Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18AP38 Brice House
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Brice House (18AP38) consists of the archeological deposits associated with the standing James Brice House (MIHP# AA-485), a National Historic Landmark site in downtown Annapolis. The site is situated on the northeast corner of King George and East Streets and consists of yard spaces around the main house and its wings which are covered by landscaped beds, lawns, or brick paths. The late 18th century James Brice House consists of five parts, a large three storey central block flanked by hyphens and two-storey wings on the east and west sides. Soils at the site are Collington sandy loams as well as some human transported soils.
The earliest known records of the property encompassing Site 18AP38 date from around 1713-1718. The area consisted of two lots. Prior to 1718, the two lots were referred to as Lot #13 and Lot #22, but by 1718, the two lots were referred to as Lots #103 and #94, respectively. These early records also tell us that the latter lot was owned by Captain John Brice prior to 1713. The same cannot be said, however, for the former lot which underwent several transferals and divisions before it too came under Brice ownership in 1754. During the period between 1713 and 1754 several frame structures stood on Lot #103, including a frame mansion house and kitchen which extended into Brice’s lot. When John Brice, Jr. purchased Lot #103 in 1754 from Alexander Black, the mansion house had apparently burnt down.
Although several advertisements were placed by Brice seeking building contractors, John Brice, Jr. appears to have died before any construction was begun. The building of the extant structure at 18AP38 was undertaken by his son, James, during the period 1760-1770. Following the death of his father, James Brice entered the ranks of Annapolis’ ruling elite. Until that point, James had been a member of a substantially wealthy family, but had done little to stand out from others of his class in Annapolis. In 1767, less than a year after his father’s death, James began to oversee construction of his new townhouse. Due to his meticulous record keeping and account books, a great deal is known about the construction of the house as well as the day-to-day life of the family at this time.
By early 1767, Brice’s account books detail the costs associated with the construction of a stone foundation. Roughly two years into the project, Brice’s account books begin to detail financial help received from his mother as well as other members of the family. These entries appear as significant in that they document the financial burden of building such a large house, and issue that would later prove to be both and embarrassment to the family as well as an enormously damaging financial drain on Brice’s estate.
By 1768, the construction of the main block of the house was nearly complete, with entries for final wages of several of Brice’s bricklayers attesting to this. With this stage of construction nearly completed, Brice began to concentrate on the finishing of the main block’s interior and the construction of the flanking wings and hyphens designed to accompany the house. Apparently, conditions in the early winter of 1768-1769 prevented Brice from making progress on the remaining exterior construction. But in February of 1769 Brice was able to contract Henry Jackson, a bricklayer, to start on the wings and dependencies. The East Wing was designed to be used as a kitchen and laundry. Brice’s account books mention a new “Scotch Oven” to be placed in the East Wing. The West Wing was designed to be used as a carriage house and office. Both wings were attached to the main block of the house by hyphens.
Shortly after James’ completion of the house in 1773, several political events occurred that were to have a significant impact on the family. Growing troubles with England throughout the colonies thrust James into a military career. In July of 1776, the Council of Safety ordered James and his brother John to help develop the city’s fortifications. In 1777, James was elected to the Governor’s Council, however, he turned down the honor, presumably so that he could continue his nascent military career. On July 1, 1777, James was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant of the Anne Arundel County militia, a post that made him one of the highest-ranking military officers in the county.
In 1780, apparently due to the combined threat of a British attack on Annapolis and the recent death of his wife, William Paca, Brice’s neighbor, decided to sell his famous mansion on Prince George Street. Thomas Jennings, Maryland’s Attorney General, and a long-standing member of Annapolis’ elite, purchased the mansion. A year later, Jennings was to become James Brice’s father-in-law when Brice married his daughter Julianna.
Following the end of the Revolution, Brice re-adapted to both married and civilian life rather easily, and within the next few years raised a family of 7 and developed a fairly prosperous and prominent career in public service. After serving as a city alderman, Brice served as the city’s Mayor, Treasurer, and also as a councilman, sometimes concurrently with his brother John in similar positions. Quite abruptly, Brice was thrust into the role of Maryland’s Governorship in 1792, following the death of George Plater. Although this short-lived and temporary position culminated his career in politics, James’ public service and his standing as a planter helped to elevate him to the top of Annapolis’ elites.
At the time of James’ death in 1802, his illustrious career in both the public and military spheres was offset by a substantial debt of £7,000 Sterling, primarily accrued as a result of the costs of building the mansion at 18AP38. One of Brice’s rural plantations was subsequently sold by his estate in order to settle his debts, and the remaining cash surplus was invested in several bank stocks that would later act as the family’s main source of wealth in the years to come.
The property remained in the hands of James Brice’s heirs throughout the greater part of the 19th century. A view of the City of Annapolis made in 1858 fails to indicate any further construction on-site. In 1873, the property passed out of Brice hands and into the trusteeship of Thomas E. Martin. An 1878 map of Annapolis indicates no improvements were made to the property through this period. But in 1896, the trustee began selling off small portions of property, and in 1902, the remaining portions were divided between the heirs of Martin. In the almost 80 years following the 1902 partitioning of the property, the lands surrounding the Brice House have been the subject of numerous and complicated land transactions up to the time of the most recent purchase.
Comparison of an 1868 photograph of the property and a 1908 postcard, showing the Brice House indicate that at some point, the grades of both Prince George St. and East St. were lowered. The 1908 postcard essentially depicts the modern grade, while the earlier photograph shows a much higher ground level. The West Yard had been partitioned into two lots in 1902. Although the postcard does not indicate a structure in the northern lot, it seems likely that the building which currently stands there was built during this period, and thus lies on top of, or has destroyed much of what was the northern portion of the west yard. The western edge of the yard was disturbed as well.
Sidewalks are shown in the 1908 postcard of the Brice House. This development, probably corresponded to the same time period as the lowering of the street grade, resulting in the shortening of the western edge of the yard and the construction of a stone retaining wall (barely visible in the postcard). Three additional items can be noted in the postcard. First is the heavy nature of the ivy covering the structure. None can be seen along the ground in the west yard, indicating it was planted close to the house. Secondly, a wooden picket fence is visible running just behind the stone retaining wall. And finally, a frame porch can be seen extending out from the center of the West Wing’s west wall.
A third photograph of the Brice House dates prior to 1930. The porch still remains in that photograph, but the picket fence has been removed. The luxuriant ivy has been pruned back and a small tree, bush, or perhaps thick vines of ivy, are evident south of the porch in the west yard. Subsequent disturbances to the west yard included the removal of the porch structure and the building of two brick walkways in herringbone pattern, which are still visible today.
The first known archeological work potentially impacting Site 18AP38 occurred in 1970. The work, paid for by the Maryland Historical Trust, was a rather limited program of archeological testing and archival research for a number of lots along Martin Street, behind and to the east of Site 18AP38. The study area encompassed portions of what were once Lots #94 and #103, portions of the Brice family holdings. The scope of the investigation consisted of the excavation of 7 trenches, ranging in width between .76 and 1.52 m (2.5-5 ft). Length of the trenches varied from approximately 3.05 m (10 ft) to over 18.3 m (60 ft), with depths ranging from .91 to 1.83 m (3 to 6 ft) beneath the then current grade. Initial excavation was performed by hand following removal of a macadam parking lot surface that covered much of the area at that time. The trenches were later deepened through the use of a backhoe following the discovery of a compact layer of 19th century rubble under the parking lot surface.
Unfortunately, there are a number of inconsistencies in the reporting for the 1970 project, and the reporting that does exist is essentially in a “draft” form. The results of testing near the Brice House appear to indicate the presence of an initial .76-1.52 m deep stratum comprised of densely packed rubble fill associated with the demolition of 19th century structures along Martin Street. Beneath this was a grayish-black lens containing oyster shell, coal, and ash, but no other cultural material. This layer also contained lenses of light greenish-brown sandy clay, and its thickness was not reported. Beneath this stratum was a layer of dark greenish-brown mottled clay loam that contained artifacts dating to the period between 1775 and 1840. This material was in-turn underlain by reddish-brown sandy clay containing decomposed organic material believed to be sterile subsoil.
The 1970 investigation suggests that the ground surface along Martin Street is significantly lower than it was historically. The construction of houses and various buildings along Martin Street in the 19th and 20th centuries led to this condition, which in-turn indicates the apparent destruction of intact archeological deposits associated with the early 18th century structures that pre-dated the Brice House (frame and otherwise) the existence of which is demonstrated archivally. This comports well with the grade changes documented in the aforementioned photograph and postcard.
In 1983 and 1984, the International Masonry Institute (the owners of the Brice House) contracted archeologists to conduct and extended testing and excavation program in and around the Brice House and adjacent yard spaces, which were being renovated and restored. Archeological work was conducted in the west yard of the house due to the expressed need for archeological information to support the final restoration design of the west wing. It was also required because restoration work in this area was expected to disturb the subsurface soils. Subsequent to the award of the contract for archeological work, additional excavation was required in the north yard in an area where utility lines were to be laid. Near the end of the project, the IMI's plans were again expanded to include stairway construction, installation of brick walkways, and other improvements within both the South and North yards of the house. A series of excavation units was then placed in the South yard, and several additional units were excavated in the North yard.
Excavations were undertaken by a combination of trowel and shovel work. All soils were screened through hardware cloth. Excavation proceeded and provenience was kept by unit and by natural soil stratigraphy. In general, features were merely exposed and mapped, unless their destruction was guaranteed by the proposed renovations.
The 1983-1984 investigation of the West yard area consisted of 7 whole or partial 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) units in a small triangular space outside the west doors to the West Wing defined by a low brick retaining wall. A limiting factor in interpreting the archeology of this area is the fact that all units were excavated only to the extent of impact by the planned construction. As a result, a number of features were identified, and their surface expressions mapped, but they were not excavated. These unexcavated features included a series of probable postholes, brick piers, and depositional features associated with a no-longer extant porch, a relatively modern planting trench, a possible wall trench, and other trenches of unknown function. A trench-like feature in one unit was interpreted as a probable wheel rut associated with the use of a no-longer extant doorway into the building.
The vast majority of the material recovered was of relatively recent origin and came from the uppermost 15 cm of the soil profile. While summary tables for artifact types and functional categories are provided in the full site report for other areas investigated in 1983-1984, no such tables are provided for the West yard area. Thus, no artifacts from the West yard area are included in the tables above. The report does mention that the majority of artifacts were architectural in nature, with domestic or kitchen-related items also being more abundant.
There was no discernible patterning, in either vertical or horizontal dimensions, among any of the artifact classes present there. The artifact deposits were interpreted as representing a “light scatter” associated with maintenance of and modification to the exterior of the West Wing structure during the 20th century. The investigation also revealed no evidence of changes to the fenestration or doorways into the West Wing. Change in the topography of the yard space was evidenced by the presence of fill deposits which were apparently placed behind the retaining wall to level the yard surface at the time of its construction between 1870 and 1900. The brick piers and other features located were interpreted as probably indicative of the original use of the yard, but the lack of complete excavation prevented precise identification of these functions.
The North yard of the Brice House was investigated through the placement and excavation of twelve 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) units, all placed within the impact area associated with the then-planned construction of a handicapped access ramp leading to the rear entrance to the main block of the house. In addition, a thirteenth unit had already been placed in the area at the northeast corner of the main house block during the earlier investigation of the West yard. As with the units in the West yard, the majority of those placed in the North yard were only excavated to the planned depth of disturbance, apparently between 12.7 and 15.24 cm (5 and 6 in) beneath the then current grade. Three units were, however, excavated to culturally sterile subsoils to recover additional data regarding the stratigraphy and historic uses of the yard space.
All of the units that were excavated only to the anticipated depth of disturbance revealed a layer of brown sandy loam containing mixed gravel, brick fragments and other architectural material, and fragments of pottery, glass, and bone. This material was interpreted as a mixture of late 19th and 20th century debris. The uppermost layer in the majority of these units was underlain by mixed deposits of reddish brown sands, sandy loams, and sandy clay loams, all of which apparently contained cultural material. A number of features were discerned at the bottom of these units including a variety of lenses, pipe or other trenches of unknown function, and remnants of ornamental or landscape plantings. None of these features was excavated, and therefore there is little to say about them other than the fact that they were present.
The three units excavated into cultural sterile subsoils all contained features, and substantial additional data concerning the yard space was recovered. The first of these units was placed near the base of the stairs at the back (north) of the main block of the house. The uppermost layer of this unit was identical to those described above in the North yard, but two independent cultural deposits (a brick lens and a gravel deposit) were found to be present at the base of the initial level. The gravel was excavated and eventually interpreted as the edge of a probable 19th century pathway. The brick was determined to represent an early 20th century stratigraphic deposit that extended across the entire unit. In turn, these levels were underlain by a series of stratigraphic deposits with varying characteristics, all of which dated to the 19th century. The final feature uncovered in the north stairs unit consisted of a shallow V-shaped trench that intruded into the subsoil. This was interpreted to be a possible fenceline. No temporally diagnostic artifacts were recovered, however, the stratigraphic position of the feature suggested a rather early date.
Another unit that went to subsoil was situated near the western edge of the yard. The upper stratigraphy of the unit was, again, identical to the other North yard units previously discussed. Two features were, however, revealed below this. The first was a large, irregularly-shaped stain that intruded into the underlying subsoil. Upon excavation, the feature was determined to be a trench for a terra-cotta drain pipe. The second of the two features was a roughly circular, shallow pit containing charcoal, oyster shell, and brick. The western edge of the feature appeared to be disturbed, and the pit as a whole was bounded by a border of reddish clay. The original report describes this feature as potentially relating to an earlier period of occupation, presumably earlier than the extant house structure.
The final North yard unit excavated to culturally sterile subsoils was located in the northeast corner of the yard near the entrance to a (then) extant parking area. Excavation of this unit revealed a deep pit of unknown function, a thin lens feature, and a series of stratigraphic layers similar to those discussed for the preceding units. No temporal or functional information for the contents of this unit was presented in the full site report for 18AP38.
The thirteenth unit (see above) situated at the northeast corner of the main block of the house was excavated before the other units in the north yard to investigate the potential for the presence of significant resources that would be disturbed by the installation of a subsurface utility line. Three features were revealed in this unit. Two consisted of wide builder’s trenches for the main block of the house and the adjacent retaining wall that bounds the parking area. The third feature consisted of a metal barrel found just below the ground surface immediately adjacent to the southeast corner of the unit. The barrel was embedded in an oily stain, and extended from around 15 to 30 cm below the ground surface. Beneath the barrel was a shallow pit containing brick and a mixture of 19th and 20th century debris that included nails, shell, and clear bottle glass. Again, no functional interpretation of the feature was presented in the full report.
Artifacts recovered during the 1983-1984 excavations in the North yard area included 14 activity items, 1207 architectural artifacts, 9 clothing items, 3 furniture objects, 1131 kitchen-related artifacts, 7 personal items, 35 tobacco pipe fragments, and 4 arms objects. Many lf the kitchen related objects were undoubtedly ceramic and glass containers, but these categories are not broken out in the full site report. Thus, they have been cataloged in the table above simply as “miscellaneous kitchen items”.
Interpretation of patterning within the North yard artifact assemblage, and indeed interpretation of the archeology of the area as a whole, is hampered by the fact that the majority of the units were only excavated through one or two stratigraphic layers. Much of the material recovered from these layers represented mixed deposits that were primarily of 19th and 20th century origin. However, evidence of earlier occupation of the yard space was recovered in the form of the pit feature on the western edge of the North yard. Given the results of excavation in 1986 on a neighboring property (see below), it is very probable that additional deposits were associated with either the Brice House structure itself, or an earlier occupation, are present within untested areas where test units were not completely excavated.
A total of 13 units of varying sizes were excavated within the South yard space during the 1983-1984 project. The first of these units was located immediately adjacent to the eastern wall of the West Wing. This unit measured 45.72 by 91.44 cm (1.5 X 3 ft) in extent. Seven of the units measured 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft), and were located in the central portion of the yard space. The remaining five units were of varied dimensions and were placed to the west and north of the western stair entrance to the yard. All units were designed to mitigate the impacts of planned construction/renovation work in the vicinity of the South yard.
When these excavations were conducted, the entire west wall of the West Wing and the surrounding area was covered in a thick layer of ivy. This layer of ivy had to be removed before the first unit, adjacent to the eastern wall of the West Wing could be excavated. Stratigraphy in this area of the site was found to consist of a 20.32 cm (8 in) layer of brown sandy loam over mixed yellowish-brown to reddish-brown clay loam and loamy sand. This layer extended to a depth of approximately 35.56 cm (14 in) below the then-current grade, and was itself underlain by a thicker layer of mottled brown and yellowish-brown sandy clay loam. The remainder of the stratigraphy consisted of a 12.7 cm (5 in) layer of sandy clay loam over culturally sterile subsoil. No features of any kind were reported as present within the unit.
The series of units excavated to identify resources within the area of a proposed water pipe trench revealed a relatively complex stratigraphic profile in the immediate vicinity of a retaining wall, a number of pipe trench features, several pits and fill lenses, root molds, an electrical cable trench, a posthole, and builder’s trenches associated with the retaining wall and the main block of the house. The majority of these features were of relatively modern origin. The stratigraphic profiles revealed in the units that were excavated further to the north in the yard, away from the retaining wall all had been disturbed by 20th century landscaping and other activities associated with modifications to the yard.
The complex stratigraphic profile revealed n the unit nearest the retaining wall consisted of an approximately 7.62-10.16 cm (3-4 in) thick layer of dark brown loamy sand topsoil. Immediately beneath this layer was a pipe trench. The pipe trench fill proved to contain a mixture of 19th and 20th century artifacts in a complex fill sequence. A deposit of dark brown loamy sand was located immediately adjacent to the pipe trench. This was found to extend to a depth of 1.22 m (4 ft) beneath the ground surface in the immediate vicinity of the retaining wall. This stratigraphic deposit or layer was found to overlie apparently undisturbed deposits of reddish-brown sand, yellowish-brown sandy clay loam, and olive-brown clay loam subsoil. The overall stratigraphic sequence in the unit is interpreted as a reversal of the undisturbed soil profile, and it was argued that the soils that were redeposited behind the wall are of local origin.
A unit situated immediately adjacent to the south wall of the main block of the house, contained deposits that differed from any uncovered in units excavated during the course of the 1983-1984 project. In this case, a brick sill or drip line was present at the ground surface. Immediately beneath this feature, a root stain and narrow builder’s trench were discovered. The builder’s trench feature was approximately 25.4 cm (10 in) in width, and extended to a depth of 1.10 m (3.6 ft) beneath the then-current grade in that area of the yard. The fill within the trench consisted of mixed yellowish and olive-brown clay loam containing 18th and early 19th century artifacts. The feature did not extend to the base of the wall of the main block of the house. Together with its very shallow initial surface expression, this suggests that the feature represented some sort of repair work that occurred relatively early in the history of the house.
The soil layers located in the remainder of the south wall unit, outside of the builder’s trench feature consisted of dark brown sandy loam and mixed reddish-brown and brown sandy loams. The uppermost of these layers contained mixed artifacts dating from the 18th to 20th centuries. The underlying layer contained only artifacts dating prior to the late 19th century. Together with the evidence from the builder’s trench, this suggests that the central portion of the South yard north of the retaining wall is less disturbed that the areas to the sides and along the southern edge.
The units placed in front of the stairway location revealed the presence of a number of disturbance related features. However, a number of features related to the construction, alteration, and demolition of stairway entrances to the main block of the house were also discovered. A combination of historical photographs in concert with the archeological data allowed researchers to posit the former configuration(s) of the stairway.
Artifacts were recovered from temporally mixed contexts in all areas of the South yard that were tested. The assemblage recovered from this area in 1983-1984 consisted of 22 activity items, 4,138 architectural artifacts, 34 clothing objects, 7 furniture items, 1,505 kitchen-related artifacts (including ceramics and container glass), 13 personal objects, 85 tobacco pipe fragments, and 13 arms objects. The horizontal distribution of cultural material was found to be relatively homogenous across the tested area. The ratio of architectural material to other functional classes was found to be quite high, averaging around 2:1 across the entire area, even when brick and mortar fragments were excluded. Two other artifact classes were singled out for specific mention in the analysis. The first of these were tobacco pipes, which were found to be concentrated near the western edge of the stairway. The second was Arms, which consisted primarily of .22 caliber shell casings. The vast majority of these artifacts were found to be concentrated around both sides of the stairway. The significance of these concentrations was not identified in the full site report.
The interior of the West Wing and Hyphen were subjected to the most intensive testing of any portion of the Brice House Site during the 1983-1984 investigation. Three units of varying dimensions were excavated inside the Hyphen, and 12 units that varied in both shape and dimension were excavated within the interior of the West Wing. In addition, some stratigraphic data was recovered in the form of sidewall profiles of two construction trenches and four smaller “footer” pits.
Excavation within the interior of the West Wing and Hyphen began when intact deposits were encountered during the removal of soils for the installation of a new floor and creation of a crawl space beneath it. A series of jackstands that supported the roof and the presence of concrete pads and open trenches, as well as unstable walls and fireplaces, all contributed to the necessity of variable test units sizes and dimensions. Unit sizes ranged from standard 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) to 2.44 X 1.524 m (8 X 5 ft) in size. Due to time constraints and the recovery of large quantities of 20th century material, not all of the upper layers were screened and not all features encountered were excavated. Decisions as to whether features would be excavated were apparently made on the basis of whether or not thay would be disturbed by subsequent construction, but this is not stipulated in each case in the full report.
The 1983-1984 testing program and excavation within the West Wing and Hyphen resulted in the location of significant archeological deposits associated with the construction of the extant Brice House, and with an earlier underlying structure. No significant deposits associated with the actual occupation of the Brice House within either the wing or hyphen were discovered. In general, the deposits associated with the hyphen area were not intact or were disturbed by construction activities associated with a utility trench. It was further determined that the southern third of the interior of the West Wing did not contain significant archeological deposits.
A narrow trench was discovered along the eastern edge of the unit adjacent to the east wall of the West Wing structure. The trench was found to be of unknown temporal origin, but ended at a cement block retaining or buttressing wall perpendicular to the wall of the wing. The trench contained a mixture of demolition debris, shell, bone, cut and wrought nails, glass, and 18th and early 19th century ceramics. The base of the trench contained a layer of mortar and brick over undisturbed olive brown clay loam subsoil. While the trench was of undiagnosed temporal origin, it did not reach the base of the West Wing wall, and did not intrude into the underlying subsoil, probably indicating an origin after the construction of the wing.
Other features encountered in this portion of the site included the footers of a masonry wall that had at one time divided the wing into north and south halves, builder’s trenches associated with the west and north walls of the structure, builder’s trenches associated with the east-west interior dividing wall, a wooden floor beam and underlying mortar lenses, as well as several pits, lenses, and postholes associated with the extant structure. Most of these were buried under relatively recent deposits, which were substantial and were ultimately removed as a single unit without screening.
A feature of considerable interest was uncovered in the northeast footer pit (originally examined just to get a look at the local stratigraphy). Organic lenses were noted in the exposed profile containing large amounts of faunal remains were identified beneath layers of construction debris and brown sandy loam mixed with rubble. The lens deposits were interpreted as a small pit, which was found to extend beneath the wall that separated the West Wing and Hyphen. This finding implies the presence of deposits that pre-date the Brice House itself.
These findings were further confirmed once other units in this portion of the site proceeded further. Beneath the complex of features associated with the Brice House itself, deposits and features were encountered which suggest the presence of a possible earlier structure. In general, these features could be divided into two groups, those associated with the interior of a structure, and those associated with the architecture of the structure itself.
Architectural elements included a sandstone foundation wall, a large rectangular posthole and possible mold overlaid by a dense deposit of North Devon gravel-tempered earthenware sherds mixed with lusterware. The posthole contained a mixture of brick, mortar, shell, bone, wrought nails, tobacco pipe fragments, more gravel-tempered sherds, and tin-glazed stonewares. In addition, a series of brick stairs cut into culturally sterile subsoil, and was comprised of 8 descending course with the long axis oriented to the northeast. Deposits associated with the interior of the structure consisted of several layers of mortar, dark brown loam, and dark brown loam containing charcoal. Each of these levels contained a relatively high density of cultural material that included animal bone and shell. Also present were ceramics including redware, white salt-glaz
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