Sometime around 1711, Stephen West, Sr. arrived in London Town.  West, the son of an English knight, was listed as a mariner when he first arrived.  During his time at London Town he became involved with the South River Ferry, operated an ordinary (commonly understood today as a tavern) for travelers and locals, purchased many town lots and outlying lands, and eventually became prominent enough to be called a gentleman.

With all his town-related activities, Stephen West needed a workforce. Historical records show he utilized orphans, indentured servants, and enslaved Africans. It seems that West constructed the building now called the Carpenter Shop around 1730 to house some of his workforce and be used as a storehouse.

After West’s 1752 death, William Brown took over West’s ordinary and some of his town lands, including the Carpenter Shop. It is called this today because documents indicate that Brown, a skilled carpenter, cabinet maker, and woodworker used the building as his workshop. To help him in his endeavors, Brown used convict servants with carpentry skills.

Excavations on Lot 86

In the 1990s, the Anne Arundel County Lost Towns Project started excavating lot 86 as part of the larger archaeological and historical investigation of London Town. These excavations turned up evidence for an earthfast, 28′ x 28′ building. Artifacts indicated that this building was built circa 1730 and stayed standing through at least 1780.

A surprising and poignant find at the Carpenter Shop site was the burial of a 3-5 year old child that had been placed in the ground between the floor joists during Stephen West's ownership of the building. The placement of the child, the artifacts in the grave shaft, and the known fact that West owned slaves strongly suggest this child was born to an enslaved African woman.  A more detailed report can be found in a Maryland Archeology article found on the Lost Towns Project website.

Reconstructing the Carpenter Shop

Willie Graham, an accomplished and respected architectural historian with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, drafted plans for the Carpenter Shop. Graham designed the two-story, two-bay earthfast structure using the Lost Town Project's archaeological grid map and supporting field research.

Russ Steele, a North Carolina preservation carpenter, directs the reconstruction effort, enlisting the support of the Annapolis Woodworkers Guild and community volunteers. The opportunity to observe skilled craftsmen work with early tools and natural materials has provided fascinating insights into colonial architecture and life in the early Chesapeake.

Visit our blog to check on updates on the Carpenter Shop reconstruction.

View the video below to watch Russ Steele and London Town's Ken Schroeder operate a pit saw to cut wood for the Carpenter Shop building.

Interpreting the Carpenter Shop

Once the Carpenter Shop is complete, Historic London Town and Gardens plans on interpreting the building as the functioning woodworking shop it was during William Brown’s ownership.  Like West, Brown most likely quartered some of his convict servants and slaves in the building.  In addition to discussing the woodworking aspect of the building, Historic London Town and Gardens will also interpret convict servants and slavery through the furnishings and historical documents related to the building.

The Carpenter Shop Interpretive Plan will be available for download once the building is fully reconstructed.