George and Hattie Wade Lot

One of Port Tobacco's prominent families--the Wades--of the late 19th century occupied a lot on the east side of Chapel Point Road. A land record refers to the house of George A. and Hattie S. Wade as a "colonial dwelling," which I think we can take to mean an early house. "Colonial" often was used to refer to buildings that did not necessarily date to the period preceding our nation's independence, but might have been built at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century.

George and Hattie Wade's house appear to have been one of a series of fairly elegant houses that once lined the east side of the road and that were occupied by merchants and physicians. Collectively, they may have constituted a small neighborhood, occupationally or financially distinguished from other parts of town. One of the goals of the PTAP team is to look for and document the changing organization of the town in terms of distinctive neighborhoods.
Wade and Hamilton lots on the east side of Chapel Point Road, just north of the main road to the courthouse.


The property, now occupied by descendants of the Wades--the Compton family--has not been investigated archaeologically. I'll bet there are historic archaeological deposits around the existing house and that date to the early part of the 19th century, if not earlier.

Jim