Architectural Remains, Project 194, Structure 117, Jamestown, James City County, Virginia

Significance: The site was disturbed in the 1890s, however, evidence suggests that structure 117 was either a small house or (more probably) a storeroom for an apothecary. Artifact assemblages, including pipestems found in the cellar, allow for a construction date in the 1620s and in conjunction with Governor Sir John Harvey's domestic complex nearby, and ceramics indicate heavy use of the building in the 1630s. The building burned, probably in 1640 to 1650.

Structure 117 measured 28' x 34'5" including the leanto at one end. Eight brick piers supported a wood-frame above as well as the wood plank flooring. Charred wood and burnt nails found on-site indicate the building had a clapboard frame; flat tiles covered the roof. The large cellar was paved with bricks. There was no fireplace.

No footings for a chimney were noted in the archaeological report, however, it is possible one could have been located against the south wall. With a heat source, this structure could have functioned as a dwelling, with the brick-paved and plastered cellar serving as cooking and dairying spaces as found in other houses on Jamestown Island. Without a heat source, this building looks to be an early example of what came to be the store building's front room/back room plan.

Survey number: HABS VA-471
Building/structure dates: ca. 1620 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1640- 1650 Demolished