Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Conditions Found at the Site

(see photographs N1747 and N1749)

The site of the Coffee Shop was a well tended front lawn of a modern two story dwelling which occupied the site of the Coffee Shop Kitchen. There was a semi-circular driveway in front of the modern house paved in gravel with two entrances to Waller Street encompassing the Coffee Shop Site.

Excavation of the Coffee Shop site was undertaken on ¹⁹⁵⁰. The Kitchen and Outbuilding site on ¹⁹⁵³, after the demolition and removal of the modern house.

The area including foundation "A" and "E" colonial lots 21 and 22 from Waller Street south for approximately 100 feet, and the area from the rear (east) of the modern Kelly House to the property line was diagonally crosstrenched. Care was taken to leave undisturbed all brick or masonry which was encountered. Trenches were approximately 7 feet apart, 2'-0" wide and were carried to undisturbed soil except where obviously deep fills were encountered.

When the crosstrenching was complete the extent and general location of old foundations was revealed. Foundation "A" was then carefully uncovered except a small area in the south end in which a 26" ['?] walnut tree was growing. This area was excavated at a much later date after the tree had been cut down.

Paving when encountered was exposed by careful layering, or scraping the surface dirt then scratching and sweeping, to insure that all paving was exposed in its original location.

The area, including foundations "B", "C" and "D" includes the site of the modern Kelly House. The house was demolished to its foundations in June and July 1953 and the area was crosstrenched. After crosstrenching all foundations discovered were traced out revealing the sites designated "B", "C" and "D".

Excavated material from the Coffee Shop site was screened for three days, June 4, 7 and 8, 1954, but insufficient material was recovered to warrant continued screening.

The old well north of the kitchen was excavated June 7-14, 1954 inclusive to recover artifacts.

General Description of Foundations Discovered

Foundations feature "A" correspond in overall size with the historical records descriptions of Mrs. Campbell's Coffee Shop. Interior partition foundation walls, chimney and porch step foundations were found where they were expected to be from information in the historical report.

Foundations feature "B" and "C" appear to have been laid at different times but probably within the same decade. They, like the foundations "A", agree with the buildings indicated on the "Frenchman's Map" of 1786. The size and chimney location and the relation of the complex to the main house lead us to believe that the building was the Coffee Shop Kitchen.

Foundation feature "D" is of the usual size, location and dimension to have been a Smokehouse. Evidence of a fireplace in the center of the building tends to confirm this use.

Foundation feature "E" has not been identified.

The use, location and size of the buildings is also confirmed by early 19th century insurance policies. Only very fragmentary evidence of an outbuilding north of "A" was found by excavation although a structure in this location is indicated on the Frenchman's Map and two of the insurance policies.

A comparison of brick size, color and bond of all foundations (except those of the modern Kelly House) indicate that the work was roughly contemporary, 3 although, at least two periods of construction are evidenced. Feature "A" reveals two periods of wall construction in an interior wall by superimposition. Feature "B" reveals two periods of chimney construction. Features "B" and "C" were not built at the same time, it would appear that feature "C" is the earlier.

All brick remaining was laid in English bond with oyster shell mortar.

The well north of the kitchen, Feature "F", was lined with wedge shaped brick laid without mortar.

Feature A

Foundation walls bearing approximately 3'-6" below the surface vary in height from traces in the ground to 6 courses high for a building 58'-9" (north and south) by 22'-11" (east and west). Adjacent to the west wall, approximately 19' south of the north end, are foundations of brick and wood bulkhead. To the west and approximately in the east-west center line, and approximately 9' west is the foundation, bearing just below the surface, of a splaged stairway. South and in line with the stair foundation are two clear evidences of brick foundations, just below ground surface, and two formless traces of foundations. At either end (north and south) clear evidence of chimneys was uncovered. Approximately 50% (from south to approximately the center line) of the basement area is paved in brick.

The fill removed from the building area was singularly free from artifacts and those which were recovered are of late date.

A number of fragments of stone steps with moulded nosings were recovered. The fragments might have once been supported on the west step foundations.

The paucity of foundations would indicate that the brick were purposely salvaged. Paving brick as well as foundation wall brick, was apparently salvaged since the unpaved areas, when uncovered, indicated that they had once been paved.

The location and extent of the walls, paving, step foundations and chimneys are indicated on the Archaeological Survey of Foundations, Colonial Lots #21 and 22; a photostat of which is bound herein.

All of the foundation walls appear to have been laid in English Bond. The brick are of Buff-Salmon color and their dimension 8¾" to 8 7/8" x 4¼ to 4 3/8 x 2 3/8 to 2¾. The walls were laid in shell-lime mortar but since no pointed joints were observed. This is not surprising since no originally exposed exterior walls remain.

The walls appear to have been laid at approximately the same time except the southern cross wall on which a second wall was laid of brick 9 x 4 3/8 x 2½ dark red and brown in color, practically on top of first wall. The second wall is also in English Bond and may have been laid during original construction.

Only a small portion of brickwork of one chimney, the north, remains. This work is laid in English Bond and shell lime mortar of brick 9 x 4¼ x 2 5/8 of dark and light red color.

The size of both chimneys was determined by careful excavation which revealed the shape of the original back fill against the brick work, the remains of lime and imprint under the chimneys and portions of the actual underfire brick at the north chimney. The conformation of the inside of the north chimney is such that it may have accommodated a fireplace and an oven. Four rows of broken brick, apparently a foundation, were found adjacent to and outside the north chimney approximately 3 feet below natural grade.

The fragments of foundations west of the building and south of the step foundation are properly located to serve as foundations for the front porch.¹ Since these fragments extend beyond the building to south it is possible that they were footings for the Second Theatre which stood on this site.²

None of the brickwork uncovered is sound enough to serve as building foundations.

Feature B and C

Most of the brick from this site has been salvaged but enough remains to confirm traces in the soil of the former existence of a structure 45'-11 3/8" (north and south) by 16'-1 3/8" (east and west). The remaining brick work and signs of former brick work are approximately one foot below the ground and no positive 6 evidence of paving or fireplace hearths was found. It would seem that the building had a framed wood floor.

Feature C probably predates feature B since the east wall of feature B appears to have been laid against the northeast corner of feature C.

The north chimney was built at two different times, once as an "outside" chimney and once as an inside chimney as shown by an obvious joint through the remains on the north wall line, and by a change in brick size and color. The inside chimney obviously is related to the existing wall foundations and is probably somewhat later in date than the outside chimney.

All brick work is red and laid in English Bond with shell-lime mortar and appears to date from c. 1750. It is not sound enough for re-use as a structural foundation.

Distinct evidence of a chimney at the north end of feature C was found by careful soil excavation though no brick work remained in situ.

Fragments of brick and lime define the location and extent of a stoop, or steps near on the west wall of feature B approximately 12' from the north end.

Research does not assign specific use to this outbuilding until 1800 when an insurance policy diagram labels it "Kitchen" and indicates it reduced in size to that of feature B only. It was probably not a kitchen in the 18th century because the chimneys are too small to accommodate a kitchen fireplace, it probably had a wood floor and a kitchen fireplace and oven appears to have existed in the main house, feature A.

The two features are thought to have comprised one building c. 1750 because of the similarity of the brickwork.

Feature D

Practically complete foundations 3 to 4 courses high in a structure approximately 10' x 10' were uncovered at this location. The presence of evidence of fire in the approximate center of the building indicates that it was doubtless a Smoke House.

The brick is of Rose and Buff color of various sizes 9 x 4¼ x 2¾ and 7¾ x 3 5/8 x 2" predominating, laid in shell-lime mortar. The Bond is indefinite, many bats having been used.

The brickwork is too poor to support a reconstruction.

Feature E

This unusual arrangement of brickwork found approximately 6" below the surface, is one brick which and might be called a row of headers. It is of the general shape of a pair or corner fireplaces, but does not provide the support normally provided for such construction. Its purpose has not been determined.