. MARY DICKENSON."

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1770 — November 22 (Purdie & Dixon, Eds.) , "Just imported from LONDON, in the TWO SISTERS, Captain TAYLOR, and to be SOLD, by the subscriber at the store next door to the POST OFFICE, on the most reasonable terms, for ready money, a very large and fashionable assortment of MILLINERY…
MARY DICKINSON."

1771 — January 10,(Purdie & Dixons, Eds.) "To be RENTED,
The SHOP next Door to the POST OFFICE; which may be entered upon immediately. For Terms inquire of the Printers."

William Holt in his will dated January Us 1791 bequeathed part of his Property to his daughter Elizabeth Coleman, naming his son-in-law, William, one of his executors.

In the early nineteenth century all these buildings were insured and copies traced from the original insurance policies are on blue prints accompanying this report.

Francis Teterel's store was on the western portion of colonial lot #49 near the printing office and 34 feet from the west end of William Coleman's house (on lot #50). Apparently by 1806 the store that is noted in eighteenth century records on the eastern portion of lot #49 had disappeared.

Mr. Charles in his "Recollections of Williamsburg" in describing the area east of the printing office says:

"When the 'dogs of war began to howl', there was only one other house on this square fronting on the Duke of Gloucester Street and that was a very long two story frame building just east of the depression referred to. This house had a store in the front part and the rooms in the rear and upstairs were used as a dwelling."(page 45)

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It is evident from this that he refers to the old Waters' dwelling house on lot #50, and that the other store building on lot #49 disappeared before the Civil War.

[See also report on Colonial Lot #50]