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 BY was placed along two visible, historic stone walls: Lot 9's 19th-century southern boundary wall and the eastern wall of the 17th-century Lovelace Tavern. Significant archaeological remains of the Tavern were discovered in the test cut, including the burned remnants of its floor. A thin, 1- by 2.5-foot extension was placed south of the southeast corner of the test cut. The extension was not given a different name and is included in the write up for Test Cut BY.
Results: An artifact-rich, late-17th- to early-18th-century tavern deposit was found across Test Cut BY and its extension from 2- to 18-inches below excavation surface. In this level, the tavern deposit was excavated from the test cut's southern extension. The slight soil color difference between this level and the other tavern deposits may be the result of mortar leaching from the eastern stone wall of the tavern and the southern stone wall of Lot 9. Footing stones from the eastern wall of Lovelace Tavern were also found in this level. The deposit contained building materials like bricks and nails, faunal remains, and items used during Tavern activities. The remains of numerous in situ, burned planks from the wooden Lovelace Tavern floor were found directly below this layer.
Lot 9, Test Cut BY, Strata VII, Level A+
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Collection method
Trowel, Screen (1/2-inch mesh). Natural Level.
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Soil description
Brown Sandy Silt with Brick, Mortar, and Charcoal
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Munsell
10YR 6/4, 5YR 5/4
