Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

COLONIAL BUILDINGS ON THE PRESENT COLEMAN LOT
Block # 29.
OCTOBER 17, 1930.

Shops, bowling green, a court house, a theatre and dwelling houses with their usual outbuildings, have been located on this lot at various times in its history. Its nearness to the Palace made it a fairly desirable location. Its history is best traced by using the old colonial lot numbers, #163 and #164 on Palace Street, and #169 on Nicholson Street.

By an agreement between William Livingston and Charles and Mary Stagg, his wife, actors, a theatre was to be built by the former and actors, music and scenery were to be provided out of England for the enactment of comedies and tragedies. This agreement was recorded July 11, 1716, and November 21, 1716. Mr. Livingston purchased three ½ acre lots and erected thereon a dwelling house, kitchen and stable. He laid out also a bowling alley and built a theatre, according to Dr. Tyler in "Williamsburg, the old Colonial Capitol."

In June 24, 1718, Governor Spotswood referred to eight members of the House who had slighted his invitation (Letters, Collection of the Virginia Historical Society, Vol. 11, P. 284): "These eight committeemen would neither to my house nor go to the play which was enacted on the occasion" . Another early reference to the play house is in the Virginia Gazette of September 10, 1736, in which a play by the young Gentlemen of the College is advertised to be performed at the Theatre the following week.

"... the house does not have appeared to 2 have prospered for in 1723 its mortgage was foreclosed, and Dr. Archibald Blair, the mortgagee took possession of the property. Charles Stagg died in 1735 and after his death Mary Stagg earned a living holding dancing assemblies". (A History of the Theatre in America", Arthur Hornblow, 1919.)

At this time Dr. Archibald Blair died, and his executor John Blair conveyed the property to George Gilmer, a chemist, according to the deed recorded at Yorktown in February 1735. It was described at this time as the lot where the Bowling Green formerly was, being lots #163, #164 and #169 containing the dwelling house and kitchen of William Livingston, Surgeon.

The city at this time lacked a Court House, and the Council of the City petitioned the subscribers for the Play House:

"To the gentlemen subscribers for the Play House on the City of Williamsburg, the corporation of the said city show:
That they have no public building within the said city wherein to hold their Common Hall and Courts, but have hitherto used the Court House of James City County or curtesie: That the Play House stands in a convenient place for such uses and has not been put to any use for several years and is now going to decay: That the whole money gathered is not sufficient for a Prison, nor have they any way to raise Public money for a Town House they shall always esteem and acknowledge it a mark of your special favour if you will be pleased to bestow your present useless House on this corporation for the use aforesaid, they intending to repair and alter it at their own expense". (W. & M. Quarterly, XXIV: 29.)

That the "Gentlemen Subscribers: granted the petition of the city is evidenced in a deed from George Gilmer, Gent., to the Mayor, Recorder, Alderman and Common Council of the 3 City of Williamsburg, conveying the portion of lots #163, #164 and #169 which contained the Play-house "together with six feet of ground adjoining to the said Play-house on every side", dated at Yorktown December 4, 1745.

Repairs to the Playhouse were ordered immediately, the Virginia Gazette of December 19, 1745 stating:

"The play House in Williamsburg is to be fitted up for a Court House by order of the Common Hall, that is to be new shingl'd, painted, weatherboarded, with five large sash windows, doors, floors, plaistering and good workmanship within, with apartments for the Mayor."

Studying the Frenchman's map (1786) there is a spotting of buildings which correspond fairly well with this data of 1745. This section of the map has some error or factor in it which makes determination of these distances by sealing it, impossible. However, the section was divided into 4 fairly equal lots along Palace Street the Court House being located in the southwestwardly lot. The small building indicated on the corner of Nicholson and Palace was evidently George Gilmer's apothecary shop according to the following advertisements in the Virginia Gazette:

May 22, 1737- A list of chemical for sale "at my old shop near the Governor's"- George Gilmer.

September 19, 1751- George Gilmer's goods to be sold at his shop nigh the Court House, on the corner of Palace Street".

James Tarpley and Thomas Knox, merchants were tenants of the property in 1759 when Peachey Ridgeway Gilmer, heir to George Gilmer conveyed the property to them, with the exception of the Court House portion. This was in December, 1759. On January 1, 1760 James Tarpley also acquired a lot adjoining the Garden of 4 the Honorable John Blair. This he leased to Rebecca Bird, a spinster, on the 22nd of the same month and year. December 20, 1760 James Tarpley sold his interest in the three lots #163, #164 and #169 to his partner Thomas Knox, with the exception of the Court House land.

Thomas Knox conveyed the lots to John Tazwell in August 1793. In this time William Livingston who had been granted the Fee to the lots for 500 years died without issue and the lots escheated, John Tazwell then acquiring a patent to them in August 1772. The city also granted title in the Court House to John Tazwell in the same year.

John Tazwell transferred title to Henry Tazwell in October 1783 of the three lots, including all the buildings thereon. It was this complete parcel of lots that figured in subsequent transfers.

Henry Tazwell was executor of the will of William Rowsay, who was a tenant of those lots, prior to July 7, 1786. This is the period of the Frenchman's map, which shows the block with a very small building on the corner of Nicholson and Palace streets.

Edmund Randolph having acquired the lots from Rowsay's estate, sold them to St. George Tucker July 3, 1788 for the consideration of£ 100. This was far less than Henry Tazwell had paid for the lots in 1783, which had been£ 1200. The determination of the buildings, or the fluctuation in money value may account for this large price difference, or it may be that the Court House had burned in the meantime, judging by the following evidence from William Dunlop's "History of the American Theatre", London 1833:^* 5

"This theatre was situated on the spot occupied now by the house of the late Judge Tucker. After its destruction by fire, another was erected by the old Capitol."

St. George Tucker insured his house on April 21, 1796 for $1600, at which time no mention was made of a laundry or stable. In his next insurance policy, issued June 17, 1815 the house is insurance for $5500, and although they are not evaluated a large building on the Palace street side of the lot is shown marked "Stables", etc.

By adjusting the building on the Frenchman's map to the scale of the present survey map (1 inch-100 feet) it is possible to approximate the location he gives of the theatre-courthouse site. This would be about 140 feet north of the corner of Nicholson and Palace street. The building would be about 60 x 20 feet in dimension. Within ten feet of the theatre site, south, is a small building about 16 x 14 feet.

The building that was the shop and dwelling of George Gilmer the apothecary and surgeon was 40 feet from the corner of Palace Street, on Nicholson. It was about 20 feet square.