Excavations at Anderson's Blacksmith Shop and Public Armoury
In 1776 James Anderson secured the contract as Virginia’s Public Armourer, sparking the transformation of his modest blacksmithing business into a booming industrial operation. Over the next 4 years Anderson's 2 forges would become 7, and his workforce would grow from 6 men to 40 with the addition of gunsmiths, gunstockers, tinsmiths, nail-makers, and blacksmiths. These men were Americans of European and African descent, Scottish, and French, imprisoned, enslaved, apprenticed, and free. Together they undertook the challenge of maintaining arms for Virginia's soldiers, and supplying iron, steel and tin work for the war effort.
In 1780 Virginia’s capital was moved to Richmond and the Public Armoury went with it. Though Anderson would return to Williamsburg and to the anvil after the War, all evidence for his important industrial operation vanished by the mid 19th century.
Since the 1930s, 8 archaeological excavations have contributed details about the property's 18th century appearance and the variety of work accomplished here. In 1931 excavators began trenching the Anderson property, finding brick foundation walls, forge bases, and the partial remains of a kitchen. Their rudimentary excavation techniques, however, left many questions unanswered.
The Anderson kitchen chimney base and drain,
uncovered in 1931.
In 1975 a full scale and carefully recorded archaeological project provided many of those answers. In the years to follow, Anderson's blacksmith shop would be rebuilt based on archaeological and historical evidence. The reconstructed shop, completed in the early 1980s, has been a popular Historic Area site and a heavily used building for more than 25 years.
Recently discovered documentary evidence and a desire to show Anderson's shop at its height of production have inspired a new reconstruction that is currently underway. In March of 2012 two major buildings in the complex: the main Armoury building (or blacksmith shop) and a kitchen, opened to the public. Before the end of 2013 the Historic Trades carpenters will add a tin shop, a workshop, two storage buildings and a privy. All of these are based on archaeological evidence.
Excavation of the ravine west of the Armoury.
In addition to buildings, archaeologists have found other elements of Anderson’s landscape including fencelines and a ravine. From the ravine (excavated in 2011) came clinker, gunflints, gun parts, scraps of tinned iron, crucible fragments, food bone from the Anderson kitchen, and other artifacts providing evidence of the work done at the Armoury and of the lives led by Armoury workers.
One of the more unexpected discoveries of the 2011 season was evidence of the Armoury’s tin shop. Located on an adjacent property, the small building (likely a former tenement) was incorporated into the Armoury around 1778 to provide a space for tin production. Camp kettles, coffeepots, sauce pans, cartridge boxes, plates, tankards, speaking trumpets, and other lightweight, durable items were manufactured here for use by the militia.
In June of 2012, archaeologists will return to the south end of the Armoury yard. Excavation is expected to last through early August. For up to date discussion of what is happening with the Armoury reconstruction, please follow the Armoury Blog: http://research.history.org/armoury/
Reconstructed Armoury Building and Kitchen Spring 2012.
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