Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Mrs. George Coleman suggested to me yesterday that the well on the Coleman-Tucker lot be re-opened to provide water for watering the plants and flowers. She said that this could be done with safety to the public, as the water was pure and harmless should anyone drink it, and that very little work would be required to re-open the well as it was lined with brick in good condition and, when use of it was discontinued, had not been filled, but merely closed by the placing of a concrete top over it, which could be easily removed.

This suggestion seems a good one to me, so I am passing it on to you.

In answer to your request of October 15th for complete archaeological and research information on the Tucker House Laundry, I will say that such excavation awaits completion of the General Excavation Authorization and the permission of the owner of the site, both of which I believe are on the way. As far as research goes, all we have in our files is the insurance policy which I showed you today and a casual mention by Charles in his Memoirs that this building was used as a carriage house.

Mr. Macomber informs me that Mr. Coleman, the owner, said that it was not only used as a stable but also at times both as a laundry and servant's quarters, and that Mr. Coleman had already given the architects' office information as to the division of the intersection which embodied in the sketched plan which I presume is in your files. I have asked Mrs. Bullock to see whether a search through our notes on the Theatre Site may not throw some light on the adjacent building which is the same so called "laundry", and will send forward a report as soon as this inquiry is finished.

I hand you herewith drawings showing archaeological survey of old cistern and kitchen foundations, St. George Tucker House, which were exposed when western end of the building was pulled down.

I could get no labor from Todd & Brown to excavate here, there being no authorization, as I understood, for excavation at this house, so I have been unable to get measurements to bottom of footings of walls, and to the outside grades. This information can be secured when I can excavate, but as it may not be required, and the information in hand can be used now, I am submitting it. The relation of elevation of kitchen and cistern floors to the elevation of dining room floor is shown.

Submitted herewith is a drawing showing the remains of foundations recently uncovered by excavations at the above described site.

Remains of foundations of several buildings were found. The walls numbered 1 are part of the oldest foundation uncovered, for walls numbered 2 of a later building are superimposed on them. Mr. George Coleman, with whom I talked concerning these old foundations, said that he thought walls numbered 1 were a part of the "First Theatre in America". It is set back from the street the 6 feet called for in Hening's Statutes to allow for entrances and porches and has every appearance of being colonial brick work.

Walls numbered 2 are apparently foundations of an outbuilding, which, as no chimney foundation was found, perhaps was a stable, barn, or laundry. Mr. Charles, in his "Recollections of Williamsburg", page 36, says,

"On the square bounded by Scotland, England, Nicholson and Dunmore Streets, there are now only two more dwellings than in 1861. The "Audrey House" then had a single front porch. The small brick office is very much as it was then. The only other house in this block, facing the "Palace Green", was the 2 old frame house which stood on the western line of the "Tucker" lot with side to the street. This was used as servants quarters."

Walls marked 4 and chimney numbered 5 are apparently parts of the foundation of the servant's building to which Mr. Charles referred. I think this is a colonial foundation. It is set back 6 feet from the street, like Foundation 1: the bricks are the usual colonial size and color; the mortar, oyster shell; and the bond, English. Walls at number 6 are evidently parts of the foundation of an addition to this house.

Foundation No. 7 appears to be colonial. Perhaps a dairy or smoke house was there.

In the 6 foot space between the foundations and the Dunmore Street line there are indications that this space was once paved with bricks. Apparently, there was a brick walk also at No. 9.

No. 8 looks like a part of a chimney foundation, but seems to have no connection with any of the other old walks found on the lot.

All articles of glass, china, iron etc. found in the excavations have been turned over to Mr. R. Goodwin. The Foundations have been left uncovered.

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