INDIAN QUEEN TAVERN
18PR96

Introduction

The Indian Queen Tavern Site (18PR96) is located at 4302 Baltimore Avenue at the intersection of Upshur Street in Bladensburg.  The site contains a Late 18th to early 19th century tavern, a 19th century structure that functioned as residence, cabinetmakers shop and a funeral home.   The site also contains evidence of prehistoric camps dating to the Archaic and Late Woodland periods.

Archaeological Investigations

The property was recorded in the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1969 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.  Archaeology began in 1972 with excavations by Prince George’s Community College.

The Maryland State Highway Administration in partnership with the Center for Heritage Resource Studies, University of Maryland conducted archaeological investigations at the Indian Queen Tavern (18PR96) as part of outreach for the War of 1812 bicentennial celebration.  Field investigations included the excavation of three mechanical trenches and 11 5 x 5-ft square test units within Trenches 1 and 3. The investigation resulted in recovery of 52 prehistoric artifacts, 23,572 historic and modern artifacts, 6,429 faunal remains, and 2,432 floral remains. Forty historic cultural features were identified. Features include 20 post holes and/or molds, three pits, six artifact or charcoal concentrations, three builder's trenches, three foundation walls, two brick footers, soils on the interior of a foundation, a brick pavement, and a well. Artifacts and features are located less than a foot beneath the modern surface and span the historic period of occupation from the mid-18th to the 20th century.  The prehistoric components date to the Archaic and Late Woodland Periods and indicate long-term use of the landscape by prehistoric populations. No intact prehistoric occupations were identified at the Indian Queen Tavern; all the prehistoric artifacts were recovered from historic contexts. No features associated with the prehistoric component were identified. The prehistoric components likely indicate seasonal or short-term occupations focused on the procurement of resources. The historic component at the Indian Queen Tavern was characterized by numerous archeological features representing outbuildings and fences located in the work yard behind the tavern. It does not appear that the tavern/dwelling itself was located within the testing area. The Indian Queen Tavern and the George Washington House were built on Lot 6 of Bladensburg in the mid- to late 18th century. At times the lot and buildings were split between owners and at other times they were owned by the same people. Because of the long period of occupation and presence of mixed contexts attributing portions of the assemblage to specific owners or inhabitants is difficult.

The construction date of the Indian Queen Tavern is not known from archival records. It may have been built by 1752, when the Bladensburg Town Commission ceased repossessing the property for non-improvement. It may have been standing by 1763 when Israel Folsom sold the property to Jacob Wirt; the deed noted that "all the houses and other improvements" were included.  The results of the archeological investigation seem to support demolition and replacement of the earlier buildings in the mid-19th century. In general, the 18th- to mid-19th-century artifact assemblage from the Indian Queen Tavern Site suggests general domestic use of the property. The tavern served as a residence throughout its period of use, and it is not possible to determine which artifacts may be associated with the commercial use and which are strictly domestic. In addition, the excavation appears to have taken place behind the tavern where food was prepared and stored rather than within the tavern footprint, where public activities would have taken place. The mid- to late 19th-century assemblage from the Indian Queen Tavern Site does not reflect the cabinet making or undertaking activities that took place on site. The assemblage is primarily domestic.

Archeobotanical Studies

Twenty-six flotation samples were collected and processed from feature and non-feature contexts at the Indian Queen Tavern Site.  In total, 77.75 liters of archaeological soil were flotation processed.  An additional 26 hand-collected carbon botanical samples were also analyzed.  Both carbonized and uncarbonized plant macro-remains were included in the analysis.  Uncarbonized remains may or may not be historically significant.

Thirty-four plant taxa were identified.  The assemblage included total of 377 seeds and crop remains, two nutshells, and 940 fragments of wood charcoal.  Cultivated foods identified include maize, grape, peach and wheat; wild gathered food resources include black walnut, blackberry, elderberry and mulberry.  A variety of weedy seed species were also represented within the collection.    Identified woods document a reliance on locally available species.  American chestnut and oak are well represented.

In addition to macro-botanical analysis, pollen and tobacco residue studies were performed:

Analysis of pollen samples from was undertaken by Vaughn Bryant (Texas A&M).  Fossil pollen preservation was extremely bad and the presence of fossil pollen was either nonexistent or consisted of one or two very badly degraded grains.

Nicotine analysis on residue found with a smoking pipe was conducted by Sean Rafferty at University of Albany.  Results indicated that the pipe was used to smoke tobacco, most likely Nicotiana tabacum.

References