Site History

Located at Chilbury Point on the Bush River, the Old Baltimore site represents the first County Seat of Baltimore County. The Bush River was the most heavily populated area of Baltimore County in the mid-seventeenth century, so the site was relatively central and accessible for the planters and merchants of the area. In 1674, the Maryland Assembly authorized the construction of a Courthouse at the site, and at least one ordinary was established to provide lodging for individuals who traveled to the town when the court was in session. By 1683, one such establishment was owned by James Phillips, a wealthy planter who had acquired land in the town and was granted the right to run an ordinary at his place of residence.

Baltimore Town, as it was then called, did not last long as a center of government. As populations gradually grew around the Patapsco River, pressure increased to move the County Seat to a more convenient location. Although some renovations were performed on the Baltimore Town Courthouse in the mid-1690s, records indicate that the area was in decline. By 1712, the County Seat had moved to Joppa Town, but Old Baltimore may have been abandoned as a government center even earlier. In 1773, Baltimore County was subdivided, and its former County Seat at Old Baltimore became a part of Harford County.

Archaeology

Phase I and II excavations were undertaken at Old Baltimore in 1999 by R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates. The site is currently owned by the U.S. Army Garrison, Aberdeen Proving Ground. As a result of the presence of some unexploded ordnance from testing exercises, the survey was limited to a 14-acre area. Fortunately, archaeology revealed that this parcel contained one of the main structures of Baltimore Town; that of James Phillips’ ordinary.

Postholes and brick foundations indicated the presence of an earth-fast structure with a brick fireplace. Several pit features full of domestic debris were also located, though more testing is needed to determine the original function of these features. Artifacts present date the site to c. 1680-1710. This coincides well with Phillips’ 1683 ordinary license and the decline of the town. Artifacts also indicate debris from an establishment that provided food and lodging; faunal remains, pipes, ceramic vessels, and other domestic refuse were recovered along with horse-stabling evidence such as harness hardware and a carriage hub.

References

The Old Baltimore archaeological collection is owned by the U.S. Army Garrison at Aberdeen Proving Ground and curated at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.