New Discoveries at Jamestown | Page 7

the 1600's. It can be assumed that most of the dwellings, or shelters, of the Jamestown settlers, certainly until about 1630, had a rough and primitive appearance.
After Jamestown had attained some degree of permanency, many houses were built of brick. It is quite clear from documentary records and archeological remains, that the colonists not only made their own brick, but that the process, as well as the finished products, followed closely the English method. Four brick kilns were discovered on Jamestown Island during archeological explorations.
[Illustration: AN EARLY JAMESTOWN HOUSE. (Conjectural sketch by Sidney E. King.)]
[Illustration: A BRICK HOUSE AT JAMESTOWN, ABOUT 1640. (Conjectural sketch by Sidney E. King.)]
[Illustration: THE MAJORITY OF THE LOCKS AND KEYS USED IN THE EARLY HOUSES WERE IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND.]
[Illustration: A FEW 17TH-CENTURY HANDWROUGHT HINGES IN THE JAMESTOWN COLLECTION.]
BUILDING HARDWARE
While some of the handwrought hardware found at Jamestown was made in the colony, most of it was imported from England. Types of building hardware unearthed include an excellent assortment of nails, spikes, staples, locks, keys, hinges, pintles, shutter fasteners, bolts, hasps, latches, door knockers, door pulls, footscrapers, gutter supports, wall anchors, and ornamental hardware. In many instances each type is represented by several varieties. Citing 2 examples, there are more than 20 kinds of nails and at least 15 different kinds of hinges in the collection.
[Illustration: SOME NAILS, SPIKES, STAPLES, AND OTHER IRON HARDWARE USED AT JAMESTOWN OVER 300 YEARS AGO.]
[Illustration: SOME JAMESTOWN HOUSES HAD LEADED GLAZED WROUGHT-IRON WINDOW CASEMENTS SIMILAR TO THE ONES SHOWN HERE. (Courtesy, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.)]
It is believed that wooden hardware was used on many of the early houses.
WINDOWS
A few glass window panes may have been made in the Jamestown glass factory which was built in 1608. Most of the window glass used in the colony, however, was shipped from England. Many of the early panes used were diamond-shaped (known as "quarrels"), and were held in place by means of slotted lead strips (known as "cames"). The window frames used in a few of the Jamestown houses were handwrought iron casements. Most of the humbler dwellings had no glass panes in the windows. The window openings were closed by batten shutters, operated by hinges of wood and fitted with wooden fastening devices.
WALL AND FIREPLACE TILE
Most of the hand-painted tiles used at Jamestown (for decorating walls and fireplaces) were imported from Holland. A few were made in England. Made of a light-buff clay, and known as delftware, the tiles unearthed are decorated in blue, with a conventionalized design in each corner and a central picture or motif. Covered with a tin glaze, the majority of tiles found measure about 5 inches square by 3/8-inch thick. The edges are beveled, permitting them to be set very close together at the glazed surface. The attractively decorated tiles added a touch of beauty to a few Jamestown interiors.
ROOFING MATERIALS
Four kinds of roofing materials have been excavated: Plain, flat, earthenware tiles; curved earthenware pantiles; slate; and wooden shingles. The plain tiles were made in Jamestown brick kilns, and it is possible that some of the S-curved red pantiles were also made locally. Slate was brought over from England, whereas most of the shingles were rived from native cedar and oak logs. Other materials used in roofing included bark, marshgrass and reeds (thatch), and boards. Sod appears to have been used on some of the very early houses.
LIME
Lime for mortar, plaster, and ornamental plaster was made in crude lime kilns at Jamestown from calcined oyster shells. The oyster shells came from the James River.
[Illustration: A WROUGHT-IRON WINDOW CASEMENT UNEARTHED NEAR AN EARLY 17TH-CENTURY BUILDING SITE.]
[Illustration: WALL OR FIREPLACE TILES FOUND AT JAMESTOWN WHICH WERE MADE IN HOLLAND. THE BLUE DESIGNS AND PICTURES WERE PAINTED ON A WHITE BACKGROUND.]
[Illustration: KINDS OF ROOFING MATERIALS EXCAVATED INCLUDE FLAT TILES (SHOWN HERE), CURVED PANTILES, SLATE, AND SHINGLES.]
[Illustration: ORNAMENTAL PLASTER WAS USED IN A FEW BUILDINGS FOR ENHANCING THE BEAUTY OF BOTH THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR.]
[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF A SMALL JAMESTOWN HOUSE, ABOUT 1650. ALTHOUGH THE PAINTING IS CONJECTURAL, MANY ITEMS SHOWN--POTTERY, GLASSWARE, FIREPLACE TOOLS, AND KITCHEN ACCESSORIES--WERE UNEARTHED ON THIS HISTORIC ISLAND. (Painting by Sidney E. King.)]
PLASTER AND MORTAR
Plaster and mortar have been found at Jamestown in abundance. It appears that the majority of brick houses and many frame structures had plastered walls and ceilings after 1635. Some plaster found had been whitewashed, while other plaster bore its natural whitish-gray color. Mortar was found wherever brick foundations were located. The plaster and mortar used at Jamestown was made from oystershell lime, sand, and clay.
ORNAMENTAL PLASTERWORK
Ornamental plaster was found in a few of the excavations. The plasterwork was done in raised ornamental designs used for enhancing the beauty of both the interior and exterior of a building. Designs that have been found include Roman numerals, letters, mottos, crests,