This view shows the front elevation of one of the Historic Area's original eighteenth-century houses, when it was still occupied by descendants of the original builder. St. George Tucker, a law professor at the College of William & Mary, purchased and moved the central portion of the house from Palace Green to Market Square in 1788. He added wings to enlarge the size.
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Christopher Ayscough, the namesake of the house, tried operating a tavern on the site between 1768-1770. Other shopkeepers, including Catherine Rathell, Matthew Holt, and Jacob Bruce, briefly occupied the store and sold various goods to townspeople.

The structure survived from the eighteenth century, although it was hardly recognizable due to the enlargements and modifications made in the nineteenth century. Once restored to its eighteenth-century appearance, the building exhibited such features typical of a commercial establishment as a gable end entrance and large shop window.]]>

After the Raleigh Tavern burned in 1859, this large brick store was erected by William W. Vest, who lived in what is today known as the Palmer House. Like his residence, which became a headquarters for Union soldiers after the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862, the shop building played an important role in the Civil War. It was converted into a hospital where town residents cared for wounded Confederate soldiers.

Mr. Levin Winder Lane, Jr., the proprietor of the mercantile store, held positions with both the College of William & Mary and the state government. His large 19th-century brick building became one of the one hundred buildings slated for destruction or relocation because their architecture dated to a later time period. The Merchant’s Square area was envisioned as a way to move businesses to a localized commercial district apart from the historic area.
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A memorial erected in the middle of the excavated foundations in 1904 commemorated members of the House of Burgesses who formed associations against the importation or purchase of British goods. This tablet still exists and was moved to the yard surrounding the reconstructed Capitol building. ]]>
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