18BC139 Bull's Head Tavern
c. 1732 - 1950

Site History

The Bull’s Head Tavern Site (18BC139) is located in an urban area of Baltimore City. The land parcel measures 85’ by 140’ along North Front Street. This locale was a part of the incorporated community of Jones Town, established in 1732, until Jones Town was annexed by Baltimore in 1745. At that time, the region became known as “Old Town.” By 1800, the area was a thriving mixed-use neighborhood with residences, businesses, and industries. 18BC139 represents two parcels within that community; a row house lot and a tavern lot.

In the early 19th century, the row house lot had two 2-story wood-framed homes. Historical documents provide the names of some owners and possible tenants of these structures, but little is known about their social status, occupations, etc. In the mid-19th century, the row house lots were combined by John Thorne who oversaw the construction of a large 3 ½-story house with a stable. This complex apparently replaced the former row houses.

The tavern lot was occupied as early as 1732 by Capt. John Boring and his heirs, but whether its 18th-century function was commercial or residential is unclear. By 1812, Elizabeth Edwards had inherited the parcel from the Boring family and when she made improvements on it in 1836, it was referred to as a “Tavern House.” The site probably continued in use as a tavern through the rest of the 19th century. By 1880 it was known as the Bull’s Head Tavern, though this name may not have lasted into the 20th century. In 1900 a Russian tailor named Simon Friedman moved there with his family, and records from that period do not mention anything about a tavern operation.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the industrial function of the neighborhood intensified to the detriment of residences and businesses. Warehouses and hauling firms replaced many homes. In the 20th century, the automobile brought profound changes to the area. The Bull’s Head Tavern was converted into an auto-repair shop, and by the 1950s, the thriving mixed community had largely been replaced by parking garages, tire companies, and the like. It was the placement of a concrete slab to support a parking garage that preserved much of 18BC139 in place.
     

Archaeology

Surveys preceding the construction of a new Juvenile Justice Center prompted the discovery of 18BC139 in 1998. Phase III archaeological investigations of the tavern and row house lots took place in 1999. The mechanical removal of a concrete slab from a parking garage exposed intact stone and brick features. Features in the row house area included several foundations, two chimney bases, two filled cellars, five pit features, a dog burial, a paved brick backyard, and three privies. A brick and stone wall separated the row house area from the tavern lot. Structural features in the Tavern lot included stone wall foundations, a stone-paved area, a chimney base, postholes and post molds, builders’ trenches, and a stone-lined basement. The features at both lots represented multiple phases of building, remodeling, deconstruction, and rebuilding. Artifacts recovered from builder’s trenches and sealed features helped date the various episodes of construction and occupation at this complex site.

For more information:

Williams, Martha, Nora Sheehan, and Suzanne Sanders. 2000. Phase I, II, and III Archaeological Investigations at the Juvenile Justice Center, Baltimore, Maryland. Final report submitted to the Maryland Department of General Services. On file at the Maryland Historical Trust, Crownsville, Maryland.