Country's House (18ST1-13)
The Country's House, also known as the Leonard Calvert House, was one of the largest structures in Maryland during the early decades of the colony. Governor Leonard Calvert occupied the house, which was likely constructed in the 1630s and then expanded around 1642 to meet the needs of its secondary function as the seat of government in St. Mary's City. Captain Richard Ingle captured the capital in 1645 during the English Civil War and erected a fortification (Pope’s Fort) around the house. Calvert was forced to flee to Virginia, but he was able to return and reestablish control in the colony in December 1646. When Calvert died the following year, the property was occupied by William Stone. Stone, who subsequently became governor of the Maryland colony, lived in the house until his death in 1659. William Calvert, Leonard's son, then sued Stone’s widow for ownership of the property.
The colonial government purchased the building in 1662 from William Calvert for use as a statehouse, or "Country's House." A series of innkeepers leased the building, which served as both the statehouse and as an ordinary, until completion of the brick statehouse in 1676. The Country's House continued to be operated as an ordinary at least through 1694 but likely fell into disuse after the capital moved to Annapolis and was no longer standing by the early 18th century.
Archaeological Investigations
Numerous archaeological excavations have been conducted at the Country's House over the last one hundred years. Architectural historian Henry Chandlee Forman uncovered and documented sections of its foundation in 1938. The St. Mary's City Commission, now Historic St. Mary’s City, undertook the first significant archaeological investigations of the house from 1981 to 1985, with additional investigations in 1987. In the early 1990s, archaeologists undertook excavations in and around the 19th-century Brome-Howard House prior to its removal from the site. From 2008-2019, numerous projects, most in association with Historic St. Mary's City archaeological field school, were conducted at the site. Archaeologists from Historic St. Mary's City began full mitigation of the structure in 2023, with anticipated completion in 2027.
Archaeology has shown that the wooden structure, measuring 67.5 by 40 feet at its full extent, sat on brick and sandstone foundations, and was likely built in at least two phases. The northern room, measuring 22 by 45-50 feet, is believed to have been added for use as a governmental space during the second construction phase. Other changes to the structure over its lifespan included sub-dividing the interior with a central passage and partitioning of larger rooms into smaller spaces. Other additions included a brick-lined cellar with a bulkhead entrance, multiple generations of H-shaped chimneys, and an entry porch. Archaeology has also revealed the placement of outbuildings as well several generations of fencelines, shedding light on yard spaces.
Excavations have also uncovered sections of the ditch and palisade trench associated with Pope’s Fort. The fortifications aligned with the house at its full size, suggesting the latter had been expanded prior to 1645. Pope's Fort was also modified during its use and may have remained standing until the mid-1650s.
All records and artifacts are curated at the Historic St. Mary's City Archaeological Laboratory.
References
2021 "'Master Pope's Fort': Archaeological Investigations of a Fortification of the English Civil Wars in St. Mary's City." In Henry M. Miller and Travis G. Parno, eds., Unearthing St. Mary's City: Fifty Years of Archaeology at Maryland's First Capital, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp. 130-146.
n.d. Discovering Maryland's First City: A Summary Report on the 1981-1984 Archaeological Excavations in St. Mary's City, Maryland. St. Mary’s City Archaeology Series #2. St. Mary's City Commission, St. Mary’s City, MD, 1986.
1994 "The Country’s House Site: An Archaeological Study of a Seventeenth-Century Domestic Landscape." In Paul A. Shackel and Barbara J. Little, eds., Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 65–83.
2021 "'The most bewitching Game': Games and Entertainment in Seventeenth-Century St. Mary's City." In Henry M. Miller and Travis G. Parno, eds., Unearthing St. Mary's City: Fifty Years of Archaeology at Maryland's First Capital, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp. 165-182.
2021 "Community, Identity, and Public Spaces: The Calvert House as the First State House of Maryland." In Henry M. Miller and Travis G. Parno, eds., Unearthing St. Mary's City: Fifty Years of Archaeology at Maryland’s First Capital, Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp. 147-164.
