Hampton Key (44JC44)
Site History
The Hampton Key site (44JC44) is the site of a probably enslaved quarter dating to the fourth quarter of the 18th century. The site is located on the Kingsmill Plantation tract east of Williamsburg on the James River. The 1781 Desandrouin Map depicts a building at this location.
Archaeological Investigations
Archaeological investigations done by the Virginia Research Center for Archaeology in 1974 revealed a three bay earthfast structure with dimensions of 28 × 24 ft. and a 14 × 12 ft addition. Two subfloor pits were located within the building confines. Several equestrian artifacts (curry combs, bits, and horseshoes) found in the fill of the subfloor pits suggests that the residents of this structure may have been involved with the horse racing track located nearby and also shown on the Desandrouin Map.
Artifacts from this site are curated at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in Richmond.
References
1984 Kingsmill Plantations, 1619-1800; Archaeology of Country Life in Colonial Virginia. Academic Press, New York.
