The Thomas Brown Site, Fairfax County, VA:
Archaeologists Get Scoop on
Tenant Farmer's Life

Supported by:
Virginia Department of Transportation

In the mid-1700s, Thomas Brown and his family rented farmland in Northern Virginia, hoping to find prosperity through the cultivation of tobacco. Archaeology at the Brown family farmstead has revealed details of their successful pursuit of a better life. The William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research, through the support of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) , conducted intensive archaeological excavation at Site 44FX1965 from May 20 to July 3, 1996.

Preliminary work in 1993, also sponsored by VDOT, identified the first evidence of the colonial farmstead. Full excavation was eventually determined necessary to recover information prior to construction of a new interchange between Route 28 and Interstate 66. This latest study thoroughly investigated the eighteenth- to early nineteenth-century colonial occupation and also discovered traces of earlier Native American occupations.

Historic Occupation

Surviving land records from the colonial period indicate that the site was on 150 of 700 acres owned by Willoughby Newton. This parcel was leased to Thomas Brown beginning in 1742. Although renting land to tenant farmers in exchange for a share of their crops was a well-known practice among eighteenth-century landowners, this arrangement was unusually profitable for Thomas Brown and his family.

The Browns were among the first to enjoy what would come to be known as the "American Dream," rising from the status of tenants to middle-class landowners. Thomas Brown's descendants would be notable members of the local community, active in both local and state government, and keep the tract in family hands until its purchase by Ellanor Lawrence in the 1930s. Mrs. Lawrence donated the land to Fairfax County for use as a public park upon the death of her husband, David, in 1973.

Archaeology at the Brown leasehold provides complementary documents of Thomas Brown's successful rise to the middle class. The clues unearthed reveal aspects of colonial life at the farm that are not preserved in written records. Slaves living at the Brown farm left their legacy only in archaeological deposits that we can now begin to understand.

Thomas Brown signed a "three lives' lease" for his 150-acre property. This fortunate arrangement meant that the Browns could continue to live on and farm the parcel throughout the natural lives of Brown, his wife, and his eldest son, Joseph. Although popular in the early 1740s, leases of this type quickly fell out of favor among wealthy landowners due to the potentially long period of obligation they entailed.

In return for use of land and two buildings standing at the time of the agreement, Brown was required to pay 530 pounds of tobacco each year in rent, plant a 200-tree apple orchard surrounded by a fence, and construct any buildings necessary to run a self-sufficient farmstead.

Archaeological evidence reflects Thomas Brown's fulfillment of the terms of his lease. A large, stone-lined cellar for a dwelling was found. Artifacts from the filled cellar included household debris such as table and bottle glass, buttons, broken plates, and food remains. The recovery of window glass, nails, and plaster demonstrated that a substantial structure once stood there. The cellar and foundation indicate that a house measuring 16 by 20 feet-- the size of the house mentioned in the 1742 lease--would have fit almost perfectly above the hole, and a shallow rectangular trench a short distance away is perfectly positioned to be a porch or addition to such a house. In the eighteenth century, just as today, expanding one's home would have been a sign of increasing prosperity.

Another cellar was found to the east, and its association with two hearths, charcoal and ash deposits, and large quantities of butchered animal bone indicate that it was likely the site of a kitchen. Several postholes and smaller root cellars near the kitchen probably represent the location of smaller buildings, perhaps the "necessary" structures on the farm. By raising of hogs, cattle, and chickens (remains of which were found in the kitchen cellar), the Browns provided supplied the bulk of the plantation's food supply. Much of their tobacco money could then go toward the purchase of fancy clothes, curtains, mirrors, and other status goods (as reflected in purchase records). 

The kitchen and small structures east of the main house yielded significant evidence for the presence of slaves. Pieces of locally manufactured pottery known as Colonoware were found in this area. Archaeologists know that Colonoware is generally associated with sites where slaves lived and worked. Historical records show that Thomas Brown owned six slaves by 1760; it is likely that some of them lived at his home site. Through careful analysis of the artifacts recovered at the site, questions about the differences in lifestyle between owner and slaves can be examined.

Thomas Brown was not as wealthy as the colonial American aristocracy, but he managed to acquire enough capital to purchase 400 acres of land and expand his farming operations. His son Coleman eventually purchased 135 acres of the original leasehold from the descendants of Willoughby Newton to add to his family's holdings. The Browns' acquisition of matched sets of dishes, broken pieces of which were found in the cellars, indicates their efforts to keep pace with the trends of the aristocracy, as do the surviving documents recording their purchase of imported goods. The Browns' rise from the largely impoverished tenant farmer class to middle-class landownership is reflective of the dream that brought and continues to bring so many immigrants to the new world--the desire to improve one's lot in life.

Summary

Sites like 44FX1965 demonstrate the potential of archaeology to illustrate and add to the existing historical record. This research brings detail to our record of Thomas Brown as a small-time farmer who successfully sought his fortune. Archaeology is also allowing us to learn about the lives of slaves at the Brown farm; without it, Thomas Brown's slaves would still be known only through a brief mention in an obscure document.

Using the results of this investigation, a more complete history of the site has been written using information provided by laboratory analysis of the artifacts.

We wish to thank the Fairfax County Park Authority for their patience, interest, and assistance throughout this project. Grateful recognition is also due the Fairfax County Police Department for their vigilance in maintaining security at the site.

NOTE

A complete report of research at the Thomas Brown Site is available as the WMCAR's Technical Report Series No. 25.

Suggested Readings

For More Information Contact

Joe B. Jones, William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research

Phone: 757-221-1581

Email: jbjone@wm.edu