PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AT
41 HYPOLITA STREET, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA




Report submitted to the City
of St. Augustine, Department of
Planning

by

Historic Property Associates
26 Cordova Street
St. Augustine, FLorlda 32085

Robert H. Steinbach
Project Archaeologist










PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY


41 HYPOLITA STREET
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA



I., INTRODUCTION

On 10 October 1989, Historic Property Associates entered into an
agreement with the City of St. Augustine to conduct a preliminary
archaeological survey of the western end of the lot not covered
by recent fill. Services specified were limited to developing a
basic site history and minimal sub-surface testing to determine
it significant archaeological data existed on the property.

II. SITE HISTORY

Time and funding constraints limited this portion of the
project to a review of documentary materials available at the
Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board and an;preliminary
analysis of the cartographic record.
A draft site history is available at the HSAPB. This
document traces ownership of the property through time but
contains little information on physical changes to the property.
Cartographic research reveals the presence of at least four
structures on the site between 1764 and 1930. The first of these,
a small tabby house, appears on the Puente map of .1764, is still
present on the Jefferles map of 1769 but has disappeared by the
time of Rocque's work in 1788 when the property is vacant. No
other structure appears on the property until 1860 when the Dorr
map indicates a rectangular building along the curb line of
Hypolita a short distance east of Spanish Street. The Sanborn
Insurance maps begin coverage of this area of the city in 1884.
At this time the Dorr structure is replaced by narrow rectangular
building with it's long axis orientated north/south. A two-story
dwelling house, set back from the street, and with a basically
square floor is present.between the narrow building and the
corner of Hypolita and Spanish. By 1888, the Magnolia Hotel is
expanded to include the entire area covered by this report. Both
the 1893 and 1899 malp show the same configuration,, however, by
1904 the original Mkagolia is gone, replaced by a hew structure
bearing the same name. The site is now occupied by the hotel
kitchen which was joined to the dining room on the south by an
inclosed walkway. The 1917 and 1924 editions show .the same










situation. By 1930, however, the entire north end of the block
is vacant and being used as a "FREE PARKING LOT FOR AUTOS". Use
as a parking lot continued until the last decade when the paving
was removed and the area was fenced. It continues to remain
vacant at the present time.

III. FIELD WORK

Archaeological testing of the west forty feet of the property was
conducted on 15 October 1989. The stated purpose was to
determine if significant archaeological data might be contained
in the underlying colonial midden.

A grid was established, using the west property line as a base
and the northwest corner as a point of beginning. A distance of
forty feet was measured eastward along the north and south
property lines to establish the limit of testing and to form the
eastern side of the grid. Points were set along the east .and
west lines at 5,10,30,40, and 50 feet as a means of establishing
a series of transects across the property. A construction office
trailer, set at a diagonal across the northwest corner of the
lot, precluded the establishment of a transect at 20' S.

Test locations were identified by their distance south of the
northwest corner and east of the west property line. The tests
were made with a posthole digger with an approximate diameter of
15 cm. Gross stratigraphy was recorded utilizing the metric
system.

Eight tests were conducted. This was deemed sufficient to
determine the presence and condition of the colonial midden
without causing significant damage to the resource. The
excavated material was screened through 1/4" hardware cloth.
Recovered cultural material was bagged for later analysis. Gross
stratigraphy was recorded in the field notes.

All but one test revealed the presence of a colonial midden
underlying the site, a brick foundation being encountered
approximately 5 cm. below the surface in test 10S 10E. This
foundation appears to have an east/west orientation.
Sterile soil was encountered at a distance of from 70 to 100 cm.
from the present surface. Variation in depth was due to the
difference in the elevation of the existing grade.











IV. CONCLUSIONS

A relatively intact colonial midden, with the potential of
.yielding significant data, underlies the majority of the site.
No evidence of the colonial tabby structure was encountered
within the test area, however it is quite possible that such
evidence still exists.

V. RECOMMENDATIONS

Provide mitigation as defined in Ordinance 86-42 for any
earthmoving activities with the potential of penetrating the
colonial midden. Detailed and exhaustive analysis of the
cartographic record as well as a definitive site history would be
necessary prerequisites to any large scale archaeological
excavations.







HYPOLITA ST.


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TEST STRATIGRAPHY


SPANISH VILLAGE SITE
41 HYPOLITA STREET
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA
TEST15S-4B

0>10 HUMUS
10>40 COAL FRAGS. & BLDG. DEBRIS
40>80 DK. BROWN SAND MATRIX
80> LT. GRAY STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER

TEST# 5S-14B

0>5 HUMUS
5>30 BLDG. DEBRIS & SMALL AMOUNT OFCOAL
30>70 DK. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/SM. AMOUNT CRUSHED OYS. SHELL
70> REDDISH BROWN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER

TEST# 10Sl81

0>5 HUMUS
5> BRICK WALL APPEARS TO RUN E/W

TESTA 308-10E

0>20 COAL, BLDG. DEBRIS, OYS. SHELL
20>80 BK. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/CRUSHED & WHOLE OYS. SHELL
80> LT. TAN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER

TESTf 308-3aQ

0>20 LT. GRAY SAND (RECENT FILL WASH)
20>40 BLDG. DEBRIS & COAL
40>90 DK. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/ SCATTERED CRUSHED OYS. SHELL
90> REDDISH 'ROWN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER

T28sf 40s-20E

0>10 LT. GRAY SAND (RECENT FILL WASH)
10>40 BLDG. DEBRIS & COAL
40>90 DK. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/CONSIDERABLE CRUSHED OYS. SHELL
90> REDDISH BROWN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER

T=STL 40S-4,0

0>20 LT. GRAY SAND (RECENT FILL WASH)
20>50 BLDG. DEBRIS & COAL
50>100 DR. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/ SCATTERED CRUSHED OYS. SHELL
100> REDDISH BROWN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER










TEST* 308-lO

2 Slag & fire brick

1 Cut nail

1 Unidentified bone

1 Clear glass frag.
1 Dark green glass frag.

1 Stoneware, dark brown glaze, both sides.
3 San Marcos
1 Puebla B/W

Tg8T#3I0-30E
1 Slag
3 Coal
1 Lime nodule

1 Iron frag.

7 Unidentified bone frags.

3 Blue shell edge
1 Green shell edge
1 Ironstone

TEST# 40S-20Z

5 Brick frags.
.3 Coal

2 Charcoal

1 Shell frag.

1 Unidentified bone frag.

I Case bottle frag.

11 Hotel ware
1 e Cream ware
1 Transfer ware
1 Unidentified Mexican majolica
1 San Marcos

2M i 40 -40E

1 Light green round bottle base "DUBLIN & BELFAST"
4 Light green glass frags.
1 -Ironstone
1 Olive jar










TEST#5,S-1OE LOWESTT ELEVATION ON SITE)

0>20 DISTURBED, MOTTLED SAND
20>75 DK. BROWN SAND MATRIX W/ LITTLE CRUSHED OYS. SHELL
75> REDDISH BROWN STERILE SAND & GROUND WATER










ARTIFACT LIST


SPANISH VILLAGE SITE
41 HYPOLITA STREET
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

TEST# 5S-4E

1 Brick frag.
5 Mortar frags.
3 Slate frags.
8 Coal

5 Unidentified iron frags.

3 Unidentified bone frags.

1 Clear pressed glats frag.
4 Clear glass frags.
1 Dark green glass frag.

1 Puebla B/W
1 Cream colored, tin glazed storage jar v/grayish tan body

1 Bone toothbrush handle

TEST3 5S-14E

6 Brick frags.
2 Lime mortar frags.
1 Concrete frag.
3 Coal

1 Charcoal

2 Unidentified bone frags.

5 Clear glass frags.
2 Clear bottle base frags.
1 Green glass frag.

1 Porcelain
1 San Marcos Complicated Stamped


TA8T 10S-10E

2 Brick frags.
5 Line mortar frags.











TEBST 50S-OE

2 Unidentified iron frags.
1 Cut nail

7 Unidentified bone frags.

1 Clear glass frag.
1 Dark green glass frag.

3 Ironstone
1 Slip vare
2 Puebla B/W