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Reynolds Tavern (18AP23)

Site History

Reynolds Tavern is located at 4 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD. The building was constructed between 1751 and 1755 by William Reynolds, and operated as a tavern, as well as a hat and stocking shop and livery stable. After 1777, the structure was used as a boarding house and residence until sold in 1812 to the Farmer's National Bank of Maryland. In the 20th century, it served as a public library.

Archaeological Investigations

Two archaeological investigations have taken place at Reynolds Tavern. In August of 1978 Kenneth J. Orr conducted investigations at Reynolds Tavern for the Historic Annapolis Inc. prior to restoration of the tavern building. Orr's excavations focused on finding out how the original tavern was constructed and what changes were made through the years. In total, 14 trenches and 3 test units were excavated on the north and east sides of the structure in 1978, with an estimated 450 square feet of archaeological soil processed. These excavations revealed a bricked-in bulkhead entrance on Franklin Street, evidence of three periods of porch stoop entrances into the structure, and an oyster shell gutter along the front wall of the house. Several test units in the rear yard revealed a cobblestoned area, as well as midden debris dating to the 18th and 19th centuries.

In August of 2005, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates conducted monitoring for the granite curb re-setting and sidewalk replacement project along portions of Northwest Street and Church Circle. Curb and sidewalk replacement for Reynolds' Tavern covered an approximately 110-foot-long segment of sidewalk and curb. Curb replacement consisted of the removal of existing curbs, slight modification of the curb trench and replacement with new curbstones. The sidewalk replacement for Reynolds' Tavern consisted of the removal of existing concrete sidewalks and the removal or replacement of the underlying sand base. No premodern cultural deposits or features were encountered during curb or sidewalk replacement.

References

Orr, Kenneth G.

1978 Archaeological Investigations at Reynolds Tavern, 4 Church Cr., Annapolis, Maryland. (Orr and Orr, Consulting Archaeologists) MHT # AP 3.

Sanders, Suzanne L., Martha R. Williams, and Jennifer Evans

2005 Archeological Monitoring for Granite Curb and Sidewalk Replacement, Portions of Northwest Street and Church Circle and Reynolds' Tavern, City of Annapolis, Maryland. (R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc.) MHT # AP 135.

(Edited from archeological site survey form, Maryland Historical Trust)