Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Saunders-Dinwiddie House
Present Building & Frenchman's Building

SAUNDERS-DINWIDDIE HOUSE
Block 30 - #13 & 14
(Addenda to Reports issued October 23, 1930 and August 12, 1931.)
September 2, 1931

The following accounts of the Honourable Robert Carter with Williamsburg craftsmen and merchants indicate repairs and additions to his house on Palace Street. These accounts give evidence for the existence of outbuildings, the fencing of the garden with white-painted pales, and the purchase of several pieces of furniture made by town craftsmen:

1769 - Hon^ble Rob^t Carter - D^r to Benjⁿ Bucktrout

Novr 7	To a Back for a Toilet Glass -	0: 1: 6
	To a Mahogy Desk & book Case -	16: 0: 0
		16: 1: 6

Received of Robert Carter the above amt. I say received the 8^thMay 1770

Benjⁿ Bucktrout

Carter Papers, 1705-1771
Ms. Va. Hist. Soc.
p. 67

1770 - The Honerable Rob^t Carter Esq^r Dr To Joseph Kidd

Nov. 2	Covering an Easy Chair with Crimson silk damask -	1:10: 0
	Sewing silk Thrd Cord & Nails -	0:10: 0
		2: 0: 0
1770 -	6thNovr. Recd the above in full.

Jos. Kidd.

Carter Papers, 1705-1771
Ms. Va., Hist. Soc.
p. 138

1771 - The Hon^ble Rob^t Carter Esq^r D^r To Humphrey Harwood

Septembr 17th	To 22 bushs lime a 9d & underping Closset 12/6 -	1: 9: 0
	To putting up pr. Steps & Jam to do 10/ -	0:10: 0
	To 3½ Days labr at 2/6 -	0: 7: 0
Page 2
Septembr 26 -	To 10 bushs lime 7/6 & puting up Steps 10/	0:17: 6
	To Fixing back to Grate 2/6 & 3 days labr a 2/	0: 8: 6
30th	To Mendg landary back & James & fixing backs 3/9	0: 3: 9
	To Ditto Kitching 3/9 & plastering oven 6d	0: 4: 3
	To Ditto well 1/3 & 1½ Days labrat 2/	0: 3: 9
		£4: 3: 9

October the 3^d received in full p me
Humphrey Harwood.

Carter Papers, 1705-1771
Ms. Va. Hist. Soc.
p. 108

1773 - The Hon^r Robert Carter Esq^ur To Ben Powell D^r

Jany 30	To Repearing paling Round yr Garden & yard Stoping up Gateway &c	1: 0: 0
	To Repearg Charatt House & Stabel	0:10: 0
	To 77 feet of Scantling for Do at 2½d	0:16:½
	To 100 Garden pales & 7 Garden Rales	0:12: 9
	To 224 feet of loose plank at 10/	1: 2: 6
		£ 4: 1: 3

Rec^d June 22^th 1773 the
Above Amt in full
Ben Powell

Carter Papers, 1772-1785
Ms. Va. Hist. Soc.
p. 15

1774 - Dr. The Hon Robt Carter Esqr

To painting your Gate and post	4/
To white Lead 12 lbs at 9d	9/
To Do -8 at 9d	6/
To 3½ Quarts oyl at 6/	5/
To 3 quarter days work by me -	3/
To puting in 13 pains Glass	8/
	35/

June 22 1774. Rec^d The
Above Acco^t
James Wray

Page 3

SAUNDERS-DINWIDDIE HOUSE
Block 30 - #13 & 14
August 12, 1931
(Supplement to Report issued October 23, 1930.)

Robert Carter of Nomini Hall owned and occupied this building from the time he purchased it from Robert Carter Nicholas on May 7, 1761 until he moved out of town and placed it in the hands of John Tazewell for sale in 1774. Tazewell advertised the property on May 26, 1774 in the Virginia Gazette:

For SALE,
The improved SQUARE OF LOTS adjoining the lots belonging to Mr. E. Deane, coachmaker in Palace street, Williamsburg. JOHN TAZEWELL, esquire, of this city, is empowered to sell-
If the purchaser, or purchasers, do not pay ready money, his bond, with approved securities, made payable to ROBERT CARTER, will be satisfactory.

During the time he occupied the house he made numerous alterations and improvements. From his manuscript account books now at the Library of Congress we find the following references to materials and labor expended on the house. Although some of these accounts seem to post date his residence here, the length of time which elapsed between the incurring and payment of a debt in colonial Virginia was frequently six months to a year, or longer:

The Hon^r Robert Carter Esq^ur To Ben Powell, ---D^r

1771
	June 1,	To making 4 Boxes By order of Doctr Pasture for Miss Carter's arm when Broken - - - -	£0:10
	July 1,	To Taking Down & Removeing a mangril from the Pallis By Mr Carter's order - - - -	11:10½
Page 2
1771
	July 24,	To Building an Addition to yr Studdy - -	£ 8: 0:0
		To 160 feet of Scantg for Do at 2½d - -	1:13:4
		To 600 feet of plank for Do at 1½d - -	3:15:0
		To 1600 Shinglis at 20/ - -	1:12:0
		To 850 20d Nailis at 12/6 - -	10:7½
		To 3500 6d Do - - at 6/	1: 1:0
		To 200 20d Brads & 500 6d Do - -	5:0
		To pant & oil for priming the Side of Yr addition & pantry - -	7:6
	Octobr 12,	To Sundries of work by Mr Lamb About yr origin -	5:0
		To onhangin window & altering the same - -	2:6
			£18:13:10

Carter Papers, Ms. Va. Hist. Soc.
Vol. 1, Page 97.

1772
May 25 . .	Dr. Mr. Jacob Bruce of Williamsburg
	To Cash received from R. C. Nicholas, Treas. for Sundry Iron Grates for the use of the Colony -	90: 5:6
1774
June 14 . .	Dr. Mr. Benj. Bucktrout [P. 26]
	By mending a Music Stand . . .	0: 1:6
	" 8 mahogony chairs stuffed with black leather bottoms at 40-8½ per chair. .	16:13:8
	"4 Ditto Elbow chairs at 55s. each . .	11: 0:0
	"a Case and packing for my Harpsicord	1: 0:3
		28:15:5

Carter, Robert - Papers
Account Book I, page 4

Cash paid, on acct of Disbursements, at Williamsburg-

May 13,1775
0:19:6	paid for 18 Small lock to R. Prentis
8:10:6	paid Messrs Dixon & Hunter printers
: 1:6	paid ------ Do for wooden sand Box
18:15:0	pd John Washington for Shingles
4: 2:5½	pd Nanny Jones, wife of Geo. Jones
0:18:3	pd negroe Landon painter
3: 1:8	paid Mrs Crawley, for Fodder, wood & washg
0: 1:6	cash paid Negroe Landon, for fixing - 1 light glass-

Carter, Robert
Account Books, Feb.-Dec. 1775

Page 3

10 Nov^r 1774
Goods bought of M^rThomas Blane, Merchant

• 110 panes of Glass
• 4 pair Dovtail Hinges
• 1 Dozen pair small HL Hinges
• 5 pair Large HL
• 2 pen knives
• 1 Draw Lock
• 1 Saw Sett

Carter, Robert
Memo. Books, (1) 1774-1775

Mary Newton Stanard has some additional data on the house which is published in her "Colonial Virginia, Its People and Customs":

The correspondence of Robert Carter of "Nomini" with London merchants shows that he had in his Williamsburg house three parlors hung with papers whose descriptions have quite a modern sound. One of these was "crimson colored," another white with a pattern of large green leaves, while the third, with which the best parlor was hung, was blue covered with large yellow flowers. Page 74.

SAUNDERS-DINWIDDIE HOUSE. Block 30 #13, & #14.
October 23, 1930

At a very early date a house stood on the site of the present Saunders-Dinwiddie House. Its natural possibilities for garden development made it a desirable location for a Gentleman's residence. This it was from the earliest deeds of which we have record, being tenanted by Dr. Kenneth McKenzie, Robert Carter Nicholas, Gov. Dinwiddie, Hon. Rob't Carter and William Carter at various times within the 18th. century.

On October 7, 1747, Robert Cary of London deeded lots 333 - 334, 335, & 336 to Dr. Kenneth McKenzie, Doctor of Physics, describing it as the messuage house and lands purchased from Charles Carter. The Doctor lived in this house, which according to the inventory of his estate in 1755, was lavishly furnished with mahogany furniture and contained an extensive library, chiefly of medical books.

John Blair noted in his diary in November 1751 an order to buy the home of Dr. Kenneth McKinzie for the use of Governor Dinwiddie while the Palace was being repaired.

The Receiver General accordingly on December 20, 1751, purchased "The Messuage House and 4 lotts situate in Palace Street in Williamsburg" for £537/10/00. The house, and its extensive grounds thus sold for a relatively high figure for the period. The Receiver General deeded the property to Robert Carter Nicholas Attorney-at-Law in December 1753 for £450.

Robert Carter Nicholas lived in the house for the next eight years, selling the "4 lotts and buildings thereon erected, with all ways, etc. to the Honorable Robert Carter in May 7, 1761 for 2 £650.

Wm. Carter, the surgeon, at this time owned the other two lots from Robert Carter's lot to Prince George Street. During this time a dispute over the boundary between the Carter lots took place which was settled by William Carter deeding Robert the piece in dispute for 5 Shillings and "peace of mind."

Wm. Carter deeded his two lots to James Carter, surgeon, and John Carter, Merchant. this gave the house an entire square along Palace Street in June 1767, which contained the buildings in which Wm. Carter lived. the property was advertised for sale in the Virginia Gazette:

"Oct. 17, 1777 - For sale: R. C. Nicholas house and lots in the city of Williamsburg. The square being surrounded by streets in detached from all other buildings and contains about 8 lots, the greater part of which constitutes a large garden, well enclosed, and well cropped. Dwelling house is large and commodious, having four rooms on a floor, and is in pretty good repair. the offices are numerous and convenient some nearly as good as new, a fine spring near the house. Also a large pasture adjoining the City."

The building was still for sale six years later, at which time the following description of the house was given in the Virginia Gazette.

"March 29, 1783 - For Sale: The well-known tenement which was formerly occupied by R. C. Nicholas Esq. The house is two stories high, with four rooms on a floor and nine closets, some of them will hold a bed, table and two chairs; also two houses in front, with a garden paled in, stable to hold 15 horses, pasture, etc. Also my brick house adjoining Raleigh Tavern, with a store and counting room below and four rooms above, kitchen, etc. - John Carter.

The Frenchman's Map, although there is an error in the 3 North-South portions, the map still seems to retain the relations between buildings and their outbuildings and their respective sizes. The blue prints with this report show the Frenchman's Map superimposed on the present Saunders-Dinwiddie house and outbuildings.

Elkanah Deane, a coach-maker, owned the lot on the corner of Prince George and Palace Streets and carried on his business there during the last quarter of the 18th century, according to extensive evidence in the Virginia Gazette.

Saunders was the owner of the entire block in the ante-bellum days, according to the following description from Mr. Charles "Recollections of Williamsburg":

" ..the 'Saunder's House', with its numerous out houses, such as kitchen, servant's quarters, etc. this house presented then much the same appearance that it does today, with its double front poarch supported by white columns built of brick. this was the hospitable home of ' Bob Saunders', once president of the College of William and Mary, and professor of Mathematics. He was for many years mayor of this City. He was widely known and highly esteemed. He owned many slaves and an extensive plantation on York River. He died not long after the War and was buried in the garden of his home under a big weeping willow tree where now can be seen the tombstone that marks his final resting place. Nearly on the site of the Presbyterian Church, there was a big barn and carriage house and to the Westward of it, up to recent years, was a small wooden house, used as the coachman's abode. Mr. Saunders owned the entire square at the northwest corner of which was a 'burying ground' for the colored."

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Further research by this department in the Governor Dinwiddie Papers may yield additional data. The Yorktown Wills and Inventories may be expected to give a small amount of additional data.