HISTORIC STRUCTURES SURVEY OF JAMES CITY COUNTY, VIRGINIA Draft by Stephen Del Sordo Preservation Planner, MAAR Associates Final Edits by Thomas W. Bodor and Erin Moyer The Ottery Group, Inc. Submitted To: Virginia Department of Historic Resources 2801 Kensington Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23221 Submitted By: The Ottery Group 1810 August Drive Silver Spring, Maryland 20902 May 2008 ABSTRACT Beginning in late 2006, and extending to 2007, by The Ottery Group on behalf of James City County and the State of Virginia conducted a comprehensive survey of historic structures within James City County, Virginia. The project involved editing and completing previously compiled documentation forms, checking maps and photographic labels, and completing the final survey report. The project also included the documentation of a minimum of twenty historic resources. The final task is a scripted PowerPoint presentation about the history and architecture of James City County. The previous survey was conducted between 1999-2001 by MAAR Associates, Inc. whose research staff surveyed a total of 180 historic properties located throughout the county. Of these, twenty were recorded to the Intensive level. In addition, structures over the age of fifty years were circled on topographic maps, but not recorded on DSS forms. A number of architectural sites were recommended as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, as was the Toano Potential Historic District. Recommendations for further study and for preservation planning in James City County are also presented. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Principal Investigator and Project Manager for the survey project was Thomas Bodor, Director of Cultural Resources for The Ottery Group, Inc. Rebecca Howell Crew served as Senior Architectural Historian, completing and correcting the DSS files of previously surveyed resources, performing survey activities, and producing the survey report. Erin Moyer also served as Architectural Historian, completing and correcting DSS files of previous surveyed resources, performing survey activities, and producing the survey report. Aaron Levinthal also assisted with the projecting, assessing the status of VDHR’s files on each property. Camille Agricola Bowman, Architectural Historian, was our project liaison from the Tidewater Regional Office of the VDHR. Susan Smead, Cost-Share Manager, also assisted us from the VDHR offices in Richmond. Quatro Hubbard, Jeff Smith, and Drury Wellford in the VDHR Archives also provided technical assistance. Jason Purse, Assistant County Administrator, served as our local contact and identified the resources to survey in this phase of the project. Principal Investigator and Project Manager for the survey project was Ronald A. Thomas, President of MAAR. Mr. Stephen Del Sordo, AICP, Preservation Planner, was in charge of all data gathering, and research and survey activities. Ms. Mary Ruffin Hanbury, Architectural Historian, was our project liaison from the Tidewater Regional Office of the VDHR. Margaret T. Peters, Survey Manager, also assisted us from the VDHR offices in Richmond. A number of other individuals were cited by their contributions by MAAR. Jessica Billy, assisted by Diane Puleo, undertook computer inputting on survey forms. Ms. Puleo, graduate student at the University of Delaware Center for Historic Architecture and Design, also ably helped with historic site evaluation and analysis. Ms. Billy and Mr. Thomas edited the various project documents. Richard L. Green and Robert F. Hoffman assisted with mapping, graphic rendering, and production tasks. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................................................ iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... v 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Survey Coverage and Study Area.......................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Survey Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 Background Research ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 On-Site Survey............................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.0 HISTORIC CONTEXTS...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Introduction to Historic Contexts........................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Native Americans (to 1607)................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 European Settlement to Society (1607-1750) ..................................................................................................................10 2.4 Colony to Nation (1750-1789) ............................................................................................................................................13 2.5 Early National Period (1789-1830).....................................................................................................................................15 2.6 Antebellum Period (1830-1860)..........................................................................................................................................17 2.7 Civil War (1861-1865)...........................................................................................................................................................18 2.8 Reconstruction (1865-1880).................................................................................................................................................19 2.9 Modern James City County (1900-1950)...........................................................................................................................21 3.0 REPRESENTATIVE BUILDING TYPES OF JAMES CITY COUNTY................................................23 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................23 3.2 Domestic/Residential Buildings..........................................................................................................................................23 3.3 Non-Residential Buildings and Structures.........................................................................................................................27 3.3.1 Education......................................................................................................................................................................27 3.3.2 Government/Law/Political.......................................................................................................................................28 3.3.3 Religious/Social Structures........................................................................................................................................29 3.3.4 Commerce/Trade........................................................................................................................................................32 3.3.5 Industry/Processing/Extraction ..............................................................................................................................32 3.3.6 Health Care/Medicine................................................................................................................................................35 3.3.7 Recreation/Arts...........................................................................................................................................................35 3.3.8 Transportation/Communication..............................................................................................................................35 3.3.9 Technology/Engineering...........................................................................................................................................36 3.3.10 Subsistence/Agricultural............................................................................................................................................36 4.0 SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS ...........................................................................................................................39 4.1 Survey Background................................................................................................................................................................39