John Brice II House (18AP53)

The John Brice II site (18AP53) is the site of an 18th-century standing town home on Prince Georges Street in downtown Annapolis. The John Brice II house was most likely built in the first quarter of the 18th century and has been continually occupied with little alteration since.

Historical documentation suggests that Amos Garrett, who acquired the property in 1718, built the house standing on the lot. When the property was conveyed to John Brice II in 1737, a house there was valued at L55. Brice served as Chief Justice of the Provincial Court, as a city alderman, and as a judge of the Western Shore Circuit. He also served as Clerk of Court and ran a small store on the property. This building, which later served as his son's (John Brice III) law office, is no longer standing. John Brice III inherited the property from his mother upon her death in 1782. The 1798 Federal Direct Tax showed the property was containing a 40 x 34 ft. two story brick dwelling, a stable and two other outbuildings. The property passed from the Brice family in 1841 when it was sold to John T. Barber and it remained in this family until 1875. It then passed to Catherine Spottswood Berkely Iglehart and in 1917 to Katrina Loomis Halligan. In 1990, the property was jointly owned by four Halligan family members.

Phase II limited archaeological excavation was conducted on the property in 1989, prior to subsurface disturbance to correct drainage problems in front of the structure. The work was conducted by Julie Ernstein of the University of Maryland College Park for the Historic Annapolis Foundation. Since much of the area adjacent to the structure was reportedly disturbed by utility lines, the possibility to examine an undisturbed area promised intact comparative data to compare to other Annapolis structures dating to the same period.

A 5 by 5 ft. unit was placed against the north wall of the house and excavated using natural stratigraphic layers. Several intact sheet midden/yard surface areas were revealed in this unit: Level C (late 19th century), Level D (early 19th century), Level E (early to mid-18th century) and Levels F & G (early 18th century). Three features, a 20th century dripline, a small trench-like stain possibly associated with the repointing of brick along the house wall, and a corner of a rubble feature, which extended beyond the limits of the excavation unit.

Disturbance on property seems to be quite limited; there is a great potential for much that is undisturbed or disturbed only in the first half of the 18th century.

(Written by Patricia Samford)