Mathew's Manor (44NN44)
Site History
The first Mathews Manor house was built at the confluence of Deep Creek and the Warwick River (in what is now Newport News, Virginia) ca. 1626 for Capt. Samuel Mathews. The 21 × 51 ft. structure, a post-medieval style house with a brick foundation, center chimney and projecting porch, was destroyed by fire and replaced by a smaller dwelling in the 1650s.
Since Mathews returned to England in 1653, the later house was likely built by his son Samuel Mathews, Jr. This smaller dwelling was an earthfast structure. Samuel Junior served as colonial governor from 1656 until his death in 1660. The property was acquired by the Digges family in 1720 and by the Young family in the early 19th century.
The Mathews Manor house foundations have been preserved within a small park. Today the property is known as Denbigh Plantation. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Archaeological Investigations
Archaeological work at this property was conducted between 1963 and 1966 under the general supervision of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation archaeologist Ivor Noël Hume. At the request of the property owner, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation archaeologist Ivor Noël Hume, assisted by volunteers and students from the College of William and Mary, conducted a limited amount of testing in 1963. The property owner's discovery of a cache of late 17th-century wine bottles guided the location of the initial excavations, which revealed a 34 × 24 ft. structure built circa 1730.
A later discovery of 17th-century glass and ceramics led to the decision to have Colonial Williamsburg archaeologists provide supervision for laborers provided by the property owner. Using this model, two structures were completed excavated and documented. Continued work located outbuildings and other features after the property owner used a bulldozer to uncover them.
The excavation uncovered the brick foundations of the original 1620s house, complete with an H-shaped interior hearth and a brick and tile sump. Numerous trash pits were found northwest of the house, as well as artifacts related to blacksmithing on the property. Noël Hume also investigated the architectural footprint of the Digges family 18th-century home.
There does not appear to have been an archaeological report finalized for this project, although a draft report exists.
References
n.d. Excavations at Mathews' Manor, Warwick County, Virginia. 1963-1966. DRAFT. On file at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, Virginia.
n.d. Denbigh Plantation. Electronic resource accessed May 5, 2026 at https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/121-0008_Nomination_REDACTED.pdf.
1969 Historical Archaeology. Alfred Knopf, New York.
Associated Artifacts
Curb Bit Bosses
