Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

1939: No additiona1 information on house. H.B. Note: This house was razed in 1937 to make room for Williamsburg Inn. M. G. Owners: Braxton?, McCandlish?, Camm, St. John &c No additional data May 1, 1939 HB

THE ST. JOHN HOUSE April 23, 1932.

^obsolete

This house stands on one of the lots subdivided from Colonel Philip Johnson's tract in 1761 and added to the city. It is reasonable to suppose that this house was built shortly after the subdivision, during the period when Williamsburg was growing and it was hoped would extend over its now territory.

On the town plan map (c-1800) the lots are charged to Braxton. This may be, and probably is, a marker remaining from one of the earlier purchasers, perhaps from its original one, as the names on the map have been established, through detailed study, as varying from l750 to 1900 in date. The supposition that the Duke of Gloucester street, and the other valuable sections of town were brought up to date and names from and older town plan added for the outlying lots seem reasonable and applicable.

Braxton did not own any James City County lots around 1800 according to the Williamsburg tax book for these years. It has not been possible to find any record of other owners of this property until 1835 when Robert McCandlish sold it to Edward Camm. Robert McCandlish is charged for lots in James City as early as 1818. 2

The building next east of the Gilliam house was known as the "Camm" house, now owned by Mr. St. John. These premises then presented a very attractive appearance with shade trees, shrubbery and flowers. (Charles, John S., Recollections of Williamsburg, page 59.)

Standing far back from the street, the Camm house, then the home of Dr. Camm (now called St. John house) was a magnificent building the gardens which have now gone to ruin-- which indeed have disappeared-- were then well kept and beautiful. Though architecturally unchanged, the St. John house of today looks very little like the Camm house of 1861. For with each passing year it has grown more dilapidated.(Lee, Mrs. Victoria, Williamsburg in 1861, page 6.)

It is probable that further researches in the accounts of Colonel Philip Johnson, in Braxton records and in James City tax books in Richmond may yield further data on this house. This could be undertaken in the future.

At the time when the house was erected the street was to have passed before it. The failure of the town to extend over Col. Johnson's lots accounted for the street never developing. In the nineteenth century the land for this house included the street.