"We digged a faire Well of fresh water in the Fort of excellent, sweet water which till then was wanting." - John Smith
Here, at the center of the triangular James Fort, archaeologists found remains of a storehouse and the fort's first well. A rectangular pattern of large structural postholes marked the storehouse site and indicated that it was a substantial building supported by upright timbers firmly seated in the ground. An adjacent cellar structure with a barrel-lined well in the floor served concurrently, as a storage space and water supply. Sometime before 1611 the well and cellar were abandoned and then backfilled with rubbish containing several hundred thousand artifacts. The storehouse continued to be used for many years, serving as a temporary place of worship in 1617 while a new church was constructed. Remnants of the 1617 church foundations are exhibited under the glass in the nearby 1907 Memorial Church. Captions:Archaeologist examining the wooden barrel well linerArtist's partial reconstruction of the storehouse and attached cellar/wellArchaeologists discovered words and drawings on both sides of this slate tablet found in the well - on display in the Archaearium Museum. Three timber support postholes from the storehouse's western wallOpen
cellar/well at the water table level

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Show me all markers in:  Williamsburg, VA  |  James City County  |  23185  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

The First General Assembly of Virginia
Jamestown's Churches
James Fort Site 1607 - 1624
Pocahontas
Captain John Smith
Captain John Smith
Palisades Historical
The Tombstones Historical
The Tombs of James and Sarah Blair Historical
Confederate Earthworks

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