Hawkins-Davison Houses, Frederica, St. Simons Island, GeorgiaCate, Margaret Davis
History
Hawkins-Davison Houses, Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia
Cate, Margaret Davis
Dwellings -- Georgia -- Saint Simons Island; Fort Frederica National Monument (Ga.); Saint Simons Island (Ga. : Island) -- History
Glass formed an important part of the collections and consisted of
several kinds. The most common was a squat round bottle of a light
chartreuse color which appears black by reflected light. A few square
bottles of the “Case Bottle” type are represented, but most were of the
round type. Smaller bottles were usually in a clear or faintly bluish
glass. The numbers found around Dr. Hawkins house suggest that they were
medicine containers. Two types of glasses were present: tumblers and
stemmed goblets. The tumblers were rare and the prevalent type of
drinking glass was the stemmed goblet. Many of the stems had enclosed
tear drops and some had engraved designs around the rims.
In the wells organic materials were preserved below waterline. Barrel
staves and other wooden objects were quite common. Peach pits, squash,
and gourd seeds indicate some of the agricultural products. The second
Hawkins well, sealed in 1740 by the back addition to the house,
contained a number of peach pits. It seems doubtful that trees would
have grown to bearing size in the four years since the founding of the
town and one wonders if these pits may not be derived from Spanish trees
found growing on the island.
It is difficult to summarize the results of these excavations in that
the material found is really simply a demonstration of the facts learned
from the documentary research already so ably conducted by Mrs. Margaret
Davis Cate. However, we can point out that the Hawkins-Davison house
proved to be exactly where the documents said it would be. All the
additions and dimensions given in the colonial sources were demonstrated
to correspond closely to those given. The location of the streets and
their size agree closely with that given on early maps and the location
of the town grid of Frederica now can be presumed to be firmly
established. Of course, any excavation only whets the appetite for more
and we hope to uncover more of the old Town of Frederica. In the
artifacts we find a reflection of the life of the times. Each
householder had in his home certain items of military equipment and was
prepared to stand to the defense of his town and colony should the
occasion arise. The houses, of some at least, were well built of brick
and tabby, well glazed and sturdy if not commodious. Household
appointments were as good as England, with her world trade, could
provide at the time. The sturdy houses, lead glass goblets, and Japanese
porcelain show that the colonists introduced into the new colony a
gracious way of life such as was enjoyed in a highly prosperous England.
FOOTNOTES
[1]Well-known historian of Coastal Georgia and Historical Collaborator
of the National Park Service for the Fort Frederica Project.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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