Introduction: Lots 8, 9, and 15 are modern designations for adjacent parcels of land that were owned together and used as a single property until the early 1830's. Excavations produced important discoveries like that of the Colonial-era Lovelace Tavern, proving that significant archaeological resources could still exist in urban spaces. Project archaeologists were able to lobby for increased time and funds to continue their work on the strength of these finds, leading to additional discoveries. In all, the project provided considerable information about the history of New York City and its inhabitants from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
The tavern was constructed by the second English Governor of New York, Francis Lovelace, around 1670. Taverns were important spaces for colonial communities, serving as centralized meeting places that fulfilled important social, recreational, political, and economic functions. Lovelace Tavern became New York's temporary City Hall starting in the late-17th century after the Stadt Huys fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1706.
Rationale: Remains of the Lovelace Tavern were first encountered during the excavation of Test Cut AQ. Test Cut BL was a 6- by 9-foot excavation unit placed south of Test Cuts AQ, AQ2, and AQ4. Test Cut AQ1 comprises the northeast corner of the test cut. The unit was placed in this location to see if Lovelace Tavern deposits continued southward. Features encountered during excavation inlude a 19th-century brownstone and brick floor, a 19th-century cobble storage pit and frame, and remnants of the original tavern floor. However, the storage pit destroyed the majority of the intact Lovelace deposits in the test cut. Overall, archaeologists excavated 27 test cuts inside, adjacent to, or within the walls of the tavern, representing around fifty-percent of the total area.
Results: Archaeologists found a wooden frame for the 19th-century cobble storage pit at 44-inches below excavation surface in Test Cut BL. The storage pit was 42-inches thick and covered the majority of the test cut. The wooden frame included both north-south and east-west running planks and logs and extended to between 54- and 63-inches deep, depending on location. The planks in the frame were surrounded by cinder-rich fill and disturbed soils, possibly from earlier deposits. Subsoil was found beneath the frame.
Lot 8, Test Cut BL, Stratum XXX, Level A
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Collection method
Trowel, Wetscreen (1/2-inch mesh). Natural Level.
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Soil description
Wooden Beams, Fill, and Disturbed Soils
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Munsell
10YR 6/2, 5YR 5/6
