113 South Mason Street - Mary Jackson House (circ. 1760)

The "Mary Jackson House" is located on "Lott 32" of the original surveyor's map dated 1750.  The lot sold for the usual price of four British pounds and six shillings in 1753.  In 1759, Mary Jackson, a widow, purchased this 1/2 acre lot for thirty pounds.  By 1760, she had built this house which was valued at 190  pounds.

The house was ideally located in Colonial days near the Courthouse, being separated only by an open grassy area known as the "Courthouse Green".  Mary took full advantage of this location and in 1760 she petitioned the Court for a license to operate an "Ordinary" or tavern.  Unfortunately, the house's use as an ordinary was brief because Mary Jackson died in 1761.

The main part of the house appears to have been constructed as two separate sections.  The portion on the left side of the porch is on a separate foundation.  However, the construction materials and techniques indicate that this section is actually older than the rest of the house, possibly indicating that it was a pre-existing structure that was moved to this site, or that it formed the original part of a smaller house that Mary Jackson added on to in 1760. 

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