Excavations at the State House Inn Site, 18AP42, 15 State Circle, Annapolis, Maryland

Abstract

During the spring of 1985, archaeological excavations were conducted at the State House Inn, 18AP42, 15 State Circle, Annapolis, Maryland. Work was conducted by "Archaeology in Annapolis," a cooperative project between Historic Annapolis, Inc. and the University of Maryland, College Park. This site is located within zone seven of the Maryland Archaeological Research Units (Figures 1, 2 & 3). A two-week program of testing in March, 1985 was carried out in the yard on State Circle. On the basis of positive results from this testing, six more weeks of excavations were carried out. This report summarizes the results of both phases of the excavations. Excavations were directed by Joseph W. Hopkins III, with the assistance of Donald Creveling and Paul Shackel. These excavations were part of a larger investigation of the Baroque town plan of Annapolis, laid out by Governor Francis Nicholson in 1695. This plan served as a framework around which the town grew over the next three centuries. Available historic records do not adequately document the development of the plan to its present form. The excavation program was a first step in a program to recover information about the gradual change of the city plan.