

I 



or 



11^ naiU 



Illustration 70. — Scries of wroiit;ht-iron 

 nails. One-half. 



probably on a tiiink or chest (USNM <iO. 130, lit;. 

 88e). A small strap hinge (USXM 59.1657, fi^. 88) 

 is like those found on the lids of 18th-centiiry wooden 

 chests, while a butt hinge may ha\e serxtxl on the 

 lid of the escritoire which Mercer owned in 1731 

 (ill. 63). 



.■\RCHITECTURAL AND STRUCTURAL HARDWARE 



Iron was a fundamental material in the construction 

 of any 18th-centur\- building. Mercer's ledgers make 

 repeated references to the purchase of hinijes, locks, 

 latches, and other related iron equipment. Most 

 of this material was obtained from local merchants and 

 was probably English in origin. However, lh<- ledger 

 records numerous purchases from Nathaniel Clhapm.m 

 of iron that was undoubtedly made at his ironworks. 

 It is probable also that many sim|i' ' mces were 



made at Marlborough by sla\<-s or i A .-ierxants 



trained as blacksmiths. 



HiNCiES.- Hand-forged strap hinu' ' ' 



throughout the colonies from the li 

 men! to the middle of the 19th centurv'. In additioi 

 to the many fragments til ■ ' '' unefromsiul 

 hinges, one artifact is a l> itl str.ip-hirii;' 



terminal with a square hole for nailing 1 1 S\M i><l I >t>. 

 ill. M). Three pintles L-shapi-d pixels on which 

 strap hinges swimg -were recovrrecl. < )ne was found 

 at the site of a gale or door in the- wall .Miuth c>' 

 kitchen (LSNM fiO.59, fig. 881). 



iragments front at least four dilFerent H .iiid H' 

 hinges occur. Se\eral entries in the ledcriTi n ' 



( ot 



ay.lttll.i 



m (he .iccoui 

 -2 p' I... ' 



j)i»"<'r f»f 



M 



9 



