The Country’s House: The Evolution of Public Space in St. Mary’s City’s 17th-Century Town Center
Author(s): Wesley Willoughby
Year: 2014
Summary
This paper examines changes reflected in the landscape and artifact composition of the Calvert House Site (18ST1-13) associated with its transformation from elite manor house to public inn and first official statehouse of the colony. Thirty plus years of archaeology on the site have revealed a dynamic landscape that was altered repeatedly to suit the changing needs, circumstances, aspirations and perceptions of the site’s occupants and patrons. Artifacts recovered also reveal changes in use of the site related to its transformation to public space and provide insight into its significance as a political and community social center during the 17th century. Theories of structuration and performance are employed to examine how aspects of the built environment and material culture helped mediate public interactions on the site, facilitating the negotiation and establishment of both political order and community in early Maryland.
Cite this Record
The Country’s House: The Evolution of Public Space in St. Mary’s City’s 17th-Century Town Center. Wesley Willoughby. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. 2014 ( tDAR id: 436929)
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Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): SYM-38,09