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. Overall, archaeologists excavated 27 test cuts inside, adjacent to, or within the walls of the tavern, representing around fifty-percent of the total area. Test Cut BO was excavated in order to test whether parts of the eastern Tavern wall were still present. Test Cut BO lines up with where the wall should be based on visible remains of the wall to the north and excavations in other test cuts. While some stones were encountered, the test cut contained limited cultural materials and soils and was finished by 9-inches below excavation surface.
Results: A thin layer that may be all that remains of the original builder's trench for the eastern wall of Lovelace Tavern was found in the west-center part of the test cut from 3- to 6-inches below excavation surface. Very few tavern stones and artifacts were recovered. Robust sections of the eastern wall of the tavern were found and followed in many other test cuts to the north and south of Test Cut BO and nearby BN. However the wall appeared much more fragmentary in this section of the project area.
Lot 9, Test Cut BO, Strata III, Level A
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Collection method
Trowel, Screen (1/2-inch mesh). Natural Level.
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Soil description
Tan and Yellow Silt
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Munsell
10YR 5/4 - 10YR 5/6
