Volume 22, Number 2, Fall 2005 - Council of Virginia Archaeologists

32 Pages·2008·6.15 MB·English

V
i r g i n i a FALL 2005
VOLUME22 NUMBER2
A
r c h a e o l o g i s t
C O U N C I L O F V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T S N E W S L E T T E R
P (cid:146) major step forward in becoming aware of, and having a
RESIDENT S
voice in, the review process for sites receiving federal
funding. Mike will report on his Committee(cid:146)s work,and
C
OMMENTS the challenges they face, at the upcoming meeting in
Winchester.
Another important outcome of the process
IT IS ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH once again, with
relates to Menokin itself. In August, the Menokin
several weeks of tours, talks, and related public events
Foundation named Sarah Dillard Pope as their new
ahead to highlight the important role of archaeology
Executive Director. Ms. Pope brings to this position an
throughout the Commonwealth. Please plan to join us
impressive background in preservation and a strong
for the fall meeting of the Council of Virginia
interest in protecting the Foundation(cid:146)s archaeological
Archaeologists in Winchester on October 28th and the
resources.She has nearly a decade(cid:146)s worth of experience
public education session to follow. Dennis Pogue, chair
with the National Park Service in the National Register
of the Public Education Committee, has worked hard
program and has worked as a planner for the Virginia
with Warren Hofstra to secure us good meeting facilities
Main Street program. Ms. Pope contacted me in early
at Shenandoah University(cid:146)s History Center and has
September to discuss upcoming ground-disturbing
organized an excellent evening program.
work at the site and solicit my input on behalf of
While this year(cid:146)s theme is (cid:147)Archaeology on the
COVA. At the same time, she extended an open invita-
Edge,(cid:148) it would be fairer to say that over the past sever-
tion to us all to visit Menokin and share ideas with her.
al months the work of the Council has brought archae-
We will explore the possibility of holding a COVA
ology closer to the center of action and debate. I(cid:146)d like
meeting at the property in the future as a step towards
to highlight just two examples. As you recall, in 2003
opening up a productive dia-
COVA was made aware of, and began to craft a continued on page 2
response to, the destruction of an archaeological site at
Menokin, a National Historic Landmark located in T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Virginia(cid:146)s Northern Neck. Important outcomes of that 2 CURRENTRESEARCH
process were a report and recommendations submitted
19 CONFERENCES
to the membership by Julie King in 2004. Among the
21 COMMITTEEUPDATES
recommendations that she put forth,and that the mem-
bership approved, was COVA(cid:146)s participation in the 26 CONSERVATIONCOLUMN
Section 106 process as a consulting party on Save 27 HOWI SPENTMYSUMMER...
America(cid:146)s Treasures and other projects receiving federal 28 HEARDATTHESCREEN
grant money in Virginia.In the past six months,we have
29 NEWS
received that status from the National Park Service.
30 VIEWPOINT
Under the direction of Mike Barber, the Guidelines
31 COMMITTEELIST
Committee has expanded its role to review and com-
ment on relevant projects.I believe that we have taken a 32 CALENDAR
THE COUNCIL OF VIRGINIA ARCHAEOLOGISTS is organized to protect,
preserve and disseminate information on Virginia(cid:146)s archaeological resources.
C O V A - I N C . O R G PAGE1
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continued from page 1
logue in the years ahead. 2003. During his career, he received environmental
I(cid:146)d like to end this column by calling on all of us security awards from the Secretary of the Army and the
to pause and look back. The Virginian archaeological Secretary of Defense as well as a personal citation of
community lost a respected colleague and friend with merit. Alan(cid:146)s commitment to COVA, and his cheerful
the death of Alan Wormser on August 12. Alan came presence at our meetings, will be sorely missed.
to Virginia from Texas in 2000 as national program
manager of cultural resources at Army National Guard - Barbara J. Heath
headquarters in Arlington, and joined The Council in
C R
U R R E N T E S E A R C H
William and Mary Center ed to be eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places (NRHP) by the WMCAR. This evaluation was
for Archaeological sponsored by the Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT) and conducted in association
Research with the proposed construction of a new bridge to carry
King(cid:146)s Highway (Route 125) over the Nansemond River.
Courtney J. Birkett and Joe B. Jones The eligible sites each contain Late Woodland-Contact
period components, along with Archaic or Middle
Woodland components in several cases. One site con-
STAFF OF THE WILLIAM AND MARY CENTER FOR
tains an 18th-century domestic component, which may
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH (WMCAR) have been
be a contributing element to a potentially eligible
involved in a number of interesting projects in Virginia
archaeological district.
and Maryland over the course of the past year. During
In the spring, the WMCAR conducted an
the winter, the WMCAR conducted archaeological eval-
archaeological evaluation of the Chiles Homesite, near
uations at two sites (44LA147 and 44LA175) in Belle
the Potomac River in Maryland, for the Federal Bureau
Isle State Park in Lancaster County, Virginia in advance
of Land Management (BLM). Reverend William Chiles
of the building of a proposed visitor center. The inves-
acquired the property in the mid-nineteenth century,but
tigations were sponsored by the Division of Planning
he was not the first owner. The land was first patented
and Recreation Resources within the Virginia
in the mid-seventeenth century, and the house whose
Department of Conservation and Recreation.Test exca-
distinctive double chimneys still stand today was con-
vations revealed that both sites contained evidence of
structed in 1798. Diagnostic artifacts recovered from
Late Woodland-Contact period occupation, which may
the site date to the 18th through 20th centuries. While
be related to the settlement of Oquomock, noted on
these components are stratigraphically indistinguishable,
John Smith(cid:146)s 1612 map of the region.Site 44LA147 also
artifact densities across the site provide some clues to
contained Late Archaic and Middle Woodland compo-
site structure and evaluation results, in general, docu-
nents, as well as 18th-century domestic and architectur-
ment sufficient integrity and research potential to rec-
al artifacts. Historical research indicates that the 18th-
ommend the site eligible for the NRHP under Criterion
century component is associated with occupation of the
D. A brief overview of the site and investigation can be
site by members of the Bertrand family. However, the
found at http://www.wm.edu/wmcar/chiles/.
structural remains identified during the evaluation are
In what we hope may be indicative of a trend in
not part of the main domestic complex and instead rep-
CRM-based archaeology, the WMCAR has had two
resent a building that was most likely occupied by ten-
opportunities in recent months to prepare interpretive
ants or slaves.
plans containing recommendations for long-term public
In early 2005, the WMCAR evaluated nine sites
interpretation of significant archaeological sites that are
in the City of Suffolk, five of which were recommend-
PAGE2 C O V A - I N C . O R G
VOLUME22 NUMBER2 V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T FALL2005
to be preserved in place. In the case of both the afore- spring.Historic research indicates that the site was occu-
mentioned Chiles Homesite in Charles County, pied at that time by a farmer who was among the first in
Maryland and Site 44JC618 within the New Town tract the area to capitalize on the perceived medicinal bene-
in James City County just outside Williamsburg, the fits of the spring water from his spring by leasing bot-
BLM and New Town Associates LLC,respectively,have tling rights to a series of commercial spring water bot-
sponsored development of the site-specific interpretive tling ventures. Further investigation of this interesting
plans. An interpretive trail is planned for the Chiles site site is planned for the fall.
to be linked to a larger interpretive trail network planned In July, the WMCAR was offered an opportuni-
for the BLM and adjacent state-owned public lands at ty to conduct an archaeological survey and limited test-
Douglas Point, Maryland. Likewise, New Town ing of John Marshall Birthplace Park, supported by
Associates have taken the commendable approach of Fauquier County Department of Parks and Recreation.
preserving a significant nineteenth-century farmstead A pyramid marker was placed in the park in the early
domestic site as greenspace within the mixed residen- twentieth century based primarily on oral traditions con-
tial/retail New Town development in James City cerning the birthplace of the first Chief Justice of the
County. The latter park, which may come to be known U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall in 1755. The mark-
as Roper Farmstead Park, will contain the archaeologi- er,currently surrounded by a flagstone pavement,refers
cal site preserved in place. Both plans include specific to the location of the birthplace as (cid:147)nearby,(cid:148) leaving
recommendations for interpretive signs, trails, benches, some doubt as to the actual location of the Marshall
lighting, management of vegetation, and handicapped family dwelling site. Systematic survey resulted in iden-
accessibility, as well as recommendations for long-term, tification of a highly discrete scatter of primarily early
responsible management of the archaeological to mid-18th-century domestic artifacts focused in the
resources. immediate vicinity of the birthplace monument.
Later in the spring of this year, WMCAR Documentation discovered during the background
archaeologists identified an interesting early to mid- research revealed additional information that further
19th-century domestic site in the Shenandoah Valley supports the expectation that the early to mid-eigh-
while conducting an archaeological survey of proposed teenth-century archaeological component represents
improvements to Route 644 in Rockingham County, a the remains of a dwelling occupied by the Marshall fam-
road that leads up to Massanutten Resort. The project ily at the time John Marshall was born.Future work may
was sponsored by Anderson & Associates, Inc. of include archaeological evaluation and additional
Blacksburg, Virginia as part of a public-private partner- research aimed at confirming the potential significance
ship project with the VDOT. Site 44RM469 was found and NRHP-eligibility of the site that is suggested by the
to contain relatively high densities of nineteenth-centu- results of the survey.
ry domestic and structural artifacts focused near a
Archaeology tion where a large work room, 60x30 feet, housed five
stills along the long east wall. Mashing, or cooking, the
at Mount Vernon grain and fermentation took place in hogsheads located
in the northwest quadrant of the room. Water for
Dennis Pogue and Esther White mashing was heated in a large copper boiler set to the
south of the masonry-supported mashing floor.
Distillery The northern 15 feet of the building was sepa-
rated from the main room of the structure by a stone
MOUNT VERNON(cid:146)S ARCHAEOLOGISTS completed
partition wall. This area was further divided into two
work at the site of George Washington(cid:146)s Distillery in
rooms by a post-in-ground partition and is interpreted
early 2005 and construction began during the summer
as a storage area and office space for carrying out the
of the structure which housed one of the largest early
business dealings of the enterprise. A plethora of
American whiskey distilleries. Five years of archaeolog-
domestic artifacts found within this portion of the site
ical excavations informed the layout of the reconstruc-
continued on page 4
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continued from page 3
randomly (cid:150) the width and profile of the mortar joint,
and the composition of the mortar itself. To help us in
making these decisions, we consulted period docu-
ments, but even more helpful was studying other stone
buildings in the area that date from this period. One of
the best sources is Rockledge, a two-story stone house
located in Occoquan,in Prince William County,that was
th
built in two stages during the mid-to-late 18 century.
Our building follows the Rockledge model in that the
stone is randomly laid with plain,recessed joints that are
roughly one to two inches in width. The mortar is made
th
from lime, as it was in the 18 century, but we were
required to add modern materials to meet current build-
ing codes.
The distillery(cid:146)s loft will be open to the public
The reconstructed distillery incorporates random
and the workers(cid:146) chambers will be furnished and inter-
laid Ohio sandstone and plain, recessed joints.
preted. This space will also house an exhibit about the
suggests that the finished loft chambers housing two history of distilling and whiskey in America. Opening
hired white distillers, mentioned in the documentary up the loft necessitated additional egress, stairs and an
record, were located at this end of the building. elevator to accommodate visitors. These requirements
Reconstruction of the large whiskey distillery are being housed in a small extension to the north end
began June 23,after six years of archaeological excava- of the building.
tions, two years of intense planning, and six months to The completed reconstruction is scheduled to
get an approved building permit from the State of open to the public in October 2006 as a fully operating
Virginia. Within two weeks the concrete foundations distillery. Mount Vernon Archaeology(cid:146)s webpage
were poured and on July 12 masons began to prepare www.mountvernon.org posts pictures each week docu-
and lay stone for the walls. We hope to have all the walls menting the construction progress.
completed before the end of November. Washington(cid:146)s
masons erected the original distillery walls in a remark- South Lane Restoration
ably short period (cid:150) over 60 days between late October
As the culmination of numerous archaeological
and early December,1797 (cid:150) a pace that our masons can-
not even hope to match. excavations carried out over more than a decade, reno-
The stone used in the original distillery was vation of the Mount Vernon historic exhibition area
quarried at Mount Vernon and consisted of iron-rich referred to as the (cid:147)South Lane(cid:148) was completed this
sandstone. Approximately 5000 cubic feet of stone, summer. The goal of the project was to restore the lane
weighing more than 370 tons, is needed for the recon- to its appearance in 1799, the year of George
struction. No quarries in Virginia currently produce Washington(cid:146)s death and the point in time when the
this type of stone,so we have contracted with a compa- organization attempts to interpret the plantation. The
ny in Ohio to supply the needed material. Fortunately, combination of archaeological and documentary data
the Ohio stone is virtually identical to the Mount indicates that a structure, the (cid:147)dung repository,(cid:148) was
Vernon stone, and we have used it in other applications located at one end of the lane, and that unusual build-
at Mount Vernon where we needed to replicate the ing was reconstructed in 2001. A nearby fruit garden
th and nursery were recreated several years ago, based pri-
18 -century masonry.
marily on the evidence of archaeological investigations.
In addition to finding a stone that matches the
In 2002 the Victorian-era well house behind the kitchen
original work, we needed to determine the overall
was removed and a pump placed above the brick well.
(cid:147)look(cid:148)of the stone walls. This means deciding how the
The final project completing the restoration of
stones would be laid (cid:150) whether in regular courses or
PAGE4 C O V A - I N C . O R G
VOLUME22 NUMBER2 V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T FALL2005
th
posthole pattern for the 18 -century fence line.
During 2001 and 2002 the path of the fence bounding
the brick kitchen yard was completely excavated. Two
th
18 -century brick drains, an earlier drainage ditch, a
small pit feature, and the postholes for the fence were
recorded. The postholes were found directly under-
neath the foundation of the later brick wall and in this
area the masonry was completely lifted from the ground
to facilitate excavation.
Archaeological testing along the route of the
fence bounding the lane, from the kitchen yard to the
dung repository, revealed that culturally sensitive soils
were not present south of the kitchen yard. The deci-
sion was therefore made to mitigate each individual
modern posthole during the reconstruction, rather than
The south lane fence runs from the kitchen to the
completely excavated the area. During the summer of
dung repository.
2005, working with the restoration carpenter, archaeol-
the Lane was the reconstruction of a post and plank ogists excavated soils as the brick wall foundation was
fence probably built during the mid-1770s. The fence(cid:146)s punched through to set the modern posts. Washington-
postholes were initially seen during excavations in 1992 era postholes were encountered in many of the modern
in the kitchen yard, although a regular pattern was not holes, and these instances confirmed the six-foot spac-
discerned during that limited excavation. In 2001, an th
ing of the 18 -century fence posts. This methodology
th
early 20 -century brick wall along the South Lane was worked very well and allowed for data recovery without
removed and archaeological excavations confirmed the completely removing all evidence of the c. 1910 brick
wall.
Louis Berger Group, Inc. tion relevant to the interpretation of slave life.
The landscape around the site has been greatly
Charlie LeeDecker altered, not only during the site(cid:146)s historic occupation
period, but also during subsequent restoration cam-
Arlington House, Robert E. Lee paigns under periods of ownership by the War
Department and National Park Service. In some areas
Memorial
west of the main house, deposits associated with the
THE LOUIS BERGER GROUP, INC. (Berger), has early construction periods (1803-1804 and 1817-1818)
completed a program of archeological investigations at were identified, as were interim living surfaces finished
Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, for the by the 1830s. Excavations in the south wing (dairy) of
National Park Service, National Capital Region. The the main house identified a deep drywell mentioned in
2003-2004 work focused on the main house, its associ- oral histories of former slaves as being used for storage
ated dependencies/slave quarters, vegetable garden, and butter churning. In the same room, an area of her-
courtyard, and the area of potential effects associated ringbone-pattern brick floor was identified as possibly
with a proposed underground bunker, utility corridor, the oldest intact brick flooring on the site.
and comfort station. The investigations were conduct- In the south dependency, excavations in Selina
ed in compliance with Section 106 of the National Gray(cid:146)s room revealed a complex archeological record,
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and were designed beginning with a buried natural landscape surface and
to provide information for an Historic Structure culminating with features and deposits associated with
Report, to broaden understanding of the developmen- the 1959-era restoration. Investigations in the smoke-
tal history of the landscape, and to provide informa- house found a twentieth-cen-
continued on page 6
C O V A - I N C . O R G PAGE5
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continued from page 5
tury reconstructed hearth over and brick foundation (Site 44AR0037), most likely asso-
a larger hearth and wall trench that may date to the ciated with the occupation of Jackson City. Daingerfield
Custis/Lee period (1802-1861). Limited testing in the Island: A prehistoric site with a minor historic compo-
storehouse room identified evidence only of a modern nent (Site 44AX0194) was identified, with Late
fireplace reconstruction and a live electrical line. Woodland and possibly Early Woodland material.
Much of the work in the north dependency For additional information, contact Matt Virta
focused on the areas adjacent to doorways, to address ([email protected]).
questions raised in the Historic Structure Report.
Previous restoration campaigns have significantly An Unusual Late Woodland
altered the interior and exterior grades in this area, and
Assemblage from 44PW1291,
these events have left little record of the nineteenth-
century occupation. In the coachman(cid:146)s room, evidence Prince William County, Virginia
of a possible early to mid-nineteenth-century floor was
In late 2002,The Louis Berger Group,Inc.,con-
found, along with rubble deposits from the 1871 and
ducted a Phase II evaluation of Site 44PW1291 at
1929 reconstruction campaigns.
Marine Corps Base Quantico,in Prince William County,
Investigation of the garden area indicated this
Virginia. An extraordinary quantity of cultural material
area has generally maintained its nineteenth-century
was recovered from shovel tests and two test units with-
contours, although the ground surface appears to have
in the 80x50-meter southern locus of the site. No intact
been raised slightly by the addition of topsoil, presum-
cultural features were exposed, but there is a good pos-
ably introduced as a soil amendment.
sibility that they exist in the unexcavated portion of the
For additional information, contact Bob
site. Even without feature contexts, the assemblage
Sonderman ([email protected]).
from the test units in the southern locus is highly
informative, especially the large sherds of Late
Arlington Boathouse
Woodland pottery ascribed to a new ceramic type,
The Louis Berger Group, Inc., conducted a (cid:147)Chopawamsic Fabric-Impressed, var. Incised.(cid:148) In
Phase I archeological investigation on behalf of the addition to the predominant Late Woodland pottery and
National Park Service for the proposed Arlington triangular points, a small number of diagnostic artifacts
Boathouse in Arlington County, Virginia, in 2004 and denote earlier episodes of occupation of the southern
2005. Five alternative sites on the Virginia side of the locus during the Middle Archaic (a Morrow Mountain
Potomac are being considered; they are located on or point), Late Archaic (a broken Bare Island point), Early
near land administered by the George Washington Woodland (a probable Piscataway point), and Middle
Memorial Parkway: the Lower Rosslyn Waterfront, the Woodland (a small Mockley-like sherd).
Upper Rosslyn Waterfront, Rosslyn VDOT, down- Sixty-eight ceramic sherds were recovered from
th Test Unit 1 and 109 were found in Test Unit 2. Among
stream from (south of) the 14 Street Bridge, and the
these are a dozen large sherds from Levels 4 and 5 of
Daingerfield Island shoreline. The investigation includ-
Test Unit 2. The survival of these sherds within 40 cen-
ed background research, shovel tests, geoarcheological
timeters of the surface suggests that the cultural
probes by hand auger, and mechanical excavation of
deposits have incurred minimal, if any, damage from
trenches on land, and magnetic remote sensing survey
plowing. The most common ware represented is fabric-
with selected excavations offshore.
impressed, tempered with grit or sand. Some sherds
These investigations have identified two archeo-
perhaps also contained shell temper particles at one
th
logical sites. 14 Street Bridge: Documentary research
time, but these have leached out, leaving only small
indicated that this area might contain traces of Fort
voids. The presence of shell temper, albeit in small
Jackson from the 1860s and remnant structures in
amounts, may justify ascription of these sherds to the
Jackson City (ca.1870-1905),as well as prehistoric mate-
Rappahannock Fabric-Impressed type.
rial. Jackson City was a notorious center of racetrack
However, several of these sherds display a mix-
gambling and illicit activities. One of the mechanically
ture of attributes generally taken as definitive of two
excavated trenches in this area disclosed part of a stone
PAGE6 C O V A - I N C . O R G
VOLUME22 NUMBER2 V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T FALL2005
distinct Late Woodland types. On one sherd, the exte- Plain or Moyaone Plain (Stephenson and Ferguson
rior surface treatment consists of fabric impression, 1963:119-120, 124-125). A few have cord-impressed
overlain by an incised triangular plat (presumably one of decoration that is consistent with the Potomac Creek
many arrayed around the vessel(cid:146)s neck). Such decora- Cord Impressed type (Stephenson and Ferguson
tion is typical of Rappahannock Incised pottery (e.g., 1963:115-119). Several sherds bear incised lines, most
Egloff and Potter 1982:108, figure 11), which dates to notably a small sherd on which five deep, parallel verti-
between ca.AD 950 and 1600; however,Rappahannock cal incisions are perpendicular to a horizontal line. The
Incised pottery is shell-tempered, and the Site incisions seem more regular than those seen in illustrat-
44PW1291 sherds are tempered mainly with quartz par- ed specimens of Moyaone Incised, and the sherd does
ticles and sand. The latter temper is the kind usually not readily conform to any of the extant regional Late
found in Potomac Creek ceramics, but those are gener- Woodland types. It bears a general (and probably coin-
ally decorated only with complex patterns of cord- cidental) resemblance instead to incised Iroquoian wares
marking,not incised designs. Stephenson and Ferguson from New York, e.g., Chance Incised and Cayadutta
(1963:123-124, plate XIX) recognized a separate type at Incised, and imitative pottery made by New England
Accokeek Creek, Moyaone Incised, a ware, tempered Algonquians between ca. AD 1200 and 1600 (Chilton
with extremely fine sand, that bore designs of incised 1998).
triangles or lines around the rim. Apart from the finer For more information, contact Stuart Fiedel
temper, Moyaone ware resembled Potomac Creek pot- ([email protected]).
tery.
Potter (1993:134-136) noted, after re-examining References
Schmitt(cid:146)s original collection from the Potomac Creek Blanton, Dennis B., et al.
type site (Schmitt 1965), that one feature contained 1999 The Potomac Creek Site (44ST2) Revisited. Research
sherds with the same mixture of attributes that appears Report Series No. 10. Virginia Department of
Historic Resources, Richmond.
in the Site 44PW1291 sherds: quartz temper and
Rappahannock Incised designs. Although Potter reluc-
Chilton, Elizabeth S.
tantly acknowledged the possibility that this pottery
1998 The Cultural Origins of Technical Choice:
might represent an in-place stylistic transition, over
Unraveling Algonquian and Iroquoian Ceramic
time,from Rappahannock Incised to Potomac Creek,he
Traditions in the Northeast. In The Archaeology of
preferred to view it as the result of acculturation.
Social Boundaries, edited by M.T. Stark, pp. 132-160.
Whether through warfare capture, adoption, or inter- Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
marriage, some pot-maker at Potomac Creek was mix-
ing elements of her natal tradition with later-acquired Egloff, Keith T., and Stephen R. Potter
elements to produce this hybrid ware. The similar 1982 Indian Ceramics from Coastal Plain Virginia.
sherds from Site 44PW1291 indicate that this was not a Archaeology of Eastern North America 10:95-117.
one-time, fluke event. Perhaps it is time to recognize
Potter, Stephen R.
the consistent combination of disparate elements as a
1993 Commoners, Tribute and Chiefs: The Development of
new type, which we have provisionally named as
Algonquian Culture in the Potomac Valley. University of
Chopawamsic Fabric Impressed (with an Incised vari-
Virginia Press, Charlottesville.
ant). This type may represent either a temporal variant,
resulting from the widespread social effects of Potomac
Schmitt, Karl
Creek intrusion into the Inner Coastal Plain ca. AD 1965 Patawomeke: An Historic Algonkian Site.Quarterly
1300 (Blanton 1999; Potter 1993), or perhaps marks the Bulletin of the Archeological Society of Virginia 20:1-56.
regionally specific output of an ethnic group occupying
the frontier between groups that made, respectively, Stephenson, Robert L., and Alice L. Ferguson
Rappahannock/Townsend and Potomac Creek ceram- 1963 The Accokeek Creek Site: A Middle Atlantic Seaboard
ics. Cultural Sequence. Anthropological Papers 20.
Some small sherds appear to represent a plain- Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor.
surfaced,sand-tempered ware,probably Potomac Creek
C O V A - I N C . O R G PAGE7
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Ratcliffe Cemetery, City of somewhat disjointed rows of graveshafts are in the
northwest side, and the remainder are distributed in
Fairfax
irregular fashion.
The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (Berger), has A total of 62 people,26 of whom were civilians,
completed an archaeological survey at the Ratcliffe and 36 of whom were Civil War soldiers,including both
Cemetery (44FX1174) for the Office of Historic Confederate and Union,has been linked to the Ratcliffe
Resources, City of Fairfax. The survey goal was to map Cemetery through physical evidence or archival records.
and record the graves and markers in the cemetery and While the majority of the civilian burials were Ratcliffe
define the boundary of the cemetery long thought to be family members, some were not. The survey identified
the final resting place of Richard Ratcliffe, founding several marked tombstones and other fieldstone grave
father of Providence (City of Fairfax). Located on the markers, some of which appear to be head and foot
west side of the city, the surveyed property includes markers, only two of which have engravings.
four lots of a residential development, encompassing Tombstones were found for Anna Jones, Edgar and
roughly two acres. William Skinner, and Winefred Ratcliffe, all Ratcliffe
Richard Ratcliffe purchased land including the family members. Others marked with the initials ESH,
surveyed property in 1786 and died in 1825. His son, J.A., A.W., and AJ are not tied to the Ratcliffes. A head-
Charles, inherited the land surrounding the family man- stone for Lewis B. Harlow, a Confederate soldier who
sion, called Mount Vinyard, and sold it in 1828, setting died at nearby Camp Harrison, was identified.
aside two acres for a family burying ground. Ownership Archival records suggest several Ratcliffe family
of the land surrounding the cemetery passed from the members were buried in the Ratcliffe Cemetery, includ-
Ratcliffe family when William Rumsey purchased it in ing a Jackson baby, Mrs. (Jane Ratcliffe) Jones, Mildred
1842; however, the cemetery still belongs to the heirs of Deneale Ratcliffe, Matilda Wilcoxon Farr, Marianna
Charles Ratcliffe. The cemetery(cid:146)s period of use begins Jones Thornton, and William Chapman. Non-family
as early as 1818 with the death of Richard Ratcliffe(cid:146)s members include Mrs. Beck, Dr. Frederick Baker,
son, John, and extends to as late as 1895 with the death Catherine Draper, Lillie Chapman, and 35 Union sol-
of Richard(cid:146)s great granddaughter, Marianna Jones diers, including Jacob Krieg and August Frey. Those
Thornton,thus spanning most of the nineteenth centu- possibly buried in the cemetery with no archival record
ry or physical evidence include Richard Ratcliffe and his
Archaeological fieldwork consisted of a surface wife Louisiana/Locian, John and Lucinda Ratcliffe,
survey to record all depressions,markers,and other fea- Charles Ratcliffe (Richard(cid:146)s son, who set aside the
tures associated with the use of the site as a cemetery.A acreage for the cemetery), Samuel Ratcliffe Farr,
total of 89 depressions were identified as potential Cornelia Ratcliff, Robert Ratcliffe, Jr., and additional
graveshafts. Three other depressions are considered to Confederate soldiers.
be tree falls, and three more are recorded as (cid:147)forts(cid:148) For more information, contact Charlie
excavated by local juveniles. Within the cemetery, three LeeDecker ([email protected])
Alexandria Archaeology Code requirement under which City archaeologists iden-
tify properties with high potential for archaeological
Steven Shephard resources within the development approval process.
Because the City(cid:146)s archaeologists were aware of the his-
Colross Urban Plantation tory of Colross, a major urban estate complex in his-
toric Alexandria,investigation of the block was required
R. CHRISTOPHER GOODWIN & ASSOCIATES, INC. to locate and fully explore any archeological resources,
recently conducted excavations at the site of Colross in
and document the site while scientifically recovering
Alexandria. Investigation of this important property,
artifacts.
which began in June prior to the onset of construction
The Colross site is unusual for the City of
of a retail and condominium complex, was undertaken
Alexandria, because it retains the remains of a grand
as a result of an Alexandria Archaeological Protection
nineteenth-century urban estate. The entire block
PAGE8 C O V A - I N C . O R G
VOLUME22 NUMBER2 V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T FALL2005
bounded by Oronoco, North Fayette, Pendleton and behind the house; the foundations of the house itself,
North Henry Street,initially was developed as a residen- including the possible basement kitchen; a network of
tial complex by John Potts,a prominent Alexandria mer- brick walkways; and the foundations of various out-
chant, who began the construction of a brick house on buildings. One set of brick foundations, tentatively
the property in 1800. Potts ran into financial difficulties identified as the stable, encloses a chimney base with
and offered the not-completed house for sale in 1801. two hearths and a domed brick water cistern. The cis-
The eventual purchaser was Jonathan Swift, another tern appears to be designed to filter the water and is
noted merchant, who referred to the estate variously as similar to two other filtration cisterns found in
(cid:147)Belle Air(cid:148) or (cid:147)Grasshopper Hall.(cid:148) Swift(cid:146)s wife, two Alexandria. In the northwest portion of the property,
daughters and three sons lived at the mansion. A sketch the foundation of what is believed to be a rectangular
of the property attached to a Declaration of Assurance burial vault also was uncovered. There were no remains
record of 1803 noted that the kitchen of the two-story of burials discovered, all interments presumably having
brick dwelling was located in the stone basement below been removed in the twentieth century. Collectively,
the house, and that there also was a smoke house and these discoveries are providing an unusually complete
one-and-one-half story stable on the property. glimpse into the evolution of a nineteenth-century
Jonathan Swift, a Freemason, died at Colross in Alexandria urban estate.
1824 and probably was buried there in a vault, although
research is on-going to verify this fact.Colross then was Cameron Mills
purchased by Thomson Mason, grandson of George
Archeologists with R. Christopher Goodwin &
Mason and a respected attorney and judge. Mason
Associates, Inc. conducted excavations at the site of
made extensive modifications and additions to the
Cameron Mills, located on Eisenhower Avenue in
house before his death in 1837; Mason and two of his
Alexandria. The former mill site is slated for develop-
children also were interred on the property in a vault,
ment as a multi-story parking facility. Investigation of
but were removed and reinterred by subsequent proper-
this important property was undertaken as a result of
ty owners. During the Civil War, Colross was seized by
Alexandria(cid:146)s Archeological Protection Code. The prop-
Federal authorities; tradition has it that several Union
erty owner, Hoffman Management, Inc., retained the
deserters were executed against a brick wall on the
archeological consultants to locate, explore and docu-
estate. William Smoot, lumber merchant and mayor,
ment the mill site and to scientifically recover artifacts.
resided in the house with his family from 1885 until
The foundations of two 18th-century gristmills were
1917. The estate remained virtually intact until 1917,
exposed, as well as a building that housed a steam
when a warehouse complex and other buildings associ-
engine and boiler later used to power one of the mills.
ated with the Alexandria Hay and Grain Company,were
The two mills that formed the complex known
built on the northern half of the block.
as Cameron Mills were built between 1791 and 1798 by
In 1927, the mansion was ravaged by a tornado
the partnership of William Bird, John Stump, and John
and fell into disrepair,but in 1932 the house was bought
Thomas Ricketts.As depicted on a 1798 Plan of the Town
by John Munn, who systematically dismantled it, trans-
of Alexandria in the District of Columbia, the complex
ported it to Princeton, N.J., and reconstructed it there.
included a lengthy headrace that tapped Cameron Run
Following Munn(cid:146)s death in 1956, it became the central
far upstream of the mill site; two mill buildings; and a
building of the Princeton Day School, which it remains
tailrace that flowed directly south into Great Hunting
to this day.During the second half of the twentieth cen-
Creek/Cameron Run. Because this stream was naviga-
tury,a large 50-truck garage,an electric sub-station,a car
ble for shallow-draft vessels through the early nine-
wash, the large Hennage Printing Company building,
teenth century, flour and meal produced at the mills
and several other smaller retail buildings all occupied
could be transferred to lighters and then ferried down
this block. Given such massive twentieth-century devel-
Great Hunting Creek directly to larger sea-going vessels
opment,it was surprising to discover that extensive rem-
or to wharves along the Potomac River.
nants of Colross remained buried and intact.
In 1833 Stump and Ricketts(cid:146) heirs partitioned
The archaeological fieldwork exposed various
the property formerly held in common by the partners,
landscape features associated with the large garden area
continued on page 10
C O V A - I N C . O R G PAGE9
VOLUME22 NUMBER2 V I R G I N I A A R C H A E O L O G I S T FALL2005
continued from page 9
en common mill wheel with a new, 18 foot wide iron
overshot wheel, and constructing a (cid:147)solid foundation(cid:148)
to support it. This modification has been substantiated
archeologically; between the two mills, where the race
was located, excavators have uncovered a stone support
pier, a stone wall that would have supported the frame
structure of the original race, and other stone and con-
crete structure modifications to the mill race. The water
company also widened the head races; constructed out-
buildings, installed or refurbished the dam and water
Archaeologists uncovering the basement of Colross. gates; and relocated the original millrace or added a sec-
ond race. In 1927, the company purchased the Roberts
and sold their rights to Richard Windsor, a miller in
gristmill, which they razed the following year, claiming
southern Fairfax County. Windsor re-sold the mill com-
that it constituted a fire hazard. Thereafter, only the
plex to two brothers from New Jersey, Reuben and
company(cid:146)s pumping facility occupied the site.
Robert F. Roberts. In 1851, the Roberts(cid:146) sold the east-
The Virginia American Water Company eventu-
ern mill building to the newly formed Alexandria Water
ally disposed of this property in 1990 to Mill Two
Company, which provided the first central water supply
Associates Partnership, which in turn exchanged the
for the city. The gravity-fed system that drew its supply
parcel with the Hoffman interests for one of compara-
from a stone-lined reservoir atop Shuter(cid:146)s Hill utilized
ble value. The remaining structures were taken down
water that was pumped uphill from Cameron Mill(cid:146)s mill-
shortly thereafter and the site has been used ever since
race, through the modified eastern mill building, to the
as a parking lot.
reservoir. With this acquisition, the history of the two
mill buildings diverged.
Edmund Hunt and the Roberts family descen-
dants continued to operate the western mill as a grist-
mill until 1917. The archeological team has exposed the
basic foundation of this mill,as well as a southern addi-
tion that was built in 1875 to house the steam engine,
boiler, and a coal bin or pit. The foundations of an
addition to the western mill, which may have func-
tioned as an equipment storage room, also were uncov-
ered.
The water company significantly modified its
part of the old mill site by first replacing the old wood- The western mill foundations,
Cameron Mills site.
Let the World Know What We(cid:146)re Doing in Virginia!
Have you just completed a fantastic survey? Has your intern analyzed that box of faunal remains?
Made a new discovery? The editor of the Quarterly Bulletin (QB) seeks articles of any size on Virginia
archaeology or related subjects to publish. Publication in the QB will give your work, projects, or
ideas wider dissemination, not only in Virginia, but also throughout the country. The QB presently has more than
90 institutional subscribers, which include public, academic, and research libraries from coast to coast.
Quarterly Bulletin editor (and lifetime COVA member) Ted Reinhart, is a friendly, accommodating, and for-
giving editor with a professional archaeology background. You will be given the opportunity to see your article as
it will appear in the QB and proof it before publication. Your articles usually appear within six months and some-
time sooner after submission.
Please contact Ted at [email protected] with submissions or questions.
PAGE10 C O V A - I N C . O R G