GIVE THE PEOPLE A PLACE TO DRINK: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY TAVERN ASSEMBLAGES IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, SITE 44FX3194

Abstract

The Old Colchester Park and Preserve (OCPP) in southern Fairfax County, Virginia, harbors a rich historical landscape shaped by the development of port towns along tributaries leading into Chesapeake Bay. This thesis delves into archaeological evidence at Site 44FX3194, remains of a stone foundation associated with a building that may have functioned as a tavern during the later eighteenth century into the early nineteenth century. The thesis compares the site assemblage with the pattern associated with other eighteenth-century tavern sites emerging in the region. Focusing on the early development of Fairfax County, specifically around Colchester (established in 1753), this thesis examines historic records detailing tavern experiences as a part of town life. This study employs cultural material analysis to understand if patterns are comparable to social and behavioral patterns identified in known tavern assemblages. Conducted within the Fairfax County Park Authority framework, this investigation contributes to park master planning, shedding light on early port town emergence in the Chesapeake Bay region.