Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

SHOPS IN MARKET SQUARE
COLONIAL LOTS # 41 and # 42
Block 19, 1 (2-5-6)
(Site of Colonial Inn)
June 22, 1932.

^{Obsolete
See report on Chownings}

DIGEST OF DATA

Shop:	On western part of present Hotel site. Built between 1746-1749 on lot 48 feet front on Duke of Gloucester Street. Dwelling and shop. Inventory available 1750. Had a fireplace. In 1779 a double store owned by two owners. Razed about 1857.
Shop - Smithy - Tavern:	On eastern part of hotel site. Building erected just before 1745. Had a smithy. Used as shop from 1757 to 1766. From 1766 to sometime after 1768 a tavern. Razed about 1857.

SHOPS IN MARKET SQUARE
COLONIAL LOTS # 41 and # 42
Block 19, 1 (2-5-6)
(Site of Colonial Inn.)
June 22, 1932.

Little can be determined of the architecture of these buildings which were torn down before 1859. They were situated in the Market Square on land owned by the City and never sold until recently. Leases to the ground for various periods of time, 21 years or 99 years, have been recorded.

On lot # 41 the western lot which bordered on the square a building was erected between 1746 and 1749. In 1746 the Directors of the City of Williamsburg deeded a lot from the Market Square 48 x 96 feet to John Blair. In a deed to other property in 1749 the lot of John Blair was in the tenure of Thomas Bennett.

Thomas Bennett died in 1750 and his inventory is available in the research office. He had typical dwelling house novelties which would indicate that he kept a shop. There were three beds in the house, and probably one fireplace in the portion of the house used as a kitchen.

Haldenby Dixon, a merchant, acquired this building before 1769, as at this time the Market Square was added to James City County in order to provide a site in that county for the joint Williamsburg - James City Court House erected in 1770. Only 2 the portion of the square between Hugh Walker's lot [the "Peachy-Rogers" site] and a line of palings on Haldenby Dixon's lot was changed from York County to James City County. Dixon probably purchased the building from John Blair whose 21 year lease of the lot expired in 1767 and was evidently not renewed.

Advertisements of this shop appeared in the Virginia Gazette:

May 24, 1770 (mutilated)
Just imported from LONDON, by the subscriber, in the Elizabeth, Capt. Howard Esten,
An Assortment of GOODS suitable for the season, and to be sold cheap for ready money.
H. DIXON. (Virginia Gazette - Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)

May 2, 1771
Last night Mr. Haldenby Dixon's store on the main Street of this City, was broke open between eight and nine o'clock, and the Cash Drawer taken off, in which were between seven and eight Pounds; and had not the Storekeeper luckily come in at about the Time, it is probable the Thieves would have got a great Deal more Plunder. (Virginia Gazette - Purdie & Dixon, Eds.)

The store, during Dixon's tenure was a double store, one half belonged to Graham Frank, another merchant. In 1779 Frank was suspected of being a loyalist and his property was seized: 3

September 30, 1779.
Frank, Graham
Escheated Land.

A house in the City of Williamsburg adjoining the Market Square on the North side of the Main Street, now in the possession of Bartlett Williams, Esq., being only one half of the said house and lot belonging to Graham Franks, the other half belonging to Mr. Haldenby Dixon.
The above becomes Escheated to the Commonwealth. (York Records - Book VI -Deeds.)

December 25, 1779.

To be SOLD, by the Escheator of York county...
...Also half of a very convenient store and part of a lot where Bartlett William, Esq. now lives, opposite the house of Mr. Maupin, and near the market in this city, lately the property of Graham Frank...
WILLIAM A. ROGERS )
JOHN DICKESON )Commissioners.

N.B. The other half of the above-mentioned store will be sold at the same time and place.

(Virginia Gazette - Dixon and Nicolson, Eds.)

This building shows on the Frenchman's map of 1786 and evidently remained in use as a store until the middle nineteenth century.

The lot just east of the above mentioned store was # 42, which was also part of the town market place. A building was evidently erected on this shortly before 1745 at which time Thomas Hornsby, a merchant sold it to James Bird for £ 95. Bird was a blacksmith and kept a smithy behind the dwelling 4 house.

In 1754 he mortgaged all his property to Patrick Mathew, a butcher, who foreclosed in 1756:

Mortgage from Bird to Matthews.
Bird, James, - Blacksmith
Elizabeth, his wife
to October 1, 1754.
Mathews, Patrick, Butcher

Consideration: 150 Pounds

All that lot or half acre of land lying and being in the city of Williamsburgh, adjoining to the garden of John Blair, which lot the said James Bird purchased of Thomas Hornsby with all houses, buildings.

All goods and chattels in Schedule annexed.

Schedule referred to:

A smith shop and the ground whereon it stands in the market place in the city of Williamsburgh, leased by the said James Bird from the trustees of the said city for a term of years not yet expired. 4 feather beds, bedsteds and furniture, 7 wainscot English oak chairs, 2 large walnut tables, 1 large oak table, 1 small oak table, 4 pine tables, 3 looking glasses - 1 large, 2 small, 1 chest of drawers - walnut, 1 desk walnut, 4 Russia leather chairs, 8 large silver spoons, 6 tea spoons, 2 cows, 3 mares. (York Records - Land Causes.)

March 15, 1756.

Mathews, Patrick - Plaintiff
v.
Bird, James- Elizabeth, his wife - Defendants

All that lot or half acre of land lying and being in the city of Williamsburgh aforesaid adjoining to the gardens of John Blair, which lot the said James Bird purchased of Thomas Hornsby with all houses, buildings, yards, gardens.

5

Consideration: 150 Pounds secured to be paid to Patrick Mathews., never paid, Mathews seeks to eject and recover the lot or half acre of land, and a smith shop and ground whereon it stands in the Market Place in said city, leased by said Bird for a term of years.

Court orders attachment of property.

(York Records - Land Causes.)

Mathews sold the building to Graham Frank, the merchant, for £ 125 in 1757. It was next owned by James Tarpley, another merchant who leased it to Rebecca Bird.

Daniel Hoye, city wheelwright, owned the lot and evidently the smithy from 1762 to about 1766.

In 1766 the house was operated as a tavern by Josiah Chowning who was succeeded by William Elliott another tavern keeper in 1768.

The last record of the property in the eighteenth century is a deed from John Tyler to Thomas Cole of this lot for £ 152 in 1774.

Mr. Charles in his "Recollections of Williamsburg" tells what happened to these two old buildings just before the War.

When the War came on, the building now known as "Colonial Hotel" and the house next to it were there, having been built by Dr. Griffen not many years before. These houses present somewhat a changed appearance, as the hotel had no porches, either on the front or the side. This house was always regarded as an oddity in construction, having two large rooms in front with two flights of narrow stairs, one on each side of a partition leading from front platform to rooms above.

6

The house next door was much in appearance as it is now, except the front room on Duke of Gloucester Street was highest and was reached by several stone steps.
On the sites of these buildings now standing there were two buildings, razed many years before the War. These old buildings were under the ninety-nine year lease, which expired during the occupancy of the parties then holding the lease. An effort was made by the lessees to have the lease renewed. This was opposed by some of the leading spirits on the city council. A hot contest was waged; but by some measure or for some reason not then known but revealed by subsequent events, the lessees lost and had to move bag and baggage to other quarters, and the old houses were pulled down in order, it was said, to extend the "Green" to Queen Street, its legitimate eastern boundary. These facts were learned from a source which the writer believes to be absolutely reliable.