Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18BC48 Albemarle Row House I
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
Site 18BC48, also known as Albemarle Row House I, is the archeological remains associated with an early 19th-late 20th century brick rowhouse in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The site is the location of the former Baltimore City Life Museum offices at 44 Albemarle Street in the Jonestown (or Old Town) section of the city. Most of the area surrounding the site is heavily developed today. Soils mapped for the area are classified as “Urban Land” meaning that 80% of the surface is covered either by buildings or by impervious surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.
Baltimore Towne was laid out on January 12, 1730, consisting of, “sixty acres of Land, in and about the place where one John Flemming now lives”. Just two years later Jones Town was laid out, and in 1745 the two merged to form a new Baltimore. By 1752, twenty-five houses appeared on a map sketched by John Moale, and the population was recorded at 300. Jones Town was represented by a few houses in the upper right portion of the sketch.
Not long after a survey in 1773, lots 196 and 197 (the general location of the site) were sold for development and divided. In 1785, an Edward Oldham bought lots 195 and 196, and in 1794 George Davey purchased lot 197. Edward Oldham’s heirs were listed in the Tax Assessor’s Field Book in 1794 as well. IN 1805 Edward Oldham’s heirs were listed as not having paid the pavement tax. Lot 196 probably remained vacant until 1809 when John Simpson leased the property for 99 years. In 1810, Lot 196 was divided and assigned to Mary Haley and John Brenan. A similar story evolved for Lot 197, but improvements were being built by 1795. Special instructions by George Davey in his will included the “brick house when finished” at the corner of Albemarle and King George (today’s Lombard) Streets. The lot was bought at public sale by John Dalrymple in 1796 and remained in the Dalrymple family until 1829. In 1834, Lot 197 was divided.
In 1812, John Simpson and James Stirling assigned the property at 44 Albemarle Street (Lot 196) to John Brenan (Brannan) who paid ground rent. He was listed in the 1812 Baltimore City Directory as a Gentleman, and in 1813 he was assessed for the lot, improvements, furniture, plate, and 3 slaves for a total of $760.00
In 1815, John Brenan assigned the property to George L. Hughes who paid ground rent. Hughes was listed in the 1820 census as having two male children under 10 years of age, a white female between 26-45 years old, and one free colored person in his household. He was also listed in the city directories for 1816-1833 as operating a shoe store at various addresses on Baltimore Street. In January of 1835, Hughes assigned a Deed of Trust to Robert Reid. In March of 1835, George L. Hughes died in his 56th year leaving a wife and three sons.
In June of 1835, Robert Reid assigned the property to Hannah Fearson who paid ground rent. Hannah was listed in the 1840 census along with one free white male under 5 years old, one free white female between 30-40 years old, and one free colored person. In 1791, she married Captain Jesse Fearson, who would leave her a widow in 1838. In the 1850 census, Hannah was listed as being 83 years old with assessed real estate value of $2,500, and a native of Pennsylvania. There were four people in her household: Hanna (aged 40 and born in Maryland), Jesse F. Ely (aged 14 and born in Maryland), Alfred Baughman (aged 19 and born in Germany), and Bridgett Collington (aged 14 and born in Ireland).
In 1853, Hannah assigned the property to Goldsborough L. Griffin in trust as security for her daughter Hannah Jamison, with the stipulation that the property was not to be under the control of her present husband or any husband. Two months later, Hannah Jamison and G.L. Griffin assigned the property to John Phillip Ewald who was to pay ground rent.
Three years later John B. Ray, Constable, was ordered to sell the property because of a writ of vendition expones issued by a local Magistrate as the result of a lawsuit and the property was assigned to Charles Seitz. Charles Seitz was listed as a tavernkeeper in city directories of the era. In 1860, Charles Seitz assigned the property to Albert Wentzel, subject to ground rent. Albert Wentzel was listed in the city directory in 1864 as a Coachmaker dwelling at 37 Albemarle Street.
In 1865, Wentzel assigned the property to August Fehte, and, in 1871, he again assigned the property to August and Doris Fehte because the 1865 assignment was defective. Fehte appeared in the 1868-9 city directory as a Coach Trimmer dwelling at 37 Albemarle Street. In the 1870 census, August Fehte was listed as a 39 year old white male working in a Carriage Factory. His property was valued at $3,400, and he was born in Brunswick. In his household were Doris Fehte, a 38 year old white female born in Hanover and their children born in Maryland: Minnie (14 years old), William (8 years old), Harry (4 years old), and Dora (2 years old). Also listed were William Shultz, Cigar Maker (a 27 year old white male born in Maryland), and Ricky Shultz (a 64 year old white male born in Bavaria).
In 1876, the property was sold at public auction. Archibald Stirling, Jr. was the Trustee, and, in 1877, Stirling sold it to Leopold Greenbaum. August Fehte continued to show up in the city directories as a Coach Trimmer dwelling at 37 Albemarle Street until at least 1886. He was also assessed for taxes on the property in 1876 and 1898. In the 1880 census August Fehte’s household consisted of his wife, two daughters, three sons, and a tailor and his wife. In 1900 several families were listed at 44 Albemarle Street (the newly re-numbered 37 Albemarle).
In 1904 the property changed hands again. August Fehte had passed away and Doris Fehte re-leased the leasehold property subject to ground rent to Jacob Horowitz. During the 20th century, the property had many owners. Eventually it would become the home of the Baltimore City Life Museum (BCLM) offices.
The only documented archeological work at 18BC48 occurred in 1984 and 1985. The work was undertaken in preparation for construction of new office facilities for the BCLM, restoration of a townhouse (an adjacent archeological site – see synopsis for 18BC50) for interpretive purposes, and associated landscaping. The work was mandated by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
The investigation occurred in three stages. The first stage entailed investigation of the middle and rear yard of the former 44 Albemarle Street rowhouse. Targeted specifically was the basement of the former structure with the intention of identifying activity areas and recovering data pertaining to the residential and business uses of the property over time. A 3.05 m (10 ft ) square excavation unit was located in the rear basement area. The unit was then further divided into four smaller units. The second stage of excavation entailed excavation of specific features revealed during the first stage of work. A series of three test trenches were also dug in the rear yard to locate additional features and to attempt to define soil stratigraphy. The final stage of fieldwork concentrated on the excavation of a 91.44 cm (3 ft) square which bisected the property lines of 44 and 46 Albemarle and revealed a possible privy. Excavation proceeded in arbitrary levels with all soils being screened through hardware cloth.
The excavations of 1984 and 1985 demonstrated the presence of a basement kitchen hearth, a privy, and middle through late 19th century yard surfaces. All of the features indicate 19th century residential use of the property. A total of 2,705 artifacts were recovered from the site, including 223 creamware sherds, 54 whiteware sherds, 6 yelloware sherds, 1 white salt-glazed stoneware sherd, 573 other ceramic sherds, 24 oyster shell fragments, 15 tobacco pipe stem fragments, 1 French medallion, 3 glass beads, 1 bone bead, 1 ceramic bead, 1 prehistoric flake, and 1 piece of prehistoric shatter.
No additional documentation is available from the 1984 and 1985 excavations at 18BC48. Based on the limited reporting, the site would appear to have some subsurface integrity. For a time, the rear portion of the site (at least) was preserved beneath a brick courtyard at the BCLM. In the mid 1990s much of this area was altered to construct a new exhibit center for the BCLM. No additional work appears to have been conducted at 18BC48 and the impact of the new exhibit center on the archeological deposits is unknown.
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