209 Main Street (18AP75)
The site called 209 Main Street (18AP75) represents the remains
of a late 17th- to early 18th-century tavern in Annapolis,
Maryland. Phase II and III archaeological investigations at 18AP75
were conducted by R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. in 1996
for the City of Annapolis. This work was done in advance of the
construction of three underground electrical man-hole vaults at
141, 175 and 206 Main Street. Earlier public works activities at
141 and 175 Main Street had largely destroyed intact archaeological
strata, but excavations at 209 Main Street revealed two pit features
and a shell/rubble layer.
The lot at 209 Main Street was purchased by John and Margaret Freeman
around 1695 and they constructed a dwelling there by 1697. They ran
a tavern at this location until John Freeman’s death in 1708. After
Margaret Freeman remarried in 1709, the property continued to function
as a tavern, possibly for much of the 18th century.
The two pit features, Features 4-04 and 4-05, contained large quantities
of late 17th to early 18th-century artifacts assemblages associated with
the tavern. These features were in a location that was part of the rear
yard of the tavern during John and Margaret Freeman’s ownership. Feature
4-05 was a large pit filled circa 1700 during the Freeman’s operation of
the tavern and Feature 4-04 was a smaller, intrusive pit filled around
1720. Both of these pits contained large quantities of bone, oyster shell
and wine bottle glass. The site also contained a layer of oyster shell
and/or brick rubble, overlying the two pits. This layer was determined
to be the bed for a circa 1820 sidewalk paving.
(Written by Patricia Samford)
References
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Fehr, April, Suzanne Sanders, Martha Williams, David Landon, Andrew Madsen, Kathleen Child and Michele Williams
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1997.
Cultural Resources Management Investigations for the Main Street Reconstruction Project, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
2 vols. R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc.