18th-Century Foundation Unearthed Near Wren Building

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, August 10, 2011

 

So much is known about The College of William and Mary, but the 318-year-old campus still has some surprises hidden on its grounds.

College archaeologists recently unearthed a set of previously undocumented brick foundations likely associated with the slaves who worked on campus in the early 18th century. The college announced the discovery Tuesday.

The “fairly massive outbuilding” runs 20 feet east to west and more than 16 feet north to south, with the remains extending underneath a sidewalk south of the Wren Building. Its discovery has postponed plans to repair the sidewalk, and the college is making plans for a complete archaeological excavation of the site. In the meantime, the site will be preserved under nearly two feet of earth, with its precise location noted.

“The discovery of these foundations is too important to rush the process,” said Louise Kale, director of the Historic Campus. “We need some time to put together a partnership of all the necessary scholars to interpret this site. When we do this project, it’s important that we do it thoughtfully and that we do it right.”

The resulting archaeological dig will require preliminary research, including a review of documents and papers that could reveal more about the site. The college will also have to embark on a fundraising campaign for the dig, and arrange for students to be involved in the educational experience.

Joe Jones, director of the William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research (WMCAR), said that, based on the type of mortar used, the building could be reliably dated to the 18th century. He also believes it might date to the second quarter of the century, after the construction of the Wren Building, which was completed in 1700. Based on its location, he believes the building had a specific function, possibly as a kitchen or slave quarters.

Its width – three brick courses – helped eliminate some of the outbuilding possibilities. It couldn’t be a privy, stable or smokehouse, said Neil Norman, ACLS/Mellon Foundation New Faculty Fellow in the Department of Anthropology. Whatever it was, it was created with durable materials, indicating “it’s something intended to endure,” he said.

 

Jones said WMCAR found evidence of the foundations several years ago during test excavations. No historical record of a building has been found. Edward Chappell, the director of architectural and archaeological research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, agreed. He said the building is nowhere to be found on a famous 1782 map, called the Frenchman’s Map, that was used to restore the Historic Area. When workers began restorations of Colonial Williamsburg, they apparently dug their trenches within steps of the newly discovered foundations.

 

The study of the building might flesh out the limited knowledge of the slaves who worked on campus during Thomas Jefferson’s undergraduate days. “This site has the potential to allow us to interpret the conditions of their lives and add them to the emerging narrative of the college,” Norman said. He is a participant in the college’s Lemon Project, an initiative to examine the college’s relationship with slavery.

Jones said several bags of artifacts have been removed from the site, which he rates a “solid 10” in terms of archaeological potential because it seems to be undisturbed. “This site is like a little island of preservation,” he said. “In every direction, if you go more than three, four or five feet out, we know from other projects you get into areas of massive ground disturbance. You can take five steps and it’s a jumble.”