Architecural documentation of Ash Lawn Highland: examining the evidence

Summary

Jay Winston Johns restored a small house at Ash Lawn-Highland in the 1930s and created a shrine to James Monroe, the assumed builder and occupant. Now a museum house owned and run by the College of William and Mary, it seemed prudent to determine if the house was actually that which Monroe slept in. If not, the consequence would be profound for the College.

The building’s dimensions loosely match a wing of the Monroe dwelling described in documents. Despite the association, many features of the extant building seem too late for the 1790s construction date indicated in the record. Thus an architectural investigation was undertaken to determine the building’s construction date and function. The study cataloged all architectural components of each room including their technological and stylistic features. This paper will present an overview of the method used to dissect the house and reveal the questions and answers it raised.  

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016   •
• New Research at Ash Lawn-Highland

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 881