Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

PALACE - EASTERN BOUNDARY.
January 10, 1933.

The original land for the Palace included a number of lots on Scotland Street set aside by the Trustees of the City of Williamsburg for the Governor. In addition, sixty-three acres of land adjoining these lots were purchased from Henry Tyler.

As the lots were in York County it is possible to trace the boundary of the Palace lots in the York Records. The lots deeded by the Trustees of the City were apparently those just west of the Palace, as there are no records of their sale or occupation by anyone other than the governor, and on the various maps they are shown as part of the Palace.

Just east of the present so-called "Ewell Street" is lot #175 in the town plan. There are records of its ownership by private individuals during the eighteenth century. It is extremely doubtful if this lot ever belonged to the Palace before the Revolution.

In 1717 lot #175 was deeded by the trustees for building the City of Williamsburg to George Reddall for fifteen shillings with the requirement that a building of a certain size and standard be erected in twenty-four months or the lot would escheat. He did not build, as the lot was deeded twenty-four months later to John Davis with the same condition. In 1720 he sold the lot to Christopher de Graffenreid.

Spotswood, in 1719, defending himself from a charge of extravagance in building the Palace said:

"… offered, if ye Assembly did not care to be at ye Expence of the Fish-Pond & Falling Gardens, to take them to myself; these improvements happening to be upon the Town Land & such as would not long want Purchasers…"

It is evident from the records of ownership given that lot #175 was not part of the "town land" to which he referred.

By 1723 Archibald Blair had acquired lots #176 and #177, just east of #175, which he apparently developed as gardens.

Between 1720 (at which time De Graffenreid owned the lot) and 1723 (at which time Spotswood owned a lot "contiguous to the gardens of Mr. Archibald Blair") the governor probably owned lot #175. It was not developed, however, as part of the Palace, but as a separate dwelling; for in July of that year Spotswood sold, for thirty-six pounds, to Sir John Randolph:

"All the messuage or tenement & half acre of land situate lying & being in the City of Williamsburg contiguous to the gardens of Mr. Archibald Blair".

Sir John Randolph, on July 20, 1724, sold a lot for thirty pounds to Archibald Blair, which he had purchased from Spotswood which "adjoined the gardens of Archibald Blair"; the lot number again not being mentioned.

This transaction was probably not completed, because Archibald Blair died some few years later. The next reference to the lot is in 1770 when it, and lots #176 and #177 were owned by Peyton Randolph, eldest son and heir of Sir John.

Peyton Randolph sold the three lots #175, #176, and #177 to Thomas Everard for thirteen pounds ten shillings. Everard sold them to John Blair in 1773. They were owned by Blair until his death, and then passed to his son-in-law Dr. John Henderson, who owned them during the close of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth.

There are two gaps in the title, 1720 to 1723, and 1724 to 1770. It is extremely doubtful if any important part of the Palace [illegible] could have passed into private ownership during these intervals. The supposition that the title passed from Sir John to his eldest son and heir is more reasonable.

Until 1720 lot #175 could not have been part of the Palace land, being in private ownership, so it was not part of the initial development. Foundations would unquestionably be found if the lot were excavated, but their connection with the Palace is doubtful.

The chain of title to lots #176 and #177 is complete and proves that they were not part of the Palace land at any time during the eighteenth century.

Development of the two flanking buildings of the Palace as two separate residences during the nineteenth century and subsequent encroachment on Scotland Street would be responsible for additional buildings on the eastern lots which would have no connection with the original Palace plans.

PALACE LOTS

On all the maps and plats of the city lot # 175 is shown just east of the Palace. A block of undivided lots is marked "Palace" on the various plans.

Lot # 175 was apparently not part of the initial deed from the trustees for the Governor's lots because it appears in the York County deeds as privately owned. There are gaps in the title however, and if during the governorships of Dinwiddie, Fauquier or Botetourt the lot was added to the Palace the record of it has been lost or overlooked.