Why Excavate at Davidsonville?
Although there are surviving
documents to tell us about
Davidsonville, the town existed for
such a short period that many parts of
the story were not written down. Day-
to-day activities were too common
to . . . — — Map (db m170943) HM
Businesses at Home
Davidsonville's shops and businesses
often shared the same building as
the family house. For example, Jacob
Garrett's public house on Lots 34-35
was part of his residence, and John
Miller ran a store out of his home . . . — — Map (db m170926) HM
Jail Construction
Trials of the accused and
incarceration of the guilty are two
functions of a county seat, so the
building of a jail was paired with
that of the courthouse. The funds to
pay for its construction also came
from the sale . . . — — Map (db m170831) HM
Legal Heart of the County
While trials of criminal cases might have
been the most exciting events that went on
at the courthouse, the day-to-day business
of municipal life was what made the county
seat important. It was here that land . . . — — Map (db m170919) HM
Courthouse Architecture
Prominently placed in the center of the
town square sat the Lawrence County
Courthouse. Although no illustration
of the courthouse has been found,
research indicates it was built on a
plan commonly used in the . . . — — Map (db m170851) HM
Beneath the Ground
Remnants of this short-lived, but ambitious, town lie buried beneath the
soil surrounding you. Excavations and archival research by the Arkansas
Archeological Survey are beginning to reveal the layout of the town, . . . — — Map (db m170947) HM
The steel beams surrounding you form a "ghost structure” to represent
the essence of the courthouse as it stood during Davidsonville's prime.
Arkansas's first courthouse took three years to complete (1819-1822).
It was the most prominent . . . — — Map (db m170920) HM
Myths
Within the short span of 15 years,
Davidsonville rose in size and
importance, and just as quickly
returned to oblivion. The quick demise
of Davidsonville led to local myths
about its fall—a yellow fever epidemic,
a mass . . . — — Map (db m170939) HM
Routes Established
The U.S. Congress established post
roads in the late 1700s, which were the
routes that carried mail throughout the
country and into the distant territories.
Having a postal stop in one's town was
very desirable, . . . — — Map (db m170935) HM
Houses
Davidsonville was laid out with 48 lots around
a public square, although only a few lots have
been examined by archeologists so far. Lots
held houses, businesses, and outbuildings,
and archeologists know of at least 10 . . . — — Map (db m170929) HM
The first post office in Arkansas
was established here on June 28, 1817,
with Adam Richie as postmaster. Old
Davidsonville was also the site of
the first court house in Arkansas,
built in 1815. The first United States
Land Office in Arkansas . . . — — Map (db m170802) HM
The steel beams you are standing under form a "ghost structure”
to provide an outline of the original home's dimensions.
Situated on the corner of the town square and next to the main road,
this house was prominent in the hustle and . . . — — Map (db m170932) HM
A Place to Gather
In 1819 Jacob Garrett purchased this
lot, built a house, and in 1821 received
a license to “keep a public house of
entertainment."
A public house, or pub, was a place
licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
In . . . — — Map (db m170835) HM
River Highway
Davidsonville was located on a wedge-
shaped piece of land formed by the
confluence of the Black, Spring, and
Eleven Point rivers, placing it in the
midst of the transportation and trade
superhighways of the era. . . . — — Map (db m170927) HM
