Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT

Submitted herewith is a drawing showing all foundations recently uncovered by excavation at the site of the First Theatre in America, located in the North West Corner of the St. George Tucker (Coleman) lot on the East side of the Palace Green, about 150 feet, North of Nicholson Street.

According to the following records, the First Theatre in America was built in Williamsburg, Virginia, probably in 1716, certainly during the period July 1716 - June 1718.

Book 15 - Wills & Orders, p. 53, York County Court House. "Articles of Agreement -- Levingston from Stagg. And ye said Wm. Levingston doth further covenant and agree with all convenient speed to cause to be erected and build at his own proper costs and charge in ye City of Williamsburg, one good substantial house commodious for acting such plays as shall be thought fit to be acted there."

Letters -- Collection of the Virginia Historical Society - Governor Spottswood, June 24, 1718. - Vol. 2, p. 284. "These eight committeemen would come neither to my house nor go to the play which was enacted on the occassion."

The building was still used as a theatre in 1736, for the 2 Virginia Gazette of September 10th, of that year advertised that a play by the young gentlemen of the College would be performed at the play house the following week.

The following copy of deed contains the record of where the theatre stood -- on one of the three colonial lots, numbers 163, 164, and 169 -- and also that all right to the play house was assigned to the City of Williamsburg in 1745, the building to be used as a Town Hall.

Deed Book 5- York County Court House p. 153, 154, 155. "Whereas John Blair., Esq., Executor of the last will and testament of Archibald Blair, gentlemen, deceased, by one certain indenture bearing date 20th, Feby., 1735 did bargain, sell and assign unto the said George Gilmer, those three lots of ground in the said City of Williamsburg, designed in the plan of the said city by the numbers, 163, 164, and 169, being the lots and land whereon the Bowling Green formerly way and the dwelling house and kitchen of William Levingston and the house called the Play House for the consideration of the sum of 155 pounds, lawful money of Virginia, and whereas the said George Gilmer, -- consideration 50 £, -- sold to the subscriber for the Play House, all right title etc. in the said play house, the ground whereon it stands together with six feet of ground adjoining to the said play house on every side thereof. Subscribers assigned their right in the Play House to Mayor and Council of Williamsburg for the use as a Town House.
Recorded Dec. 16, 1745."

The City of Williamsburg, soon after acquiring the building in 1745 converted it, by alterations, into a Town Hall as the following records show:

William & Mary Quarterly, XXIV: 29. "To the gentlemen subscribers for the play House on the City of Williamsburg, the Corporation of the said city shew:
That they have no public building within 3 to hold their Common Halls & Courts, but have hitherto used the Court House Of James City County an curtesei: 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 it at their own expense."

Virginia Gazette - Dec. 19, 1745. "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 shingled, painted, weatherboarded, with five large sash windows, doors, floors, plaistering and good workmanship within, with apartments for the Mayor."

Dr. Lyon G. Tyler (see his book, "Williamsburg, The Old Colonial Capitol." - p. 226.) determined that the theatre was built some where on the present St. George Tucker (Coleman) lot, having traced the title to the three Levingston lots 163, 164, and 169, by deeds recorded in York County Court House to the present owner of that property, Mrs. Cynthia B. T. Coleman. The location on the Coleman lot, of the three old lots has been determined as follows:

Lots 163, 163 and 169 are shown on an old map of Williamsburg in the possession of William and Mary College. This map is undated and not an official record, but the names of owners and lot numbers recorded on it, in numerous instances having been proved to be correct by deeds recorded during the 18th century in York County Court House, there seems no doubt of its authenticity, 4 or that its date is colonial.

This old map shows four lots of equal size, fronting on the East side of the Palace Green between Nicholson and Scotland Streets, lot 163, being at the corner of Nicholson Street and lot 164 adjoining it on the North. Lot 169, a long lot, is shown adjacent to and East of the two lots 163 and 161, fronting on Nicholson Street.

J. T. Waddill's office, in making its survey of Williamsburg for the "Restoration" determined the distances between the colonial streets of the city and located the old Street lines in the field. This distance between Scotland and Nicholson Streets was calculated to be 528 feet therefore, lots 163 and 164 fronted 132 feet each on the Palace Green, and as they were 1/2 acre lots, extended 165 feet eastwardly to lot # 169.

The location of the lot lines thus determined, the St. George Tucker House was found to occupy practically the whole width of lot # 169 fronting on Nicholson Street, as well as the eastern 50 feet of lot #163. The Tucker House was built probably about 1790 or 1791 (see old records in Research Department). Certainly, no building is shown on that site on the Frenchman's Map of 1786. It is probable that the Tucker House was the first building built on the Site. Anyway, everything that has been written about the theatre and the property, as well as tradition indicate that the theatre stood on the Western part of the lot near the Palace Green. The two lots facing on the Green were thoroughly explored by excavation and foundations were found on both. Walls found on lot 163, shown on drawing already submitted 5 under title "Foundations on Coleman - Tucker Lot", are the foundations of two building, one undoubtedly the remains of an old residence, a chimney foundation near the center of it, making its use as a theatre impossible, and the other was a more recent small outbuilding foundation, the walls of it crossing the old line between lots 163 and 164, and lying above the foundations of the residence.

As the theatre stood on one of the three lots and lots 163, and 169 have bean eliminated, then, it must have stood on lot 164. The site thus located, the natural conclusion is that the old walls found on it are the theatre foundations. The walls are very old for to completely expose them it was necessary to remove a large mulberry tree, estimated by the landscape architect's men to be about 70 or 80 years old, which had grown over the Southeast Corner of the foundation and nearly filled the basement with its roots. It was a twin tree, both branches being about 2' in diameter. A section of one of these, 2 feet in diameter has been brought to the office. Also, pictures taken of the foundations show the tree.

In addition, the old foundations found there evidently are the remains of the old play house for they are the only old walls uncovered by excavation in Williamsburg., that form a plan of a building suitable for the theatre, with walls in the proper places for auditorium and stage. Further, as early theatres were not heated, the finding of no chimney foundations is another indication that the walls once supported the play house, and not a residence or kitchen which always had fireplaces. It is 6 recorded that Levingston built on the three lots only four buildings, -- a dwelling house, a play house, a kitchen and a stable. The dwelling house and the kitchen have been eliminated, and the possibility that the stable was erected on the foundation found on lot 164 is eliminated also by the finding of a basement. Certainly no colonial stable had a cellar. Therefore, the original old walls seem to me positively identified as the foundations of the First Theatre in America.

From the foregoing, and a study of the foundations, I have reached the following conclusions about the old walls. Walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 are original main walls of the theatre. Walls 11, 12, and 13, supported the stage, 19, 20 and 21 the stage entrance. The 9" portion of wall 6 is original for it is bonded to wall 2. The 13" portion is later, having been built to close door opening, the east side of which is clearly indicated by the vertical joint where the two walls meet at point A. A fragment also, of a portion of wall No. 6 still remains bonded to wall No. 4. Evidently when the opening was bricked up the part of wall 6 West of the door partially rebuilt. This is shown by a diagonal joint at B on the South side of the wall about one foot from wall h, where the 13" patch in wall 6 joins the original 9" portion. The patch being 13" wide, 4" of it on the North side runs all the way to wall 4, but does not bond with it. Wall 5 appears to be as old as wall 6 and as the East side of the opening found in it is in line with the East side of the opening of wall 6, it must be 7 an original wall. The opening in wall 6 then was probably 5 feet wide, the same as the opening in wall 5. Vertical joints in wall 4 indicate that originally there was a basement entrance at C, which later was bricked up, as shown on the drawings. Basement entrance steps at 8 also are original for they are bonded into the original wall. Basement drains along the inside of the North and East walls led Water (perhaps seepage only) accumulating in the basement to the North East corner and through the East wall there into what apparently was an outside sumps (No. 9) for no outlet to it could be found. Fragment of foundation No. 10 appears to be as old as the main foundation walls, and is in the correct location to be the South East of a porch or entrance platform 11' x 4' -2" centered on the main portion of the east side of the theatre. There was probably a corresponding entrance at 7, but no foundations were found there.

I can find no reason for wall No. l4, but apparently it is as old as the main theatre walls, and was a part of the building. If the stage was high, it may have supported steps, used by actors when disappearing below stage. Walls 15 and 16 apparently are later, for wall 14 was cut to make room for one of them. Perhaps when the building was converted into a Town Hall, the stage was removed and a new entrance to the building was supported on walls 15 and 16. A fragment of wall No. 17, seems to have no relation to the theatre and probably belongs to a later outbuilding. No. 18 ^is brick paving.

I submit an additional drawing, showing the plan of the 8 theatre as I have deduced it from the old foundations. The building would have seated, using plain benches, and with aisles as indicated, about 130 people which to me seems about the number, considering the small population of the town and vicinity, that seats would have been provided for, in the First Theatre in America.

Several boxes of articles - china, glass, iron etc. found in the excavations have been turned over to Mr. R. Goodwin.