Custis Square Site
Come and see what's new at Custis Square! Archaeologists are in the midst of a five-year project investigating the Williamsburg home of Virginia plantation owner and statesman John Custis IV. Visit the archaeological site, see artifacts as they're being discovered, and talk with experts in the field. While you visit you'll learn about the property's history, from Custis' purchase of the land in the early 18th century to its tenure as a recreation space for patients of the Eastern State Public Hospital. Stop by and find out what archaeology can tell us about Custis Square and the people who lived there! This self-guided program is open to visitors of all ages, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Guests may enter the site at the corner of Nassau and Francis Streets. Weather dependent. The terrain is grassy and may be difficult to access by wheelchair.
Garden Secrets
Archaeological evidence uncovers clues to long-hidden landscape created by John Custis IV.
Excavating Custis Square
Explore discoveries made at Custis Square, including the outline of the central portion of John Custis’ famous garden and over 247,000 artifacts.
An Unexpected Find Across the Street
While working at Custis Square, the archaeology crew came across an intriguing find right across the street from the Custis Square site.
Custis Square Garden Layout
Explore some incredible discoveries that have helped with the reconstruction of John Custis IV’s early 18th-century garden.
Furber's Flowers
Explore what these iconic prints tell us about John Custis IV when we use art to inform archaeology.
Dr. James McClurg
Though largely forgotten today, Dr. James McClurg was a well-known physician in Virginia during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He was even a delegate to the Confederation Congress and mayor of Richmond for three years.
