Investigations into the Oldest Standing Structure in

by

Coy Jacob Idol

December, 2015

Director of Thesis: Dr. Charles R. Ewen

Major Department: Anthropology

In 2010, Steven and Linda Lane purchased 304 East Queen Street, Edenton, North

Carolina. While renovating the structure they discovered that it was much older than previously thought. The results of a dendrochronology analysis demonstrated that the Lane House was the oldest standing structure in North Carolina. As advocates of archaeology and wanting to learn more about the structure, the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University was contacted to investigate the structure. Based on historic documents, its was hypothesized that the

Lane House does not sit in its original location. Excavating under the structure and in the back yard a terminus post quem , 1849, was established for when the Lane House arrived at its current position. The archaeology was supplemented by historical research to refine the date to a 16-year range, 1894-1910, for when the relocation of the structure could have occurred.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE OLDEST STANDING STRUCTURE IN NORTH

CAROLINA

A Thesis

Presented To the Faculty of the Department of Anthropology

East Carolina University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Masters of Arts in Anthropology

by

Coy Jacob Idol

i

© Coy Jacob Idol, 2015

ii INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE OLDEST STANDING STRUCTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA

by

Coy Jacob Idol

APPROVED BY:

DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ______Dr. Charles R. Ewen

COMMITTEE MEMBER: ______Dr. I. Randolph Daniel, Jr.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: ______Dr. Holly F. Matthews

CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY: ______Dr. I. Randolph Daniel Jr.

DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES: ______Dr. Paul J. Gemperline

iii Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank Dr. Charles Ewen for his patience and guidance throughout this entire project. I would also like to thank the rest of my thesis committee,

Dr. Randy Daniel and Dr. Holly Matthews for their comments and suggestions in the editing process. Advice given by Dr. Tony Boudreaux was very helpful in all stages of this project.

My thanks are extended to Carolina Rudd, who was especially helpful in the writing process. Field work would not have been accomplished without the help of Kate Thomas and the 2014 East Carolina University Summer Ventures Archaeology Class. This project would not have been possible without the courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Steve and Linda Lane, who graciously granted me access to their property. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for this wonderful opportunity to continue my education.

iv

Table of Contents Page

Acknowledgements ...... iv

List of Tables ...... vii

List of Figures ...... viii

Chapter 1: Introduction ...... 1

Discovering the True Age of the Lane House ...... 1

Archaeologists Join the Project ...... 3

Structure Relocation ...... 5

Research Question Defined ...... 8

Chapter 2: Historical Background ...... 9

Proprietary Period ...... 9

Royal Colony through the Early Republic ...... 14

Antebellum and Civil War ...... 17

Reconstruction to the Great Depression ...... 19

Relocation of the Lane House ...... 21

Edenton Today ...... 22

Chapter 3: Archaeology in Edenton ...... 24

James Iredell House ...... 24

Cupola House ...... 26

1767 Chowan County Courthouse ...... 26

Ziegler House ...... 31

The Homestead ...... 31

Courthouse Square ...... 34

v Chapter 4: Archaeology at the Lane house ...... 36

Field Crew ...... 36

Shovel Testing ...... 36

Excavation Under the House ...... 41

Processing of Artifacts ...... 41

Results & Interpretations ...... 45

Shovel test finds ...... 45

Under house finds, TPQ, and MCD ...... 45

Map Study and Historic Research ...... 55

Integration with Local History ...... 57

Chapter 5: Conclusion ...... 59

New South ...... 60

Future Projects ...... 61

History as the Handmaiden to Archaeology ...... 62

References ...... 63

Appendix A: Glossary ...... 74

vi List of Tables

1. Artifact Totals 46

2. STP Ceramic Totals 47

3. Interior Unit Ceramic Totals 48

4. Mean Ceramic Date Calculations 54

vii List of Figures

1. The Lane House 2

2. 1769 CJ Sauthier Map of Edenton 4

3. Goal, in Walnut Street 6

4. Engravings Demonstrating How to Move a Structure 7

5. New and Correct Map of the Provinence of North Carolina 11

6. The Albemarle Region and European Settlement in the New World 13

7. James Iredell House 25

8. Cupola House 27

9. 1767 Chowan County Courthouse 28

10. Wessington House 30

11. The Ziegler House 32

12. The Homestead 33

13. 2014 Summer Ventures Field Crew 37

14. Excavating STPs 38

15. Screening Dirt 39

16. Map of the STPs 40

17. Map of Interior Units 42

18. Interior Unit One 43

19. Interior Excavations 44

20. Yellow Ware 49

21. Japanese Porcelain 51

22. Hobble-skirt Coca-Cola Bottles 52

viii 23. Amber Liquor Bottles 53

24. 1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 56

ix Chapter 1: Introduction

In 2010, Steve and Linda Lane purchased 304 East Queen Street, in Edenton, North

Carolina (Figure 1). A humble and unassuming house, they planned to renovate it and put it back on the real estate market. Just three years earlier, the Lane House, as it is now known, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member to the second boundary increase of Edenton’s Historic District. The boundary increase extended the Historic District of

Edenton to incorporate the town’s expansion during the late 19th century. The basis for this boundary increase was an architectural survey done by Thomas Butchko. In his analysis,

Butchko (1992) determined that the Lane House was built sometime around the turn of the 20th century. As the Lanes began the renovation process, they discovered that the structure was much older.

Discovering the True Age of the Lane House

During renovations, the Lanes discovered hand-hewn beams joined with wooden pegs and handmade nails. Additionally, some of the wood had remnants of an oyster shell whitewash.

With these discoveries, Reid Thomas, a historic architect with the North Carolina State Historic

Preservation Office (NCSHPO), was called to confirm the findings. In February of 2011, a study visit was organized with the NCSHPO, architectural historians from Colonial Williamsburg, and local Edenton historians. Thomas’ (2013) analysis confirmed the growing belief that the house was much older than originally thought. Confident that, at least, part of the structure dated from the early 18th century, questions about the true age of the Lane House arose.

In order to answer these questions, the Lanes commissioned the Oxford Tree—Ring

Laboratory to date the house through dendrochronology. In their analysis of the Lane House,

Worthington and Seiter (2012) were able to successfully date one sample, providing a precise

FIGURE 1: The Lane House. Originally a Hall and Parlor side gable structure with two chimneys, which has been updated to look like a turn of the 20 th century mill house. (Photograph by author, 2014)

2

felling date for the winter 1718-1719. Along with 19 other samples, a master index for the Lane

House was created that confirmed most of the timbers correspond to this date. The exceptions are the front wall and a rear addition. The former, based on the flush fr