Reconstruction of Richard Charlton’s 18th century Coffeehouse is underway in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. The Foundation’s Architectural Historians designed the building to appear as close to the original as evidence permits, and the plan incorporates the remaining portions of the Coffeehouse’s original foundations. The building’s site, the location of the Cary Peyton Armistead House until 1995, has been the subject of extensive archaeological research in consultation with the Armistead family.
These excavations revealed critical information about the building and its history, in concert with evidence from a number of other sources: The size and shape of the Coffeehouse’s porch was determined by soil samples and the original footings, the site’s historic timeline was filled-in with advertisements and public accounts, details of the building's structure and interior were seen in wooden fragments from the Armistead House, and the day-to-day business of the Coffeehouse was informed by tens of thousands of archaeological fragments.
This is the first major construction project on Duke of Gloucester Street in 50 years and is made possible through a $5 million gift from Mr. and Mrs. Forrest E. Mars, Jr. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Historic Trades department is creating much of the construction material, including bricks, rafters, shingles, and metal hardware, using traditional 18th-century building methods.
Richard Charlton’s Coffeehouse will serve as an interpretive space allowing visitors to learn more about the role of coffeehouses in the colonial period. Visitors also will be able to sample coffee, hot tea, and chocolate. A personal visit is in order; meanwhile, sidewalk superintendents may check out the progress online by clicking here.
_close