rebuilt. The exact date of the first church to stand on a brick
foundation is uncertain, possibly 1639. Brick foundation traces,
uncovered in 1901 by John Tyler, Jr., a civil engineer who volunteered
his services for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia
Antiquities, lie behind the free-standing brick church tower which
remains the only standing ruin today. The modern brick structure and
roof enclose and protect the footing evidence of the walls of two
separate churches and a tile chancel flooring. Indication of fire among
these foundations was noted by Tyler.

[Illustration: A MANSION STRUCTURE OR PUBLIC BUILDING DATING FROM THE
SECOND QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY. REBUILT ONCE AND BURNED ABOUT THE
TIME OF BACON'S REBELLION, 1676.]


Mansions

Despite official urgings that they build substantial town houses on
Jamestown Island, the first successful planters often preferred to build
on their holdings away from the capitol, once the Indian menace had
passed. Only 2 houses at Jamestown, designed for single occupancy, have
over 900 square feet of foundation area.

One was either a stately residence or a public building (area 1,350
square feet) located near Pitch and Tar Swamp, just east of the
Jamestown Visitor Center. Archeological evidence indicates that this
structure was first completed before the middle of the 17th century. It
was later reconstructed and enlarged about the beginning of the last
quarter, possibly during Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. Unmistakably, it
burned.