Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 249: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 52-54 on ArcheologyWatkins, C. Malcolm
Philosophy
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 249: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 52-54 on Archeology
Watkins, C. Malcolm
Archaeology; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Virginia -- Gloucester County; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Virginia -- James City County; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Virginia -- Yorktown; Gloucester County (Va.) -- Antiquities; James City County (Va.) -- Antiquities; Yorktown (Va.) -- Antiquities
Unfortunately, there seems little likelihood of obtaining any
additional information regarding either the site of, or the appearance
of Robert Porteus' house. The glebe house does not survive, having
been abandoned in 1746,[10] and the only other potential source of
information has seemingly been lost. The Reverend Robert Hodgson in his
_The Life of the Right Reverend Beilby Porteus_[11] stated that the
bishop possessed "... a singular picture which, though not in the best
style of coloring, was yet thought valuable by Sir Joshua Reynolds, as
a specimen of the extent which the art of painting had reached at that
time in America: and he himself very highly prized it, as exhibiting a
faithful and interesting representation of his father's residence."
This last statement is assumed to be hearsay as Beilby Porteus was born
in England in 1731 and did not, as far as we know, ever visit Virginia.
Attempts to find the picture have met with no success[12] and in all
probability it has long since been destroyed or at best, robbed of its
identity.
Archeological and Architectural Evidence
It is not within the purpose of this paper to include an architectural
study of "Ardudwy." Neither the building's measurements nor its
basement lend credence to the belief that it was once the home of
Robert Porteus. In addition, the 1704 specification called for exterior
chimneys while those of "Ardudwy" are interior. The basement walls use
shell mortar and include bricks of widely varying sizes, but although
many of them have an early appearance, they may well have been reused
from elsewhere. Interior details such as mantels and doors would seem
to date from the early 19th century. What little of the framing that is
visible is pegged but is liberally pierced with both wrought and cut
nails. All in all, it seems probable that "Ardudwy" was built in the
very late 18th or early 19th century. Archeological evidence supports
this belief in that the property is richly scattered with artifacts
of the late 17th century and of all dates after about 1800, but has
yielded very few items that can be attributed to the 18th century.
All appearances point to the abandoning of the immediate area as a
habitation site after the destruction of the excavated building around
1700. The subsequent building of "Ardudwy" so close to the early house
may be assumed to be coincidental, though the site is certainly a
desirable and obvious location for a residence.
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