The middle of the 1620's saw James Fort decline in importance as Jamestown came into it's own as the capitol of the Virginia colony. The change from military outpost to a more stable community is reflected in the archaeological record, especially the architecture. Throughout the second quarter of the 17th century the use of more permanent building materials became more common as the town grew out of the fort. Brick makers had come to Virginia as early as 1608 but it wasn't until the 1620's that brick was used extensively in the construction of buildings.

The site of John White's House and/or Wharehouse was located just east of James Fort. It represents the transition from the wood and mud barracks type buildings of James Fort to the brick structures that sprang up around the "New Town" to the east after the Fort ceased to exist. It is a large structure by 17th-century standards, 46 x 30 feet. The foundations, which are only partially excavated to date, are built of brick and stone. Only two other buildings at Jamestown have footings constructed in this manner, the 1617/18 church and a warehouse from the 1620's that is on the waterfront 100 feet to the east.

The building seems to have burned sometime before 1650, and had to have been built after the mid 1620's. The fact that it burned is of special interest to archaeologists. A common scenario is that a building, being abandoned, is scavenged of all usable materials and becomes buried in time by it's own collapse and the dumping of refuse by nearby inhabitants. By the time archaeologists arrive on the scene hundreds of years later it is not known whether the artifacts in association with it have anything to do with the original use of the structure or its occupants. A building that burns is the equivalent of a time capsule. With luck archaeologists will find items exactly where they were at the time of the fire. These items can tell the story of the use of the building and hopefully something about the people who used it.

Documentary records show that a merchant/politician named John White acquired an acre of land on this site in 1644 therefore it is likely that this is his warehouse below a half-timber constructed living quarters above.