Center of Eighteenth Century Urban Life

Center of Eighteenth Century Urban Life. Fredericksburg: Timeless.. , Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly... [that] fifty acres...shall be surveyed and laid out... in lots and streets, not exceeding half an acre of ground in each lot; and also to set apart such portions of said land for a church and church yard, a market place and public key (Laws of Virginia, March, 1728). , The close proximity of commercial activity, government offices, and the community's church was very much in the Colonial tradition and is immediately evident in the view up this alley. The open market square extends to the historic market house/town hall, which is adjacent to St. George's Church. This grouping was central, both physically and functionally, to eighteenth century urban life., The first market house/town hall, however, occupied this lower end of the block, facing Caroline Street. The combined function of this building ensured that the town's commerce would be fairly conducted. The Clerk of the Market was on hand to inspect goods, protect weights and measures, collect taxes, and to see the general upkeep of the market., [Captions:] , The circled block of this 1721 town plan was a centrally located site set inside for a church (Block A) and a market (Block B)., This late eighteenth century plat shows the plan of the first market house, which stood here from around 1750 (perhaps earlier) until it was demolished in 1814., Archaeologists recovered the pieces of this ceramic roofing tile from the first market house/town hall. Fires were a constant hazard in the increasingly dense urban blocks and this material, like bricks and slate, enhanced fire protection., Archaeologists uncovered the front wall of the first market house/town hall and confirmed the open, arcaded first floor, as shown on the plat., In 1992, archaeologists from Mary Washington College (now the University of Mary Washington) excavated the alley in front of you. The front wall foundation of the first market house/town hall is visible at the bottom of the photo, next to this sidewalk.