The Virginia Frontier - 1695 to 1725

In 1700, the fall line of the Rappahannock River was on the edge of the British Empire. Indians controlled lands to the west, and Tidewater tobacco planters and land speculators had claimed the lands to the east, forcing recently freed indentured servants to look to the frontier in hopes of acquiring acceptable agricultural land. By 1710, twenty-eight years before the area became the plantation home of the Washington family, Maurice Clark, a freeman and small planter, purchased the property now called Ferry Farm.

Map of the layout of the Maurice Clark plantation. The shed on the far left was not a part of the plantation. It is a 19th-century structure.

Herrman Map of 1673 ~ This document shows the extent of English settlement on the Rappahannock just a few years before Maurice Clark settled here.

Archaeological remains of house ~ The first reference to a house on the property occurs in 1710 in the will of Maurice Clark, most likely a former indentured servant, who had recently purchased this land. During the first quarter of the eighteenth century, this plantation was owned by a series of small planters like Clark.

3D Model of the house ~ The plantation's original house was a spartan structure that overlooked the Rappahannock River on a terrace situated above the river's floodplains. Measuring 20 ft. by 30 ft. the frame of the house was originally constructed entirely of wood. The structure featured two rooms downstairs and an upstairs loft. A wattle and daub (stick and mud) chimney served the only fireplace, situated on the southern end of the structure, leaving the smaller north room unheated. The south room, with its packed dirt floor, measured 20 ft. by 20 ft. and contained a root cellar.

Large iron key
Pintles and Keys ~ Although crude and small, the house featured some architectural niceties and comforts. A large, sturdy lock and key graced at least one of its doors. Hardware, including hinges, pintles, and clenched nails (nails bent back on themselves), testify to the presence of formal doors and shutters. A small amount of window glass indicates at least one glass window was in place.

Upholstery Tack
Tacks ~ Associated with leather portions of trunks, saddles, and chairs, tacks were found throughout the site. Made from copper, they are sometimes covered in silver to accentuate the social standing of the owner.

Sleeve Link ~ The site contained numerous pairs of sleeve (cuff) links, some of which were highly decorative. These elegant embellishments featured cut glass instead of precious jewels and made a social statement while not costing very much.

Salt Spoon ~ Efforts to make dining more elegant required special equipment. At Clark’s house, food-serving artifacts included a number of pieces of cutlery as well as a special spoon for spreading salt from small salt cellars. Adding to the elegance of the table were crystal wineglasses and tumblers.

Straight Pins ~ Over 100 straight pins, several of which were coated in silver, were found on the site. Pins were used extensively in the colonial era to fasten clothing, particularly accessories. Silvering suggests they were both utilitarian and ornamental.

Spanish reale beaten into a pendant
Spanish Reale ~ This Spanish coin was hammered and pierced to be worn as a pendant. Either worn by the master or his servant, this pendant was designed to bring luck or good health.