Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18AP52 Gott's Court
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Gott’s Court site (18AP52) is the archeological remains associated with an 18th to early 20th century domestic and industrial urban lot in downtown Annapolis. The site consists of a roughly square parcel, approximately 3 acres in size, located in the center of the triangle formed by West, Northwest, and Calvert Streets. It has long been used for public parking by the City of Annapolis, (both as surface lots and a multi-story parking garage). The surrounding landscape is heavily developed as an urban area. Soils at the site are Collington loams over a sandy clay loam subsoil.
Archival research has established the occupation and construction history of the block bordered by West, Northwest, and Calvert Streets. Site 18AP52 lies roughly within Lots #67, #68, and #70 of James Stoddert’s 1718 survey of Annapolis (originally surveyed for Charles Carroll of Annapolis). Documentary research revealed no evidence of development within the boundaries of the site during the first quarter of the 18th century, although transient households could have been established on the property without consent of the absentee landlord(s).
Development of these lots began along West Street, one of the city’s principal thoroughfares. In 1734, Charles Carroll’s widow, Mary, and their son, Charles, leased Lot #70, which had been improved with a house, to colonial silversmith Philip Syng for a term of 21 years. An advertisement in the Maryland Gazette, dated 30 November 1758, touted Syng as a brass founder from Philadelphia with a shop “near the Town Gate”. Syng and his son operated their business at an unidentified location on the lot until 1759.
In 1760, the Carrolls sold Lot 70 to Allen Quynn, owner of a tanyard and bootmaking business. Quynn established a residence on the southeastern portion of the lot and parceled off the remaining property. Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the western portion of Lot #70 probably served as the yards of substantial residential structures on West Street, where successful craftsmen and local politicians resided.
By the mid-19th century, Northwest Street had been impacted by residential development. According to the 1873 will of David Caldwell, by the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, a brick house and four frame houses had been constructed on the Northwest Street portion of the block.
Carroll’s original Lots #67 and #68 were developed initially during the second to third quarter of the 18th century. At that time, the John Golder family occupied a house on the property fronting West Street. In 1795, Archibald Golder received title to Lots #67-69 (with the exception of a small portion sold to Thomas Wilson), including the structure in which he was born. According to the Maryland Gazette, in 1796, Golder opened a dry and wet goods store in that building. The 1798 Federal Tax Assessment indicates that Golder maintained three frame dwellings and four support structures on his property. In 1799, Gottlieb Grammar apparently leased Golder’s two-storey frame dwelling on West Street, which he operated as a “house of entertainment” known as the “Sign of the Pennsylvania Farmer”. His tavern, alternately known as “Mount Vernon” or “Hunter’s Tavern”, remained in operation through the early 19th century. During the 1830s, a large stable designed to accommodate 30 horses was constructed on the rear lot of the tavern.
Throughout the 19th century, development within the block remained concentrated along West Street. Calvert and Northwest Streets received limited residential construction. Although not all residents owned their houses and businesses, most inhabitants of the block occupied the property for extended periods, forming a stable population base. By 1787, the large commercial/residential parcels of the 18th century had given way to smaller narrower urban lots through subdivision and sale. The original lot configuration of the Stoddert survey was obliterated.
An 1878 map of the area depicts two stables in the southern portion of the site. The larger of these stood behind the building formerly known as Hunter’s Tavern. Owned by Samuel Mattison, by 1878, the tavern had been renamed the Western Hotel. A smaller stable was located behind the shoe store of Henry O’Berry, and behind an adjacent frame commercial structure. The rear yard of a livery stable, located at 22 Calvert Street, extended into the southwestern corner of the site area. Residential and commercial development continued through the late 1800s.
In 1880, John L. Benjamin purchased the Western Hotel and Mattison’s other real estate holdings within the block. Comprising almost two-thirds of the site area, this property was not developed until 1907, when Winson Gott purchased the parcel from the Annapolis Land and Improvement Company. By 1908, an alley divided the interior of the block into two rows of frame houses, at least 19 of which were located within the site. A large stable stood southeast of the dwellings.
During the early 20th century, an alley was constructed between the rear yards of the buildings at 40-50 West Street and the Gott’s Court stable yard. On Calvert Street, the J. Adams’ undertaking establishment assumed control of the former livery stable lot on Calvert Street. The dwelling at 35-37 Northwest Street was divided into two households, and an additional two-storey dwelling was constructed in the rear yard. All three of these Northwest Street dwellings utilized the yard area, which now comprises the northeastern portion of the site. By 1921, the Annapolis Furniture Company occupied 36 West Street. A single-storey warehouse was the added at that address. A narrow secondary building extended from the warehouse to a rear stable, and a stable stood within the souotheastern portion of the site.
By 1930, the project area was affected by the impact of the automobile. A long, single-storey row of auto stalls occupied the western portion of the common ground east of Gott’s Court. Similar auto stalls stood in the far rear yard of the commercial buildings at 34-36 West Street. A long, narrow unidentified building stood behind the yards of 20 and 22 Gott’s Court, and extended along the rear of a two-storey shed. The dwellings at 35-37 Northwest Street shared the rear yard area with the two-storey dwelling at 31 Northwest Street. South of 13 Gott’s Court, a new automotive building stood within the southeastern corner of the site area.
The architectural configuration of the site area remained relatively stable through the mid-20th century. During the early 1950s, the dwellings of Gott’s Court were torn down and replaced by a surface parking lot that covered the project area. The Arundel Center was constructed on the northwestern corner fo the block during the 1960s. It obliterated the commercial and residential architecture along much of Calvert and Northwest Street.
In summary, archival investigations indicate that continuous occupation of the block began as early as the second quarter of the 18th century, with various enterprises taking advantage of its location near the city gate. Artisans and craftsmen especially were drawn to this area. By the mid 19th century, most of the exterior of the block had experienced commercial residential development. Large lots were divided and additional smaller dwellings were built along Calvert, West, and Northwest Streets. Several substantial commercial enterprises were located within the block, including two stables, and a tavern. By the late 19th century, the character of the block had changed from mixed residential and commercial to predominantly commercial. The interior remained essentially undeveloped until Gott’s Court was built in 1907.
In the summer of 1989 Archaeology in Annapolis (or AIA) undertook three weeks of archeological testing at 18AP52, in the vicinity of the surface parking lot that at that time was present. The lot was owned by the City of Annapolis and, at the time, it was going to be converted into a below-ground parking garage, destroying any archeological remnants preserved beneath the extant lot. The city agreed to 3 weeks of test excavations funded by the Historic Annapolis Foundation and conducted by Archaeology in Annapolis. The AIA consortium’s work is largely publically funded both through state funds (the University of Maryland) and periodic grants from the City of Annapolis.
A total of 4 test units were excavated during the 1989 project. Three units were 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) in size and one unit was 1.524 X .76 m (5 X 2.5 ft) in size. Two test units were placed within the former rear yard areas of two standing structures at 40-50 West Street and two units were placed in the northeast portion of the site. All units were excavated by natural stratigraphic layers up to 15.24 cm (6 in). Strata thicker than that were terminated arbitrarily at 15.24 cm and excavation continued as a new arbitrary level. All soil was screened through hardware cloth. Flotation samples were also taken from all levels, however, no report of their analysis is available.
The units in the rear yard areas yielded late 18th through early 19th century artifacts, including tin-glazed earthenware, pearlware, and creamware, recovered from depths of between 76 and 107 cm (2.5-3.5 ft). These deposits were interpreted as remains of the ca. 1760 Archibald Golder occupation (see above), and of the lot’s subsequent use as a tavern or hotel service area after 1799. The two units to the northeast had been disturbed by utility lines. However, early 19th century occupation levels were discernible at a depth of approximately 61 cm (2 ft). Later deposits associated with the early to mid 20th century occupation of Gott’s Court were confined to strata within 46 cm (1.5 ft) of the parking lot surface.
No summary tables of major artifact types recovered are provided in the full site report for the 1989 work at 18AP52 (though a coded table of the entire assemblage is provided). Therefore, the artifacts from the 1989 excavation are not included in the tables above.
Work related to the construction of the multi-storey parking facility continued and in 1991 and 1992 the project transitioned to a Phase II/III level of work. The City of Annapolis received state financial assistance for the construction of the parking facility, making it subject to compliance with Article 83B, Section 5-617 and 5-618 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
The 1991-1992 work began with the creating of a Geographic Information System (GIS) model of the parking lot project area. The computer-generated map series illustrated the sequence of development in the parking lot area, from its commercial/residential status during the early to mid 18th century, through its 19th century mixed residential and commercial use, to the construction of Gott’s Court during the early 20th century. The sampling strategy for the archeological investigations was based on the map series, on the results of the previous investigations, and on preliminary research data.
Field investigations were undertaken in two stages. The first stage of fieldwork, which comprised evaluator testing, involved the excavation of 15 backhoe trenches and fifteen 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) excavation units. These tests were designed to define the nature, extent, and integrity of the archeological record in the testing area. Based on the results of testing, additional trenches and units were excavated to record and examine features and areas with dense artifact concentrations, to affect data recovery, and to assure representativeness in the data obtained from the site.
Exploratory trenches were excavated mechanically, following the natural stratigraphy, or using 30 cm levels where deep or thick natural strata were present. Excavated soils were separated by stratum or level and then trowel-sorted to obtain artifacts or ecofacts (i.e. not screened). Soil characteristics were described and recorded on standardized forms using standard nomenclature. Mechanical excavation was halted and manual excavations were initiated when features, artifact concentrations, or living surfaces were exposed.
During the first phase of work, 15 trenches were laid out, and 14 of these were excavated. The placement of these trenches was determined on the basis of archival data and by applying the maps generated by the GIS. Trenches ranged from 4 to 7 m in length and from 2 to 4 m in width. The variability in trench length resulted from the nature and size of features identified within individual trenches. Fifteen hand excavation units within the trenches were used to examine the features selected for further investigation.
Units were hand-excavated inside the mechanized trenches to expose features. These units were excavated following natural stratigraphy, or in 10 cm levels when the depositional sequence was unclear or when thicker deposits held the potential for internal stratification. Soils were screened through hardware mesh. An excavation level form, completed for each stratum, recorded datum location and elevation, depth of stratum, excavation method, artifact content and density, the presence or absence of features, and appropriate soil descriptions. All units and features were mapped, photographed, and recorded. Non-architectural artifacts were collected, as were samples of brick, mortar, charcoal, and oyster shell fragments.
Six additional trenches subsequently were excavated during the second phase of fieldwork. In addition, two of the original trenches were extended, one by lengthening it 2m on its west end and the other with the additional of a 3 X 3 m extension on its east end. The placement of these additional trenches was based on the results of the initial testing regime, following consultation with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) and with the Anne Arundel County archeologist. Ten new hand-excavated units were placed in these trenches and trench extensions to record features. Eight features located inside the trenches, but outside excavation units were also excavated and recorded using the same methods previously described.
Soil chemical analysis was conducted for samples from selected features. Samples were analyzed for potassium, phosphorous, and calcium content. While the data from this analysis is provided in the full site report, it is not interpreted.
Field investigations undertaken in 1991 and 1992 resulted in the identification of 100 features associated with historic activities in the project area. These features primarily represented domestic and commercial rear yard activities associated with 18th and 19th century dwellings and business enterprises along West, Northwest, and Calvert Streets, and with the 20th century occupation of Gott’s Court. The spatial and temporal distribution of these features reflected a pattern of property use that coincided closely with broader trends of the historical development of Annapolis.
More than 21,000 artifacts were recovered from the site. Ceramic, faunal, and botanical materials from several features were subjected to in-depth analysis. These features included: a cellar and kitchen midden associated with the mid 18th century activities of the John Golder family, a well associated with early 19th century activities along Calvert Street, and a sample of materials from a sheet midden associated with Gott’s Court during the early 20th century.
Six features dated from the period 1700 through 1749. These were associated with the earliest occupation of the block. All appear to have been domestic and kitchen-related. The location of these features reflected the initial emergence of a characteristic use-pattern along the southern perimeter of the construction project area in association with the development of the West Street corridor. This pattern intensified throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. As archival investigations show, the prime locations along this thoroughfare attracted both commercial and domestic establishments. Service and trade interests were especially attracted to the area.
Twenty-three domestic features dated from the era between 1750 and 1799. These included sheet middens, post holes, refuse pits, and a pet burial. The increase in the number of features in the same time span reflects the continued increase in activities within the block, resulting from the growth of Annapolis and its larger role in commerce and politics. Within the project area, the archeological evidence for this growth still was confined largely to the southern portion of the block. However, evidence for more intensive use of the central and peripheral areas associated with homes and businesses along the developing Calvert and Northwest Street corridors was also encountered.
If the number of features reflects to some degree the level of activity within the block, and if it also can be used as an indicator of larger economic growth, the 19th century appears to have been a slow time for the Gott’s Court neighborhood. For the century between 1800 and 1900, only 21 additional features were identified. They include the same variety of features as had been recorded for earlier time periods, and they were distributed in the same general pattern. The features represented specific activities on the site, including the establishment, use, and abandonment of a well that may have been in use prior to the 19th century, and an increase in commercial activity associated with the operation of a livery stable fronting Calvert Street and a tavern fronting West Street.
The archeological evidence for activities dating from the 19th century, characterized by a higher level of activity concentrated in a few yard areas, resulted in the deposition of relatively thick primary sheet middens in specific areas. These deposits generally were associated with more substantial cellar or pit features. However, throughout both the 18th and the 19th centuries, the core of the block and its extreme northern corner (adjacent to the intersection of Calvert and Northwest Streets) appear to have experienced little use. Except for the Anne Arundel County jail, which fronted on Calvert Street, these areas were relatively devoid of major buildings until the construction of Gott’s Court in 1907.
The Gott’s Court period was represented by 29 features dating from the first half of the 20th century. These features related to the construction, occupation, and subsequent demolition of the Gott’s Court complex. Inferences drawn from the composition and the contents of the associated sheet midden, supplemented with archival and informant information, suggested not only that the African-American residents of this complex were socially segregated from the rest of Annapolitan society, but that they also were economically disadvantaged. Both documentary and archeological data suggest that, while their neighbors around the periphery of the block experienced improvements in their standards of living, in the physical amenities of their dwellings, and in their delivery of city services, the resident’s of Gott’s Court continued to contend with privies, common outdoor cold-weather spigots, and backyard trash disposal well into the 20th century.
A summary table of artifacts from the site is not provided in the full site report, though a detailed listing of all artifacts by provenience is provided. Summary tables are, however, provided for the features that were analyzed in detail. These tallies are combined to provide a summary of artifacts recovered for the table above. The remainder of the 21,000 some artifacts recovered were simply counted as miscellaneous objects. The full artifact assemblage form the 1991-1992 project included 200 activity items, 1,478 architectural objects, 22 furniture items, 107 clothing artifacts, 847 ceramic sherds (1 Jackfield, 2 Staffordshire manganese, 286 tin-glazed earthenware, 94 pearlware, 66 creamware, 25 early porcelain, 51 later porcelain, 241 ironstone, 99 whiteware, 37 yelloware, 106 redware, 61 white salt-glazed stoneware, 79 other stoneware, and 48 miscellaneous ceramic sherds), 1,156 pieces of kitchen glass, 2,326 faunal remains (counted as miscellaneous kitchen items), at least 372 other kitchen-related objects, 98 personal items, 10 tobacco-related artifacts, 5 arms objects, and some 14,379 miscellaneous artifacts.
Archeological excavations at Gott’s Court have clearly shown that the site retains valuable information relating to the development of the City of Annapolis. Intact features were identified and very large collections of artifacts (many diagnostic) were recovered that were useful for interpretation. Data also reveal information about the segregation and segmentation of disparate social groups in Annapolitan society and how they may or may not have changed over time. Much of the site was destroyed as a result of the parking garage installation at 18AP52. Some areas may, however, be preserved in areas that were not directly impacted by construction. The site should still be considered a significant archeological resource.
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