Site History

The Tudor Hall site is located in St. Mary’ County near Leonardtown. It represents part of a 200-acre tract of land that was called “Little St. Lawrence” when granted to Bartram Obert and Dominick in 1649. They received the grant for transporting themselves to Maryland in 1646. Obert and Dominick may have transferred the parcel to a Philip Lynes of Charles County within a year of obtaining it,however. At the same time, they apparently renamed the tract “Shepherd’s Field.” Unfortunately, no historical documentation has surfaced to indicate whether these owners ever actually lived on the property. It might well have been occupied by tenants whose names are not known.

Archaeology

Site 18ST677 was identified during a 1996 Phase I archaeological survey prompted by the planned construction of the Tudor Hall Village resort and residential development. Phase II excavations followed after shovel test pits alerted archaeologists to the presence of historic artifacts and features. Eleven test units were placed around the site, nine of which concentrated on two areas with known features. One feature in Test Unit 1, AA2-VI, was excavated and determined to be a cellar or trash pit. The remaining features were either unexcavated, or of ambiguous function. Diagnostic ceramics and marked pipes date the site to c. 1660-1690. Artifacts recovered are indicative of a residence that was most likely occupied by tenants. The location of the site is unusual because it is located on an upland terrace. Most settlements of the period were placed on navigable waterways for ease of tobacco transportation.

References

The Tudor Hall archaeological collection is owned by the Maryland Historical Trust and curated at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.