Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

^{1932 - Obsolete}

DIGEST OF DATA.

Tavern:	Built between 1749 and 1760. See insurance policies for dimensions. Gambrel roof; 57 x 24; wing in rear. 14 rooms, bar and 2 porches (one a front porch) whitewashed in 1777, whitewashing repeated regularly. Had a well and garden. Had a kitchen about 54 x 16 with a shed, a laundry with a chimney, a stable 50 x 16. Sign of Kings Arms renamed Eagle Tavern after Revolution.
Shop:	Built before 1749. Gambrel roof. 20 x 16. see insurance policies. Used as barbers and peruke makers shop, also as a general store. 12 feet east of house.

COLONIAL LOT # 23.
"SIGN OF THE KING'S ARMS" and BARBER SHOP
Block 9 # 28 and 29.
June 17, 1932.

In 1749 there was a shop on this lot, probably the small building east of the tavern which at a much later date was described in an insurance policy as a barber shop "16 x 19 feet with a dutch roof". The end of the shop was toward the street.

The early owner of the lot was William Byrd II who had business dealings with some Scottish merchants, and after his death they acquired lot # 23 (the middle lot) and # 24 to the west and # 25 to the east.

The following is the first deed on record of lot # 23:

February 26, 1749.

Crosby, James - merchant
of Glasgow
to
Buchanan, Arch'd & Co.
merchants same place.

Consideration: not mentioned.

Three lots of land containing half an acre each, upon one of which lots there is built a dwelling house and kitchen, upon the middle lot is a storehouse and upon the other lot there is a warehouse and stable all lying contiguous in the city of Williamsburg on the South side of the Main Street opposite to the Rawley Tavern, which said lots are marked in the Plan of the said city by the numbers (not given) which formerly belonged to the late Colonel William Bird. (York Records - Book Y - Deeds. page 393.)

In 1752 John Hyndman merchant, and an attorney for the Scotch merchants advertised the houses and lots opposite the Raleigh tavern which he had lately occupied as available for 2 renters.

John Carter, a tavern keeper by 1760 had established himself in a tavern on lot # 23, but the date of the erection of this tavern is uncertain. At the same time the barbers shop was tenanted, according to the Virginia Gazette:

April 21, 1768.
Anthony Geoghagan and Simon Brazier, Barbers and Peruke-makers, Hereby acquaint the publick that they have opened shop opposite to the Raleigh Tavern, where they intend carrying on their business in all its branches… (Virginia Gazette - Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)

Jane Vobe who maintained one of Williamsburg's best taverns moved from her tavern in the York road section of town, announcing in the Gazette:

February 6, 1772.

I BEG Leave to acquaint my former Customers, and the Publick in General, that I have just opened Tavern opposite to the Raleigh, at the Sign of the King's Arms, being the house lately occupied by Mr. John Carter, and shall be much obliged to the Gentlemen who favour me with their Company.
JANE VOBE.

I am in Want of a good COOK, and would be glad to hire or Purchase one.

(Virginia Gazette - Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)

The Sign of the King's Arms shared honors with the Raleigh and with Wetherburn's as a leading hostelry. George Washington was one of the many leaders of the colony to patronize this tavern. In his diary, November 4, 1772, he notes that he supp'd at Mrs. Vobe's.

The tavern served as a meeting place of the Ohio Company 3 and lottery and theatre tickets were sold there.

There was a garden around the house, and in the house was a bar. At one time a portrait painter exhibited a collection of pictures at Mrs. Vobes:

March 4, 1773.

Mr. PRATT, PORTRAIT PAINTER, Lately from ENGLAND and IRELAND But last from NEW YORK,
Has brought with him to Williamsburg a small but very neat Collection of PAIINTINGS, which are now exhibiting at Mrs. Vobe's, near the Capitol; among which are, first, a very good Copy of Corregio's ST. JEROME,… … The above Pictures are to be disposed of at the Prices to be fixed on each Picture, on Saturday the 13th Instant, with a Number of choice PRINTS. Mr. Pratt has a few Copies of some of Mr. Wests' best Portraits, to be seen with the above every Day from ten o'clock till five.

(Virginia Gazette - Purdie & Dixon, eds.)

During the Revolutionary War Officers of both the allied armies lodged at Mrs. Vobe's. A long account of Baron von Steuben for lodging, liquors and stableage at Mrs. Vobe's for March 1781 is on file in this office.

Her accounts with Humphrey Harwood show the manner in which her tavern was regularly renovated, being whitewashed each year:

Harwood, Humphrey - Ms. Ledger B - 11.

	Mrs. Jane Vobe Dr.
1777, August 11.
	To 310 bricks 9/. 10 bushels of lime 10/ & mending plastering 12/6	£ 1.11. 6
	To Whitewashing 14 Rooms, 4 Passages, Barr & 2 poarches a 5/ . . .	5. 5: 0
August 23.
	To 25 bushs lime 25/. 350 larths 4/4-½ & 3 days labr 7/6 for store house	1: 16; 10-½
-4-
	To larthing & plastering 15/. 40 bricks 1/3 & layg, harth 3/6 & whiteng. 4 Rooms 20/. . .	1:19: 9
October 8-
	To 500 bricks 15/20 bushs lime 20/ to plastering store 12/6. . .	2: 7: 6
	To mending kitching chimney 3/9 & 2 days labour 5 . . .	0. 8: 9
1778, Septemr 18 -
	To 800 bricks a 5/6, 10 bushels of Lime 15/ & pilloring Seller 24/. . .	4: 3: 0
	To 2 Days labour 12/½ & mending well 6/ …	0:18: 0
Sept. 22 -
	To 2 bushels of lime a 1/6 mending Kitching Back & harth 8/6 ..	0:10: 6
1778, Octobr 2-
	To whitewashg l2 Rooms, & 3 Passages 2 7/6 & front porch 15/ …	6: 7: 6
1779, March 20.
	To Building an Oven 150/ & Repairg Stove 12/ & Do to underping Shop 6/. . .	7:16: 0
May 11 -
	To 200 bricks 40/. 8 bushs lime a 6/ Mendg kitchg back 22/6 . . .	5:10: 0
	To whitewashing 13 Rooms 4 Passages, & 2 Stare-ways a 30/. . .	28:10: 0
	To Mending plastering 15/ & Repairing 4 Pier places in House 40/. . .	2:15: 0
May 14 -
	To 2 Days labour at 15/ & whitewashing front porch 60/. . .	4:10: 0
1780, February 28-
	To 1950 bricks a 110/ & 32 bushels a 36/ & 4 Days laber a 80/. . .	180:17: 0
	To building up Celler walls L 50 . . .	50: 0: 0
		----------
		348:10: 9
May 6 -
	To an allowance for the Depreciation of Money	632:14: 3
		----------
		981: 5: 0
-5-
July 6-.
	To Whitewashing 14 Rooms, 4 passages a 3/9. . .	3: 7: 8
	To mending Plastering 6/ To mending Kitching back /9. . .	0: 9: 9
	To Contracting Laundry chimney 10/. . .	0:10: 0
1783, August 21.
	To repairing well 7/6 & laborers work 2/6. . .	0: 9: 6
1784, June 12 -
	To whitewashing 9 Rooms & 2 passages at 4/6 . . .	2: 9: 6
	To do 4 Rooms, & 2 passages below a 4/6 & 2 days labr at 2/6 . . .	1: 3: 0
	To Repairing kitching Chimney 6/ & do Laundry & harth 5/. . .	0:11: 0
1784, February 26 -
	To 6 Bushs of Lime at 1/ do mending Plastering in House 3/. . .	0: 9: 0
	To mending Stove in Kitchen 6/ & 1 Days labour 3/ …	0: 9: 0
B - page 79
	Mrs Jane Vobe Dr
1785, April 29 -
	To 2 days labr 5/ & building cellar steps 10/ ..	0:15: 0
	To repairing the under-pinning to ye porch 2/6. . .	2: 6
	To repairing the well & Stove 3/9 . . .	0: 3: 9

The shop on the lot was rented to Captain La Porte:

February 12, 1780.

To be sold at Captain La Porte's store in Williamsburg, the following articles, viz. Blunderbusses, pistols with swivels, muskets, cutlasses and saddles and bridles, Capt. La porte intends to retail all kinds of wet and dry goods, in the house next door to Mrs. Vobe's, where he formerly kept store. (Virginia Gazette - Dixon & Nicolson, Eds.)

He was succeeded by two merchants: CAPITOL SQUARE 6

October 21, 1780.

GARNIER and HUBAC, MERCHANTS in WILLIAMSBURG, BEGS leave to inform the inhabitants that they have for sale several kinds of dry goods at their store, lately occupied by Capt. La porte, and next door to Mrs. Vobe's tavern… They have also one stage waggon three horses, and two new harness, for sale. (Virginia Gazette - Clarkson & Davis, Eds.)

After the death of Jane Vobe her property passed to Philip Moody, as she had been Jane bloody he was either her son, or some other close relative.

It was Philip Moody who insured the building on lot 23 in 1796 and again in 1806. The Revolutionary War was responsible for a change in name of Mrs. Vobe's "Sign of the King's Arms" and the new hostelry was called "Eagle Tavern". This was a common procedure.

Whether the "Macon" house occupied the site of this popular tavern can be determined only by locating lot # 23 and excavating it.

SITE OF THE MACON HOUSE
BLOCK 9,#28.
November 21, 1930

^{Obsolete (1930)}

A tavern, called the "King's Arms" probably was situated on the lot on which the so-called Macon house stood. This tavern, on colonial lot #24 was one of the finest in Williamsburg - sharing the honors with Henry Wetherburn's, The Raleigh, and the Coffee House.

George Washington was a frequent lodger in the King's Arms or Mrs. Vobe's as it was known by the proprietress' name. Some description of the famous old tavern may be found in Washington's Papers.

The lots in this colonial block on Duke of Gloucester street were sub-divided at an early date as most of them were sites of several buildings and the history of the portion of lot #24 containing the King's Arms is merged with the other history of the lot. The blue print with this report has been compiled from the York records and Frenchman's Map and give approximately the location and size shown for the buildings in this section.

The following items from the Virginia Gazette about the Tavern are of interest although not very significant architecturally:

February 22, 1772 - Jane Vobe has just opened Tavern opposite the Raleigh Tavern, at the Sign of the King's Arms,the house was lately occupied by Mr. John Carter.

March 4, 1773 - Mr. Pratt, portrait painters has brought with him to Williamsburg from New York and London, a small but very neat collection of paintings which are now on exhibition at Mrs. Vobe's, near the Capitol among which are…

2

A French traveller wrote in his diary of Mrs. Vobe's Tavern:

"…got lodgings at Mrs. Jane Vobe's tavern where all the best people resort…" There is not a public house in Virginia but have their tables all battered with the (dice) boxes". (Manuscript from the Congressional Library)