Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Pre-Byrd Period

Only one feature predating William Byrd III's occupation was uncovered during excavations. This was feature 05BB-252 (cut 05BB-253), an irregular shaped dark organic stain located in the south wall excavation unit. The stain measured 34 x 19 x 21 cm. It was not excavated, but could be seen in the profile of an excavated modern pipe trench (Figure 2). The feature fill was light brownish grey (Munsell color 2.5Y6/2), friable sandy loam with heavy charcoal inclusions. Since the feature was not excavated, no artifacts were recovered which could be used to establish its date. However, in profile it was clear that feature 05BB-252 was cut by the original builder's trench (master context M3), placing its date of deposition sometime prior to the construction of the house in 1770.

Figure 2. Organic stain seen in the profile of an excavated modern pipe trench.

The buried "A" horizon layer (05BB-008) also predated Byrd's occupancy of the townhouse. It would have been in existence as topsoil when Allen began construction of the house. The builder's trench and scaffolding features cut the buried "A" horizon, indicating that they were already present when construction began. The layer was black (2.5Y2.5/1) friable silt loam, almost blue black in color in some places, and a lighter blue grey in others. It was not excavated, but small amounts of brick, mortar, and shell could be seen sporadically deposited in the layer.

William Byrd III Period

As previously stated, layers and/or features relating to William Byrd III's occupancy of the townhouse were found on all sides of the house. Features which related to the construction of house were treated as part of the Byrd period. The first area of excavation, a 6 x 2 meters trench along the west wall of the house, yielded the least eighteenth-century information. This was mainly due to disturbances by modern intrusions. The majority of these disturbances were utility trenches containing high-powered electrical lines which severely limited the excavation of this unit.

After removing several centimeters of recent landscaping fill, a 1940s waterproofing trench was revealed. While the remainder of the west excavation trench was left relatively intact to avoid contact with electrical lines, the waterproofing trench was excavated in hopes of revealing the original builder's trench. The waterproofing trench consisted of a dense olive yellow clay fill (2.5Y6/6) which was removed with picks and shovels. The trench varied in depth from 42 to 47 cm and came down on both subsoil and a builder's trench (master context M3). The builder's trench dates to the original construction of the house by William Allen. Although the builder's trench was not excavated along the west wall, excavations along the north wall, which will be discussed later, turned up artifacts confirming this as the original builder's trench.

Fortunately, though the other excavation units also contained modern utility trenches, they were not disturbed to the same degree as the west trench and revealed a series of layers and features relating to William Byrd III. Although the eighteenth-century layers surrounding the house may have corresponded in date, they were not from one continuous deposition.

After the removal of several centimeters of landscaping fill and the waterproofing trench, intact layers relating to Byrd's occupancy were revealed along the north wall of the house. The first of these layers, master context M5, sealed a layer with a TPQ of 1775. Master context M5 contained white salt-glazed stoneware, Fulham, Chinese porcelain, tobacco pipes, wine bottle and window glass, delftware, wrought nail fragments, and over 40 animal bones. Layer M5 was a brown (10YR5/3) sandy loam with brick chip and chunk inclusions, along with oyster shell and coal. Layer M5 sealed the first of the features attributable to William Byrd III, the remnants of eighteenth-century brick paving, possibly a walkway (master context M6), which ran intermittently along the north wall of the house (Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 3. Remnants of eighteenth-century brick paving.

The remains of the brick walk were scattered over a 6 x 2 meter area in the northeast trench, but were confined to 40 x 25 cm along the eastern edge of the northwest trench. The paving was also present, though fragmented, along the eastern edge of the excavation trench beneath the porch. The brick paving as a whole was severely degenerated, appearing clearly as bricks in course for only two meters, just east of the porch. On its eastern and western ends the paving degenerated into crushed brick and brick bats.

Figure 4. Remnants of eighteenth-century brick paving.

It became clear as the paving was excavated that the bricks in course and the crushed brick were part of the same feature. A thin clay pad (master context M10) about 4 cm thick, which lay under the bricks in course in order to provide support for the paving, extended under the crushed brick both to the west of and underneath the porch. It consisted of olive yellow (2.5Y6/6) sticky clay and contained colonoware, polychrome porcelain, three tobacco pipes, wine bottle fragments, a wrought nail, and a flake from a worked piece of quartzite. Although the clay pad was not visible under the crushed brick on the eastern end of the excavation unit this brick too was clearly a part of feature M6, as it was the same distance from the house as, and in line with, the other sections of paving. The exact nature of the paving is less clear. It appears to be a walkway, though whether its purpose was practical or ornamental is not 9 known. Upon peeling away modern and nineteenth-century layers, no brick paving similar to that along the north wall of the house was revealed on either the east or south sides of the house. The west trench was not sufficiently excavated to determine if the paving existed along the west wall of the house.

The walkway was cut into an eighteenth-century layer (master context M7), an olive brown loam (2.5Y5/3) dating to the second half of the eighteenth century. Only a small portion of layer M7 remained to the west of the porch along the northern wall of the trench. None remained beneath the porch, but the layer was more substantial to the east of the porch. This layer contained eighteenth-century artifacts, including delftware, coarse earthenware, several tobacco pipes with bore-holes of 5/64 and 6/64 inches, Chinese porcelain, window and bottle glass, an inkwell, and a copper key escutcheon. The inkwell established a TPQ of 1775 for the layer.

As with the north face units, the eighteenth-century layers associated with the east wall were buried under several centimeters of modern fill. Like the north and west walls, the 1940s waterproofing trench was removed along with the modern layers. The first of the eighteenth century layers was a partially remaining ashy loam spread over the entire 7 x 2 meter unit. This layer (05BB-199) was made up of yellowish brown (10YR5/4) friable sandy loam and had ash throughout and lime inclusions at the northern end of the excavation trench. It contained a concentration of animal bone along with delftware, creamware, and a considerable number of nails. The TPQ for this layer of 1762, established by the creamware, places its deposition during William Byrd III's occupancy of the house. Because of its ash content, it was likely related to the layer below it (05BB-200), which was made up almost entirely of ash.

Layer 05BB-200, an ash layer, along with its corresponding ash feature, had been heavily disturbed by a rodent burrow. Layer 05BB-200 was contaminated, but can be dated to the Byrd period using stratigraphic reference and the TPQs of its surrounding layers and features. Dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) in color, it consisted of a fine layer of ash 5 cm thick and 4 x 2 meters in size (Figure 5). The layer was confined to the southern four meters of the east wall excavation trench. It consisted of very heavy charcoal inclusions, along with animal bone, shell, marl, mortar, and brick.

Cut into layer 05BB-200 and sealed by layer 05BB-199 was a 136 x 79 cm pit filled with ash, a silty sand, and charcoal, along with lots of brick and mortar and some bone and marl inclusions (Figure 6). The pit measured 42 cm deep and contained a few artifacts, including mirror plate glass and dipped white salt glaze stoneware. None of the artifacts appeared to have been burned. The ash was light grey (2.5Y7/2) in color and silty in texture.

It is likely that layers 05BB-199 and 05BB-200 were deposited at close intervals and, along with the corresponding ash pit, were related to some type of structural fire. It is clear from historical documents that the Byrd house itself never burned in its entirety. It is possible, however, that a storage shed or small outbuilding of some kind burned, or that the ashes from a fire within the house were buried in an ash pit just outside. Layer 05BB-200 may constitute residue from the fire or 10 spillover from the ash pit itself. Perhaps further archaeological investigations of Block 5 would uncover more information about the event or events that lead to this deposition of ash.

The unit along the south wall differed from the others in that it was covered by a dense layer of clay fill, 50 to 70 cm deep. The fill was removed with picks and shovels in order to reveal the earlier layers. There was no 1940s waterproofing trench along this section of the south wall as during the 1940s it was contained within a Victorian-era addition to the house.

Figure 5. Layer 05BB-200, ash layer.

Unfortunately no layers that could be dated to Byrd's occupancy remained in the south trench. The earliest layer, context 05BB-244, dates at the earliest to the Samuel Griffin period. However, there were two features, a marl spread and the builder's trench, which relate to the William Byrd III era.

The first of these features, context 05BB-251, a marl spread which partially covered the Byrd house builder's trench, was located just south of the rear wall of the house. The spread was thin and patchy, about 5 cm deep. It could perhaps have been the remainder of a marl path, but unfortunately not enough marl remained to draw any definite conclusions. The builder's trench will be discussed in a later section.

Figure 6. Profile of ash feature.

After the removal of all Byrd era layers and their related features, a thin layer of buried topsoil, or buried "A" horizon, was exposed. This layer (context M8) existed sporadically in all five excavation trenches but had been largely cut away by both modern and eighteenth-century features. Layer M8 represents what would have been the ground surface during Byrd's occupation of the townhouse. A significant number of the features relating to Byrd's occupation were cut into this buried topsoil layer.

The most significant of these features was the builder's trench (master context M3) from the original construction of the house. This builder's trench was visible on all four sides of the house, buried beneath the 1940s waterproofing trench. The builder's trench varied in width from 20 to 50 cm and consisted largely of olive yellow (2.5Y6/6) clay fill.

Figure 7. Builder's trench excavated along the north wall of the house.

A small section of the trench, which varied in width from 20 to 50 cm, was excavated along the north wall of the house in the northeast excavation trench (Figure 7). This excavation turned up mostly animal bone and architectural debris, which can not be used for dating. In addition the trench contained delftware, bottle glass, and two pipestems. Although the trench itself turned up no artifacts to aid in dating, layer M7, which was discussed earlier and seals the builder's trench along the north wall, contained an inkwell first manufactured in the mid 1770s. Therefore the builder's trench fill was likely deposited sometime prior to or during the early 1770s, confirming the Virginia Gazette's 1770 construction date.

In addition to the builder's trench, a series of related Byrd-era postholes were visible cutting the buried "A" horizon in the north, east, and possibly the south excavation trenches. The area where the postholes would have been visible in the west trench was not excavated because of electric utility lines. Each of the postholes was rectangular running east-west, and had large brick chunks, and in some cases nearly complete bricks protruding from the posthole and concentrated in the postmold (Figures 8 and 9). When excavated, each of these postholes sloped at an approximately 45º angle from east to west and had postmolds which extended out of the hole itself and into subsoil.

The postholes were varying distances from the house and placed at irregular intervals, indicating that they did not represent a fence line or structure. It is possible Figure 8. Profile of Byrd-era posthole 05BB-179. 12 that additional postholes relating to this series exist under utility line balks and other unexcavated areas. As the holes were not visible until all other layers were removed and buried "A" horizon was revealed, it is likely that they are the remains of scaffolding used during the construction of the house. The fill was consistent in each of the holes.

Posthole 05BB-179 (mold 05BB-178, cut 05BB-180) was located 28 cm in from the northwest corner of the house and was 1.18 meters from the north wall of the house. The fill consisted of yellowish brown (2.5Y5/4) medium sandy clay loam. It was 32 cm deep including the postmold, 44 cm long and 22 cm wide, and contained several large brick chunks. The mold was made up of brown (10YR5/3) sandy loam and contained one piece of window glass, a bone, and a wrought nail fragment.

Posthole 05BB-143 (cut 05BB-144, mold 05BB-169) was up against the western edge of the northeast excavation unit and was partially covered by the unexcavated area. It was located 89 cm from the north wall of the house. Like posthole 05BB-179, it had several large brick bats and one nearly intact brick which was located in the postmold. One small piece of window glass was recovered from the posthole itself. Like 05BB-189, it sloped rather severely from east to west, and the postmold extended below the posthole into subsoil. It was 27 cm deep including the postmold, with the portion exposed measuring 17 cm long and 13 cm wide.

Figure 9. Plan of Byrd-era posthole.

Posthole 05BB-129 was located at the other end of the northeast trench from 05BB-143. It was 74 cm from the north wall of the house. No mold was distinguishable, but there was a heavy concentration of brick in the southwest corner. The hole was 44 x 23 x 26 cm.The cut (05BB-130) sloped from east to west in the same fashion as the two previously mentioned postholes. The fill contained two pieces of colorless, air twist stemmed glass, which established a TPQ of 1725, and three window glass fragments.

Posthole 05BB-224 (cut 05BB-225) was located in the east wall excavation trench 62 cm from the east wall of the house. The west side was completely removed by a rodent burrow, leaving an 18x12 cm section remaining. As there was no postmold visible, it is likely that the mold was removed by the rodent burrow since in the previous postholes the mold was located in the western half of 13 the hole. The profile shape could not be determined because of the rodent disturbance. The hole reached a depth of 20 to 25 cm and contained more artifacts and inclusions than any of the previously related holes. The fill included bone, charcoal, brick, mortar, shell, and marl along with a small number of other non-diagnostic artifacts.

In addition to these rectangular postholes, there was a set of two square postholes in the northeast excavation trench that appeared to be related to one another. These were posthole 05BB-123 (cut 05BB-124) and posthole 05BB-139 (cut 05BB-140). Posthole 05BB-123 was located at the northern edge of the trench and was 21x15x6 cm. The fill was olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sticky clay loam. There were no inclusions, but one creamware fragment was recovered, establishing a TPQ of 1762. There was no apparent postmold prior to excavation, but one was visible in the profile (mold 05BB-168). Posthole 05BB-139, located 3.66 meters east of posthole 05BB-123, was a looser 2.5Y5/3 clay loam. This feature was partially cut by a utility trench and was therefore not excavated. As a result, no artifacts or inclusions were recovered. The precise nature of these postholes is unclear, though it is likely that they were additional scaffolding features related to the construction of the house.

In addition to these related postholes, there were a series of unrelated features and postholes along the north, east, and south walls which dated to Byrd's occupation. The postholes varied in size, shape, and content and appear to have no relationship to one another. It is extremely doubtful that these postholes existed with no corresponding postholes and is much more likely that the postholes that correspond with those uncovered during excavations lie somewhere outside the excavation area. Further excavations may reveal more about the nature of these postholes and features and their relationships to one another. The following comprises a list of Byrd-era postholes and features which could not be placed in context.

• Posthole 05BB-125 (cut 05BB-126) was a square posthole located in the northeast excavation trench at the bottom of modern posthole 05BB-103. It measured 27 x 26 x 6 cm and contained brick, shell, and wine bottle glass fragments. Fill was olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sticky clay loam.
• Posthole 05BB-127 (cut 05BB-128) was a rectangular posthole in east half of northeast trench, measuring 61x39 cm. Fill was olive brown (2.5Y4/3) friable sandy loam. The posthole was left unexcavated.
• Posthole 05BB-153 (mold 05BB-152, cut 05BB-154) was located in the northwest excavation trench. It measured 39 x 17 x 36 cm and contained one bone fragment. Postmold fill was light olive brown (2.5Y5/6) sticky sandy clay loam. The mold contained leaded table glass, window and wine bottle glass, shell plaster, one wrought nail fragment, brick, and mortar. Posthole fill was a brown sandy loam (10YR5/3) and contained one bone fragment. Both mold and hole were partially cut away by a modern pipe trench.
• Feature 05BB-157 (cut 05BB-158), located in the northwest trench, was a large rectangular feature nearly completely filled with brick-bats. 14 The feature was 104 x 66 x 37 cm. The fill was a light olive brown (2.5Y5/6) sticky clay with brick and mortar inclusions. No artifacts were recovered.
• Four postholes, 05BB-170 (cut 05BB-171), 05BB-172 (cut 05BB-173), and 05BB-174 (cut 05BB-175), were located at the base of feature 05BB-103, a nineteenth-century posthole (Figure 10). Circular posthole 05BB-170 was 15 x 12 x 17 cm with a V-shaped base. It contained a dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2) friable sandy loam, and had a few brick inclusions and one wrought nail fragment. Posthole 05BB-172 was 15 x 9 x 25 cm, of an irregular shape with olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sandy loam fill, no finds, and charcoal and brick inclusions. Circular posthole 05BB-174 was 10 x9.5 x4 cm. It contained fill very similar to that of 05BB-170, consisting of dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2) friable sandy loam, with glass, bone and brick inclusions. Square posthole 00125 was 28 x 25cm and contained olive brown fill (2.5Y4/3) and no finds.
• Rectangular posthole 05BB-182 (mold 05BB-181, cut 05BB-183) was located in the northwest trench. The postmold fill consisted of olive brown (2.5Y4/3) medium sand and contained only brick chips. The fill from the hole itself was a light olive brown (2.5Y5/6) sandy clay loam and contained brick inclusions and one wrought nail fragment. Posthole 05BB-182 measured 42 x 30 x 41 cm.
• Rectangular posthole 05BB-188 (mold 05BB-187, cut 05BB-189) was also located in the northwest excavation trench. The mold fill was brown (10YR4/3) friable sandy loam which degenerated into a root hole. The posthole fill had been cut away by a modern intrusion at the top. The remaining fill consisted of brown (10YR4/3) sandy loam with no inclusions or finds. It measured 27 x 25 x9 cm.
• Circular posthole 05BB-191 (mold 05BB-190, cut 05BB-192) measured 22 x 20 x 11 cm and was uncovered in the northwest excavation Figure 10. Four postholes at base of 05BB-103. 15 trench. The mold, which protruded below the base of the posthole, was filled with brown (10YR5/3) friable sandy loam and contained brick chips but no artifacts. The posthole fill consisted of light yellowish brown (2.5Y6/4) sandy loam and contained a pharmaceutical bottle fragment.
• Square posthole 05BB-194 (mold 05BB-193, cut 05BB-195), again located in the northwest excavation trench, measured 33 x 30 x 27 cm. The mold fill consisted of olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sandy loam and contained no finds. The posthole fill was an olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sandy clay loam and contained both brick bats and chips along with a tobacco pipe and a wrought nail fragment.
• Posthole 05BB-197 (mold 05BB-196, cut 05BB-198) partially disappeared under the eastern edge of the northwest excavation unit. The mold fill was made up of yellowish brown (2.5Y6/4) medium sandy loam and included bone and brick chips along with wine and window glass fragments, and one wrought nail fragment. The posthole fill was a yellowish brown (2.5Y6/4) medium loamy sand and included bone, brick, table, bottle, and window glass fragments, animal bone, a wrought nail and a single piece of creamware (TPQ 1762). The posthole measured 57 x 54 x 56 cm.
• Posthole 05BB-202 (mold 05BB-201, cut 05BB-203), located in the northwest excavation unit, was partially cut away by a modern utility trench. What was left measured 29 x 21 x 30 cm. The mold fill contained brown (2.5Y5/3) friable sandy loam and had no artifacts or inclusions. The posthole fill consisted of yellowish brown (2.5Y5/6) sandy clay. No artifacts were recovered, though the fill did contain brick bats.
• Posthole 05BB-205 (mold 05BB-204, cut 05BB-206) was sealed by layer M5 in the northwest excavation trench.Partially disturbed on the western half, the remaining posthole was rectangular in shape and measured 28 x 22 cm. This posthole was left unexcavated due to time constraints. However, as a Byrd-era layer sealed it, it dated to either Byrd's occupation or the original construction of the house.
• Posthole 05BB-208 (mold 05BB-207, cut 05BB-209), a large square posthole on the western edge of the northwest excavation trench, measured 49 x 47 x 38 cm. The mold fill was yellowish brown (2.5Y5/4) medium loamy sand with bone, charcoal, mortar, and brick inclusions. The posthole fill consisted of light olive brown (2.5Y5/6) medium sandy clay and contained brick, mortar, and stone architectural debris. This architectural debris, a large chunk of marble-like stone, was possibly part of a fireplace mantle or the original steps leading up to the William Byrd III house.
• Rectangular posthole 05BB-211 (molds 05BB-210 and 05BB-238, cut 05BB-212) measured 68 x 51 x 39 cm and was located on the eastern end of the northwest trench. This posthole was an oddity for this excavation in that it contained two postmolds, approximately 15 cm apart. It is likely that one mold was a replacement for the other. The fill for postmold 16 05BB-210 was olive brown (2.5Y4/4) medium sandy loam and included brick chips and a piece of large shell concretion. Fill for postmold 05BB-238 was light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) medium sandy loam with brick chips. The posthole fill itself was made up of olive yellow (2.5Y6/6) clay loam. The fill included bone, brick chunks, a considerable number of wrought nails and window glass fragments, and lead shot.
• In the northern portion of the eastern excavation trench an irregular brick and marl feature was uncovered. This feature, 05BB-226 (cut 05BB-227), was 50 x 50 cm and consisted of olive brown (2.5Y5/3) silt loam. It remained unexcavated due to time constraints.
• Feature 05BB-228 (cut 05BB-229), a small circular feature, was again located in the northern portion of the eastern excavation trench. It was 24 x 19 cm with visible brick chips and chunks, and was not excavated due to time constraints.
• A third feature in the eastern trench, this one located in the southern portion, was posthole 05BB-234 (cut 05BB-235). This posthole measured 48 x 11 x 20 cm and was irregular in shape. The fill was yellowish brown (10YR5/4) silt loam and contained brick and mortar inclusions. No artifacts were recovered.

Post-Byrd Period

Although many of the post-Byrd-era layers and features had been cut away by modern trenches and landscaping fill, there was still some evidence left by those who occupied the house after Byrd's death in 1777 and prior to Colonial Williamsburg's acquisition of the property. Several nineteenth-century layers remained partially intact around the entire building. The only twentieth-century layers were related to modern landscaping.

Only one intact nineteenth-century layer remained along the north face of the house. This layer (master context M4) appeared in both the northwest and northeast excavation trenches, although only fragments remained in the northwest trench. The layer consisted of brown (10YR5/3) friable sandy loam and had brick chips scattered throughout. Twelve centimeters of M4 remained in the northeast trench, only nine remained in the NW trench. Some finds included; delftware, annularware, pearlware, Chinese porcelain, several tobacco pipes, a marble, over forty pieces of window glass, animal bone, wrought nail fragments, and whiteware, which established a TPQ of 1820 for this context.

One late eighteenth/early nineteenth-century layer existed in the northern excavation units. This was layer M5, which sealed the previously discussed brick paving (master context M6). It was light olive brown (2.5Y5/3) friable sandy loam and included bone, charcoal, coal, brick, mortar, shell, and marl. The artifacts recovered dated it to the eighteenth century and included delftware, Fulham, white salt glazed stoneware, polychrome porcelain, several wrought nails, tobacco pipe stem fragments, and bone, to name a few. Although the white salt-glazed stoneware gives the layer a TPQ of 1720, it must have been deposited a substantial time later, as the layer below it (master context M7) had a TPQ of around 17 1775. The layer was present in both northern excavation trenches. However, though it covered nearly all of the northeast trench, there were only two small fragments remaining in the northwest trench.

As with the two north trenches, only one nineteenth-century layer remained in the east wall trench. This layer (05BB-167) was a light olive brown (2.5Y5/3) sandy loam located just below modern landscaping fill. It was 10 cm thick and had heavy brick, shell, and mortar inclusions. Some finds included; annular pearlware, a porcellaneous button, creamware, white salt-glazed stoneware, Fulham, a Civil War era button with a "C" on the crest of an eagle, and one piece of manganese solarized table glass which established a TPQ of 1880 for the layer.

Three intact nineteenth-century layers existed in the south wall excavation trench. The first of these layers (05BB-241) was dark greyish brown (10YR4/2) friable sandy loam. It included animal bone, coal, charcoal, brick, mortar, shell, and marl. A fair portion of the brick and shell, along with some iron, appeared to have been burned. However, there was nothing else in the layer to indicate a fire. These burned objects probably originated somewhere else and ended up behind the Byrd House sometime during the deposition of this layer. The layer was only 4 cm thick and covered the entire unit.

Layer 05BB-241 sealed the second intact layer behind the house, layer 05BB-242. Layer 05BB-242 consisted of olive brown (2.5Y4/3) friable sandy loam. It measured only 5 cm in depth and included animal bone, charcoal, brick, shell, marl, and mortar. Artifacts recovered included blue and purple transfer print whiteware, dating it definitively to no earlier than the mid-nineteenth century.

Layer 05BB-242 in turn sealed an early nineteenth-century layer most likely relating the Griffin occupation of the house, layer 05BB-244. This layer was olive brown (2.5Y4/3) sandy loam with brick and ash inclusions, along with wrought nails and animal bone.

There were also several features around the house dating to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first of the intact twentieth-century features was brick rubble feature 05BB-216 (cut 05BB-217) located in the east wall excavation trench. An ovate feature measuring 130 x 78 cm, it consisted of light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) sandy loam fill with heavy brick rubble inclusions. Determined to be modern, it was excavated with the modern landscaping fill. No artifacts were recovered.

A second twentieth-century feature, brick rubble feature 05BB-218 (cut 05BB-219), was uncovered in the east wall trench. Similar to feature 05BB-216 in shape, it measured 82 x 56 cm. Its fill consisted of light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) friable sandy loam and, like feature 05BB-216, had heavy brick rubble inclusions. Again, no artifacts were recovered.

Two nineteenth-century features sealed by layer M4 and cutting layer M5 existed in the northeast excavation trench. The first of these features, circular posthole 05BB-103, was 48 x 38 x 23 cm and consisted of olive yellow (2.5Y6/6) sticky sandy clay loam. The fill included charcoal, brick, mortar, and shell, along with delftware, aqua bottle glass, and animal bone. No postmold was visible but the feature did appear to be a posthole of some kind. Once fully excavated, 18 however, several earlier postholes were revealed (see above). The second feature sealed by M4 was irregular shaped feature 05BB-105. The fill was olive yellow (2.5Y6/6) sticky sandy clay loam and included only brick. The feature was faint and irregular in shape, measuring 25 x 17 x 10 cm. The fill included charcoal, brick, mortar, and shell. There were no artifacts recovered.

An additional feature, dating to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, was located under the present porch. An earlier incarnation of the porch still stands beneath and supports the present porch (Figure 11). The mortar was mostly degenerated, though a thin layer of degraded shell mortar exists below the visible foundation. Because the brick walkway extends under this foundation, it is not possible that this version of the porch was in existence during the occupation of William Byrd III. It is more likely that the foundation was built during the occupation of Samuel Griffin, after he had completed repairs on the house.

Figure 11. Late eighteenth or early nineteenth-century porch.

In addition to this earlier porch, there were a series of destruction related features and layers below the porch, most likely related to repairs done by Samuel Griffin. No definitive date could be established for these layers and features, and they can only be excluded from the occupation of William Byrd III. These included features 05BB-269, 05BB-278, and 05BB-286. Each of these features was large and ovate and contained heavy brick and shell mortar rubble. Very little soil was contained within the features. It is probable that these features were deposited in rapid succession and are related to the destruction of an earlier porch (perhaps the Byrd porch).

Excavations of the east trench revealed only one nineteenth-century feature. It was a shallow brick feature measuring 51 x 46 x 6 cm and consisting of brown (10YR5/3) friable sandy loam. The fill included bone, coal, brick, mortar, shell, and marl. It did not appear to be a posthole and was listed as unidentified fill.

The excavation revealed three additional nineteenth-century features, these located in the south trench. The first of these features, context 05BB-259, was a remnant of the Victorian era addition to the house. It measured 200 x 45 cm running north-south and remained in excellent shape. It was held together with sand mortar. The foundation was not removed.

A second brick foundation (05BB-143) measuring 150 x 48 cm was located 70 cm from the south wall of the house. Only one course of brick remained. A 20 x 20 cm fragment of what may have been part of this same foundation existed along the west wall of the south excavation unit (Figure 12). This foundation was in excellent shape, unlike the brick paving on the northern face of the house. Of what exactly this foundation was a part is unclear. No builder's trench existed to 19 Figure 12. Brick foundation. give a precise date, but since cut a nineteenth-century layer (05BB-244) and was sealed by a nineteenth-century layer (05BB-242) it must also have been constructed during the nineteenth century.

Feature 05BB-254, a probable posthole, was located 120 cm from the south wall of the house. It had heavy charcoal and brick inclusions, and was a dark greyish brown (10YR5/2) sandy loam. It measured 31 x 16 x 29 cm. The only artifacts recovered were two fragments of Liverpool delftware most likely dating to the mid-eighteenth century (William Pittman, personal communication). However, as the feature was cut into a nineteenth century layer (05BB-244), it must be considered a nineteenth-century feature.