This plate is painted in a technique that was invented in the 1820s, so it dates to after the period of the Academy. It serves as evidence that the house was occupied well after Liberty Hall Academy burned down. The plate itself is also burnt, which…
is shell edged plate is a decorative plate that was prevalent in North America from the 1790s to the 1860s. It is the type of plate that students would have eaten off of in the Steward’s House.
In the 1970s, John McDaniel, a professor at Washington and Lee, led a team of researchers in the excavation and analysis of many back campus sites including the Steward’s house.
This plate is transfer printed pearlware, a kind of ceramic that was not prevalent until the 1820s, so it certainly dates to the period after Liberty Hall Academy burnt down.
This plate is an example of an early lead glazed creamware that dates back to the 1790s. It serves as an example of the kind of plate that the Steward may have owned.