3. A Preservation Plan for the Matthew Jones House
by W. Graham, W. J. Davis, D. W. Linebaugh, L. McFaden and V. Patrick
Fort Eustis, Virginia
1991 xii + 110 pp. 47 figs., 3 tables, 6 appdx.
This report summarizes archaeological, historical, and architectural evaluations conducted on the ca. 1725 Matthew Jones House. These evaluations served as the context for developing a preservation plan to manage and maintain the structure. The house is a 1 ½-story structure with two exterior gable-end chimneys. There is significant evidence that the building originally was of frame construction (Period I, ca. 1725) and in 1730 was rebuilt in brick (Period II). All that survives from the Period I house are four framing members and the two chimneys. In 1893 (Period III), the structure was given a full second floor, and the chimney stacks were modified. The building exhibits characteristics, including earthfast technology, that have been virtually lost in Virginia, and demonstrates the transformation from a pre-Georgian hall/chamber house to the ideal gentry house of the period. This house is a complex building with many rare features that add considerably to our knowledge of the architectural expectations of America's gentry class during the first half of the 18th century.
