Blaikley-Durfey House

This distinctive cottage was probably built in the early 1730s, home to William Blaikley and wife Catherine. William died in 1736, but his wife lived to the age of 73. Catherine Blaikley was a well-respected midwife. At the time of her death, it was said that she had delivered upwards of 3,000 babies. In 1773, a local tailor by the name of Severinus Durfey announced in the local paper that he was moving his quarters to the house. Durfey set up his tailoring business in the small shop next to the house. Today, hanging above the door is a Golden Fleece signboard, the traditional symbol identifying a tailor's shop. When Williamsburg architects began excavating the site where the house stood, they used William Blaikley's 1736 will to determine the layout of the rooms. The house was reconstructed on its original foundations.

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