A full narrative history section
The Old Medical Shop, often referred to as Dr. Corbin Griffin’s Medical Shop, is a reconstructed structure located on Historic Main Street in Yorktown. Although the original building no longer stands, the current version was built in the mid-1930s as part of an effort by the National Park Service to recreate a typical 1780s-era medical shop. The reconstruction was based on limited archaeological evidence and historical records, with construction completed around March 1936.
Dr. Corbin Griffin was a colonial-era physician in Yorktown during the Revolutionary War period. He is known to have been imprisoned by the British on a ship anchored in the York River during the 1781 Siege. While the original shop’s precise location remains uncertain, the reconstructed building across from Swan Tavern commemorates Griffin’s medical practice. For a time, it even served as the town’s post office before later becoming part of the Historic Yorktown landscape.
Historic records indicate that the lot where the medical shop now stands (Lot 30) was occupied by various dwellings and structures in the mid-1700s, leased and sold by owners such as Stith, Powell, Savage, Lilly, Moss, and eventually Corbin Griffin. However, the specific structure used as Griffin’s medical worksite has not been confirmed archaeologically; the current reconstruction is a period-appropriate interpretation rather than a replica of the original.
During the Revolutionary War, Yorktown’s main street and surrounding lots—including the site of Griffin’s shop—lay within the British defensive lines. While there’s no direct documentation of the medical shop’s operational role during the siege itself, it's likely that local medicine and care were provided within these buildings under wartime conditions. Afterward, much of the town—including original buildings—was lost through fire, military occupation, or negligence.
In the 20th century, preservation efforts under the National Park Service led to the construction of the shop building seen today. It serves as a visual reminder of 18th-century medical practice in Yorktown, although it is privately leased and not open for interior tours. Visitors can view the exterior and interpretive signage as part of Colonial National Historical Park’s Historic Yorktown tour route.