ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE GEORGE WILLARD HOUSE (18FR696)
A federal farm house in southern Frederick County, Maryland
by
James R. Beall, Ph.D., Stacey Streett, A.A., and Guy Whidden, M.Ed
Note: Originally published in Maryland Archeology, Volume
31, 9-24, March-September 1995.
This WWW version is still under construction. Illustrations, tables and certain supporting documentation are yet to be added. This WWW version also contains photographs and additional information that is not contained in the published version cited above.
You may wish to view these related documents:
http://www.fred.net/jbeall/GWSTORY.mht (An informal history of the George Willard family, with references)
http://www.fred.net/jbeall/volunt.html (This contains the names of volunteers who helped with the archaeological study)
http://www.fred.net/jbeall/GW1.mht (A page of related links concerned with the history of the house)
http://www.fred.net/jbeall/pub1.mht (This version contains photographs of the house)
http://www.fred.net/jbeall/owners.html (A chronological listing of past owners of the house)
E-mail questions, comments, or requests to: James Beall, 4804 Old Middletown Road, Jefferson, MD 21755.
ABSTRACT
An archeological investigation of a midden beneath the
kitchen of a Georgian-style, federal, farm house has recovered numerous
artifacts and ecofacts from early 19th century life in rural
INTRODUCTION
Site 18FR696 in
The house remains in a relatively unadulterated condition( Photographs 1 and
2). Nearby is an old tannery site. We thought that a study of the house and
tannery site might offer an usually clear view into the lives of a successful
19th century family from
HISTORY
Land records of Frederick County were traced through past
owners to George Willard who, with his wife Susannah, built the house on land
he had purchased from Elias Delashmutt Jr. in 1802 (Table 1). George Willard
was a son of Elias Willard and Roseanna Gump Willard (married, 1762). George's
father, Elias, had immigrated from
In 1795, George Willard bought lot #6 on the north side of the road in New
Freedom, MD (Archives 1795, Rice, 1984), renamed Jefferson in 1832 (Archives,
1832). The purchase gave him access to the continually running spring and an
adjoining 675 ft2 (apx. 64 m2) plot of land located about 400m north of lot #6.
In the next 3 years, George used the land and water supply to start a tanyard,
that was probably the area's first industry (Rice, 1984). In 1798, he bought
land next to the spring on which his tanyard existed (Archives, 1798). In 1802,
he bought the spring itself and about 30 acres around it, gaining access to the
tanning operation from
In 1805, George Willard married Susannah Culler, a 24 year old woman from a local family. Official records that required Susannah's signature were signed only with an "X" near her name (below which may be written "her mark") suggesting that she could not write her name.
George and Susannah built a Georgian-style, center-hall, brick farm house with 9 rooms and 8 fireplaces (Photograph 1). It was finished in 1818 (Rice, 1984). By 1845, George and Susannah had five daughters and four sons living. George owned five slaves, two farms totaling over 300 acres, three houses, a tannery, a blacksmith shop, and a barouche (Archives, 1845).
The Willard's second surviving son, John, married Louisa Ann Wasmus on March
9, 1841 (Beall, 1993). They probably moved into the George Willard House soon
thereafter because George's will of 1845 states that John was "now living
in the house." The will further indicates that George and Susannah were
living in another house in
John and Louisa had six children by 1856. That year both John and the
youngest daughter, Anne, died (Archives, 1856). John's brother, Henry,
purchased the farm and house from John's estate in 1856 through a series of deals
involving Ezra and Amanda Thomas (Archives 1856a, 1856b, and 1856c). Though
Henry Willard bought John's house, Louisa, and her children probably continued
to live in it. Records show that Henry Willard was living in
The George Willard House has undergone relatively few changes since 1818. The earliest changes probably were made about 1853 when John and Louisa (with other family members) borrowed $7,000 from Fredericktowne Savings Institution. Those changes included installing a trifolding door between two adjoining rooms on the east side of the first floor to yield front and rear parlors that could be converted to a single room when desired. They also included adding a large front portico with a balcony, and windows for light beside the main door.
Between 1875 and 1915, the Charles Zimmerman family divided two second floor rooms to yield two extra bedrooms, and added wainscot decoration to the sitting room and kitchen, and enclosed the area beside the kitchen fireplace to form a food storage closet. About 1925, the Bussard family installed electricity, and indoor running cold water (driven from the spring by a ram pump). The house lacked indoor bathrooms and hot water.
In the late 1940s, Mrs. Elgin installed four closets, central heat, indoor bathrooms with running hot water and the supporting septic system. She removed the peg boards, replastered much of the house, and modernized the kitchen. She also added two small rooms to the outside of the house.
Between 1960 and 1984 the house deteriorated extensively. By 1985, the south east quadrant of the kitchen floor was partially rotten and had a large hole in it. Starting in 1985 a major restoration effort was undertaken. It included stabilization of the foundation, removal of the two external additions, and installation of modern plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating sources. During restoration of the kitchen in 1986, the floor was removed and a utility trench was dug to accommodate plumbing and wires. The trenching operation revealed several artifacts buried in loose dirt below the floor. That discovery led to this archeological investigation which started in 1992.
METHODS
The National Registry of Historic Places designates archaeologically important areas in a given historic place with alphabetical letters. The location of the midden in this study is defined therein as "Area A". Area A resides under the kitchen floor and measures 15' x 22'(Fig. 3). About 30" below the kitchen floor joists there is a base of hard-packed red clay with an uneven surface (Fig. 4). Over this base is a layer of loosely-packed, dark, brown dirt, with an uneven surface created by modernization activities. Above the loose dirt is a layer of fiber glass that was blown uniformly over the surface as an insulating barrier about 1950 and then disrupted in 1986 when new utilities and a floor were installed.
About 4m3 of the brown dirt was displaced during various modernization efforts to produce a 5m long, L-shaped, trench for pipes, ducts and wires. Except for the trench, the loose brown dirt containing artifacts filled about 80% of the available space between the clay base and the floor joists. Partly because dirt was displaced during modernization, the layer varies greatly in depth but generally fills the space above the clay to within 15cm of most floor joists. The total volume of the loose brown dirt is estimated to be 30m3.
When our excavations started the limited space under the joists permitted only one person at a time to work there. Ingress and egress to the dig site is accomplished by crawling on one's elbows and stomach, military style, through an irregular opening (50x70cm)in the stone foundation supporting the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Except for the kitchen the first floor is built over a cellar. The access hole is located in the north wall of the cellar beneath the dining room about 1.25m above the cellar floor. The trench was so narrow that we could only crawl a few meters into it when the dig started. Removal of artifacts was therefore confined to the sides and floor of the trench as we worked our way under the kitchen.
When the dig started, making accurate measurements using a standard grid system posed a very difficult problem. The George Willard House was built on a nearly north-south line, facing south. We used this fact to help create an interim three dimensional grid that capitalized on the close proximity of the floor joists (easily located in the trench by raising one's head quickly). We defined the intersect of the joist and footer board at the southeast corner of the kitchen floor as point "0,0", and used the floor joists, that run at about 16" on center, as "X" axes (east-west) grid lines. We marked distances from the footer board (at the kitchen's east foundation wall) on the joists to define the "Y" axes (north-south) grid lines. Measurements from the planar surface defined by the bottoms of the joists downward to the artifacts provide the third dimension. To comport with measurements used in construction of the house, we measured distances in inches and feet. For example, an artifact might have been recorded as being 26" below joist No. 4, at 12'3" west (from the east joist footer board).
Because of space limitations, dirt could not be sifted with control in situ. We used a wooden sled (9.5 x 30 x 60 cm) to transport dirt to a more practical sifting area. The sled had a tin base and runners on each end that tapered outward from bottom to top. Ropes attached at each end permitted us to pull the sled either direction as needed. Each sled-load of dirt represented a defined location and was sifted for findings outside the house.
ARTIFACTS AND ECOFACTS
Since 1992, about 25% of the dirt in area A has been removed and sifted. Thousands of artifacts and ecofacts that date from the late 1700s to the present, have been recovered. Though many modern artifacts lend support to the stages and dates of modernization, we chose to focus this report on the historic findings.
By count, most findings are pieces of early window panes, bottles, ceramics, charcoal, coal and nails, and bones of small mammals including mice and rats that inhabited the area. The remaining findings, though fewer in number, are from many aspects of early life. Table 2 summarizes categories of artifacts by intended use.
Ecofacts of food included clam and oyster shells, walnut and almond shells, peach and plum pits, and bones from cattle, pigs, chickens, and small game birds. Bones of small fish and a corn cob have also been found. Court records from 1856 state that John Willard grew corn and purchased herring by the barrel (Archives, 1856). Evidence of cooking (and heating) includes pieces of charcoal, coal and slag.
Drinking vessels and liquid containers are evidenced by shards of early hand blown wine, port, and perhaps soft-beverage bottles, cups, and glasses. Tea cups were made of pearlware or stoneware and were in several styles of polychromatic ceramics (c. 1810), red and blue rainbow and blue spatter (c. 1820), and blue transfer patterns (c. 1830-1860). Also clear glass shards of drinking vessels have been recovered. Shards of a dark blue cobalt pressed wine glass have also been recovered.
Shards of redware, slipware, stoneware, pearlware and other ceramics,
milkglass and clear glass, represent a variety of styles and patterns of
tableware. These include pearlware cups and saucers in spatter patterns, floral
patterns (in underglaze and overglaze) and several varieties of blue oriental
and romantic transfer patterns. One redware shard is slip decorated with
yellow, black and brown in the style of Peter Bell (1806-1890) who was a potter
in
Shards representing several edge patterns were recovered. They included spear-, and feather-edged patterns (Noel Hume, 1969). Shards of feather-edged plates included circumlateral (c. 1810) and radial brush marks, (c. 1790) in both blue and green underglaze. Noel Hume (1969) states that the circumlateral brush marks were used to make plates faster. These markings were more common 1800-1805 when demand for the plates required faster production methods.
Several examples of Pearlware in spatter decoration (c. 1830) were also
recovered. These include the blue and red rainbow pattern in a cup and saucer,
and a blue pattern on cup and saucer rims with underglazed picture inside the
saucer. These styles were made as early as 1765 in
Several shards of pearlware blue transfer patterns from the mid-1800s were
also recovered, including examples of three relatively common patterns,
"Victoria" "Palestine" and "
We recovered a molded glazed shard with mottled brown glaze over yellow
clay. It came from a c. 1850 pitcher called a "
Cutlery artifacts include: a bone handled knife and a 2-tine fork; two cutlery handles of antler; a Britannia spoon handle marked "Britan", c. 1820; incised bone handles; smooth one and two pieced bone-handles, c. 1800; a knife blade, a silver plated tablespoon, a nickel tablespoon, and several silver teaspoons. Three incised, two-pieced, bone handles were recovered, each with a different pattern of incisions. We define the three patterns as: X Slash X , Full Oblique, and Oblique-L (Fig. 3). In all cases, two rivets were used to attach the bone pieces to the tang.
In the X Slash X pattern, two parallel rows of Xs are crosshatched and overlapped along each edge of the handle. Between the edge crosshatches are triplets of slash markings (Fig. 3). In both the X Slash X and the Oblique-L, the incisions are placed groups of three lines, with a deeper incision followed by two shallower incisions, like "\\\ \\\ \\\". Between groups of three incisions is an unmarked area the width of the two lightly incised lines. In the Oblique-L pattern, the incisions forming the arms of the L intersect at a 30o acute angle and are offset to form a "herring-bone" like pattern near the intersection (Fig. 3).
Five matching silver teaspoons (or parts thereof), c. 1840, bearing the
initials LAW and having 4 "hallmarks" each under the handles has been
recovered (Photograph 3). A tablespoon of
Health related items recovered include bone handles for tooth brushes, a small two-sided bone comb with fine teeth for a baby or doll. The artifacts also included three, two-sided, vulcanite combs with fine teeth. One is marked "R. Comb Co Goodrich, 1851". Two-sided combs with fine teeth such as these were often used to remove lice from hair.
Health artifacts included hand blown medicine bottles, and numerous shards of medicine bottles from about 1780 to 1850. Three intact medicine bottles (c. 1780, Noel Hume, 1969) show open pontile marks the bottom (Photograph 4). One with a cork stopper contains a residue. One particular style of blown molded medicine bottle (late 1700s to early 1800s) was found frequently. It was rectangular in shape (2 x 0.7 x 5.0 cm) and contained the words "Genuine Essence" molded into the glass along one side. Several shards of early wine bottles have also been found. Shards of 19th century medicine bottles with wording along the sides have also been recovered, including a brown one with molded patterns, and words reading "Kidney Water".
Three residues that may have been medicines were recovered. One was a cylindrical piece of what appeared to be sulfur that was shaped as if had been in a bottle. Another was a small amount of substance that looked like copper sulfate and may have fit within a small medicine bottle. The last was the iodine looking residue found in the intact, stoppered, 18th c. bottle.
Jewelry artifacts include glass tubular beads (34x6mm) and a wound glass bead (10x11mm), a brass bead (6mm dia), victorian jet earrings, two dress brooches, a heart-shaped, blue, stone (10x15x4mm) , a trade-silver cast dog (10x22mm), a brass ring (3x16mm), a brass cuff-link, a shell cuff link. The blue stone and the dog have small holes to accommodate a loop or string, and may have been for either a child or a doll.
Seven U.S coins were recovered. One, a Coronet type large cent dated 1817, was found on the surface of the clay base beneath the loose dirt. Other coins include a large cent Braided Hair dated 1856, a half-cent piece (undatable), a five cent coin dated 1863, and Indian Head pennies (one is 1895, others are undatable).
Clothing artifacts include a straight-lasted, men's size 9 to 9.5, leather shoe. The soles and heel were attached with wooden pegs. It was held on the foot with a single lace tied through two holes in the vamp. It had been worn mostly on the right foot. The quarter was compressed "accordion-like" where the heel rested, as if it has been used as a sandal. The half and slip soles were worn completely through. According to Pequet (1994), the shoe predates the 1850s, when styles and construction methods changed. Fragments of a child's shoe heal attached with wooden pegs were also recovered. Findings also included a cast brass riding spur (Photograph 5) with circular iron prod (4mm dia.) with formed buckles from the 1800s (Noel Hume, 1969).
Other clothing items included eye and hook fasteners, cloth fragments, and buttons in several styles and materials, including bone, brass, metal, shell, jet, porcelain and cloth. Button shanks were either molded with the button, or wire. Wire shanks were either a pin type through a center hole, or were held by insertion between the front and back of the button. Buttons held on with thread had either two, four, or five holes. Examples of hollow metal buttons with wire shanks, and brass decorations over cloth were also found. Several of the molded metal buttons and buttons with inserted wire shanks had writing on the back (Table 3).
Sewing artifacts include, copper thimbles, brass pins, iron scissors, and wooden spools for thread.
Writing artifacts consisted of several pencils for use on slate boards. They are in dark and tan colors. Most show wear from usage only on one end, but some show usage on both ends.
Artifacts of children's recreation include 11 clay Marbles (3 were white ceramic with blue decoration, a child's sadiron, and a metal molded toy cap pistol. Adult recreational items included several kaolin pipe bowls with reeded decoration extending from the base of the bowl, (c. 1820, Noel Hume, 1969), and a hollow reed used as a stem for a molded clay pipe. We also recovered a molded redware pipe bowl (for use with a hollow reed stem) that was decorated with grape vines and leaves in 'bas relief' extending from rim to base (Photograph 6).
Arms findings included intact and spent firing caps, rim fired cartridge shells and projectiles for 22 and 30 cal. firearms, and a brass chain and hook possibly for suspending a sword scabbard from a belt. Also recovered were primitive sharpening stones of two sizes, appropriate for knives and tools.
DISCUSSION
The age of the George Willard house is known. Aside from the fact that the architectural details of the house reflect the late federal period, "1818" is painted on the house's date stone. Close inspection of it shows no evidence of any other date and Mr. M. Rice, a centurion resident and historian, recalls the "1818" date stone being there since his childhood (Rice, 1984, 1990). The 1817 coin found on the surface of the clay base also provides a time frame for construction.
The energy-related ecofacts substantiate the use of changing energy sources. Residual creosote and smoke in the heat box of the kitchen fireplace and the other fireplaces provide evidence that wood was a primary source of energy for several years. Over time, three openings were made in the kitchen fireplace to accommodate different sizes of stove pipes. Estate records show that John Willard had a ten plate stove in 1856. Residents who lived in the house between 1916 and 1936 recalled that a coal burning stove was used for cooking, and that coal stoves and fireplaces both were used for heating (E. Bussard, 1991; M. Kyne, 1995). Their recollections are supported by an early cast iron stove lid and lid holder that we found in the attic of the house, and openings to accommodate stove pipes in six fireplace chimneys.
We did not find references that attribute incision patterns on bone handles
to specific cutlers. Noel Hume (1969) dates incised, riveted, bone plate,
cutlery handles to the mid-18th century. He illustrates two patterns (Noel
Hume, 1969, p 182) but does not name them or name the cutlers who made them.
One of his patterns could be called a "Full-Oblique" incision
pattern, the other a "Full Crosshatch" pattern.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX---- ///o///////o/// XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX----
Similar patterns have been found in
One cutler, "John Kirk,
Several artifacts were collected from area A in 1986 by earlier owners (Hallein, 1989) and subsequently given to JRB. Included were two intact silver teaspoons with "LAW" engraved on the handles. These spoons matched three others that we recovered. The hallmarks did not match any reported Hallmarks in references that we reviewed.
The engraved initials, silver material, and style of construction indicate
that the teaspoons may have been a gift to Louisa Ann (Wasmus) Willard who
lived in the house between 1841 and 1867 (Beall, 1993). On a hot Sept. 12,
1862, before the battle of
Noel Hume (1969) states that combs were first made of vulcanite c. 1860. Our finding of the comb by R. Comb Co. Goodrich confirms that vulcanite was patented in 1851, and was used for combs.
Except for the access hole, Area A is enclosed by a solid stone foundation. Dogs could not have accessed Area A until the floor rotted through and would probably not have contributed to the early bones that were found.
Most artifacts we found were likely made between 1800 and 1860 and fit well with the time that the Willard's occupied the house. Several artifacts date to the civil war period and later. These include some coins, part of a spur, a scabbard chain, and a pistol butt plate. As might be expected most artifacts came from the more recent occupants. These findings include parts of a single tree and a double tree (used to attach a horse to a farm implement), plates, pots, parts of a coal or wood burning stove, and so on.
Many provide supporting evidence to the reported dates of manufacture commonly reported in modern references. The presence of ecofacts of food beneath the kitchen lends support to the likelihood that the area once attracted many rodents and insects. Numerous holes that were chewed in baseboards and peg boards give graphic evidence of serious rodent infestations near the kitchen areas use for food storage.
The finding of fish bones comports with court records showing that John Willard owed money to Basil Norris for barrels of herring (Archives, 1857).2 The Jet jewelry, indian head pennies, and several other artifacts were left by occupants after 1867. Some buttons, the cobalt kerosene lamp, and a child's sadiron, and many other findings probably date to when the property was owned by the Zimmerman family (1867-1915).
We have no substantiated explanation for how the findings got into the enclosed space beneath the kitchen. Though small artifacts (like pins, buttons and marbles) could have easily passed through cracks in the floor, it seems unlikely that findings like larger bottles, silver spoons, and glass panes entered the space in that manner. The original flooring for most rooms in the house remains intact; it is 5/4ths tongue and groove "pumpkin" pine with no large cracks. Different flooring may have been in the kitchen. During modernization in 1986, some floor joists were removed that appeared to have been notched logs from a log cabin. Court records of 1956 refer to a "Servant's house back of the kitchen". Such a house is no longer there. It is possible the servant's house was made of logs and that the kitchen floor was replaced after 1856, using logs from the servant's house as joists. Perhaps a rotting floor before then allowed large items through to the crawl space. Or, perhaps a midden outside the house was shoveled under the kitchen in an effort to clean up the yard when the floor was replaced. The relatively uniform distribution of dirt beneath the floor does not support this type of translocation of artifacts.
According to some who lived in the house in the late 1930 and 40s, the kitchen floor was made of wide plank boards (Crone 1995, Kyne 1995). Mr. Crone (1995) also told us that Luther Bussard installed a dry sink with drain in the southwest corner of the room. He later installed a small trap door near the sink to allow repairs of the drain, and to allow access to the crawl space. Clustering of some ecofacts occurred in the crawl space rather near the area of the trap door. Clustering of items like bits of charcoal with oyster shells appeared as if they may have been discarded by overturning a small vessel containing them onto the dirt's surface beneath the floor, perhaps through this trap door after 1916.
This article is intended as an introduction to site 18FR696. While the artifacts delineated herein are an extensive sample of those found, recovery of artifacts continues. We have not attempted to quantify the findings thus far because the dig continues and the numbers increase almost every week. Details of numbers, types and distributions of items beneath the kitchen by category will likely be the subject of future reports.
Photograph 1. Picture of the George Willard House. Taken about 1890. The portico was added about 1853. John and Louisa Willard probably made these changes using part of the $7,000 they borrowed in 1853. At that time changes were also made to the parlors and in adding windows to the sides of the main entrance door. These changes were probably financed along with the loan that included monies to modernize the tannery. As published in Maryland Archaeology. According to Rice (1990), the man shown here is thought to be Luke Zimmerman. Luke was a son Charles and Hattie Zimmerman (Table 3). Access to the balcony above the portico was via a jib window (not visible in the photograph) from the center hall.
Photograph 2. Picture of house taken in December 2002. The front porch was expanded about 1925 using the same fluted columns as were used on the portico shown in Photograph 1. New front porch railings and flooring were added in 1986. The rear balcony railing and posts were reproduced from the original rear corner post (the reproduction is visible in the picture below) that was found supporting the front wall of a nearby chicken coop. It was beveled at the corners and contained mortising where the rails connected to it. That post allowed us to recreate the original dimensions of the posts and rails of the original balcony at the rear of the house.
DEDICATION
We dedicate this article to Elizabeth Bussard Stull (deceased) who, by sharing her vivid recollections, gave life to our quest of history. May she finally know that the mysterious brass holder with cobalt blue vessel that her mother retrieved from the well and gave to her as a child was a broken kerosene lamp patented in 1878.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The contributions of many people made this research and manuscript possible. We greatly appreciate the generosity of E. E. Ned and Carolyn Hallein, Ralph Crone, and Mary Bussard Kyne for returning artifacts that were removed from the property between 1930 and 1986, and of Helen Sullivan for giving us the old photograph of the house. We appreciate the valuable ideas and suggestions of David Foltz, Spencer Geasey, Victor Metta, Silas Hurry, and Patrick Tucker that improved the research and the manuscript. We are indebted to numerous volunteers, including Jan Barrett, Lynley Becker, Kate Swanson, Cindy Smidt, Adrianne Wahrer, Nicholas Wahrer, and Valerie Wahrer for their enthusiastic pursuit of artifacts.
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1798 Deed, Elias Delashmutt to G. Willyard. Liber WR17 Folio 46.
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1802 Deed, Elias Delashmutt to G. Willyard. Liber WR22 Folio 466.
Archives of
1832 Plat of
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adminitrix of John Willard.
Archives of
1859a Deed, J. Oates & H.Willard to Ezra Thomas. Liber BGF3, Folio 553.
Archives of
1859b Deed, Ezra Thomas to H. Willard. Liber BGF3, Folio 554.
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1859c Deed, H. & Susannah Willard to Ezra Thomas. Liber BG 3 Folio 555.
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<P
>Figure 1.
United States Geological Service Topographical Map of the
area around
Figure 2.
Property Title Survey Map This property map shows site Fr18696 as it looked in 1988. Included is the house and other outbuildings. Later, a 30' strip of property along the complete southern border and a 20' strip beside the western border were purchased as additions to the site. Detail 1 shows dimensions and location of the George Willard House.
<P
>Figure 3.
Floor plan of the George Willard House. This illustrates the location and approximate configuration of the dig site beneath the kitchen floor, including Point 0,0 of the archeological grid system. The kitchen was built over a shallow crawl space. The other rooms of the first floor were over a cellar. This illustration is not drawn to scale.
Figure 4
. Illustration of dig site. This illustrates the layers of material and earth beneath the floor joists as they might appear if the dig site was viewed "through" the foundation on the west side of the kitchen. The illustration is not drawn to scale.
>Figure 5.
Patterns of Incision Marks on Two Piece Cutlery Handles.
TABLE 1. HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP
Table 2. Categories of Findings by Purpose or UseGeneral Purpose or Use Categories Characteristics FoodBonesShellsPitsMisc.small mammals, fish, game birds, chickens, pigs, bovineclams, oysterspeach, plumcorn, walnuts, locus beansDrinkBottlesGlassesCupswine, portwater, milktea, coffee TablewarePlates, Cups, SaucersDecorationsRim Patternspearlware, salt glaze, redwarespatter and sponge paint, slip, romantic transfer, floral polychromatic (under and over glaze) moca.feather edge (green and blue), shell, CutleryKnives, ForksSpoons antler and bone handles (smooth and incised), iron blade and prongs silver, Sheffield plated, Britanny, nickel plated Health & HygieneBottlesTooth BrushesCombs medicines (iodine, sulfur) bone handles bone and vulcanite, single sided and lice ClothingShoesButtonsCuff LinkBeltBucklesHooks & eyesadult straight lasted, pegged sole, child's pegged leather heal bone, shell, brass (solid, stamped and covered), rubber, glass, porcelain,shell, brassleather strap brass stocking or garter, iron belt brassSewingThimbles Spools Scissors PinsbrasswoodironbrassRecreation, AdultChildrenPipesWriting LeadsMarblesBellSadironPistolkaolin bowls and stems, reed stemmolded redware bowl clay and slate colored clay, porcelain, glass brass ball type toy iron metal cap JewelryDrop/EarringBeadsRingTrade / CharmBroochesEarringsstone, blueglass (wound and tube blown), brass, brassgerman silver dogbrassjet Table 2, Con't. Categories of Findings by Purpose or UseGeneral Purpose or Use Categories Characteristics FinancialCoinslarge cents, 1817, 1856 half penny 1793-18575 cent piece, 1863 pennies, indian headArmsKnifeSwordFirearmsbone handle for hunting knife scabbard chain and clip cap primers, cartridges (30 and 22 cal.) projectiles (30 cal) ArchitecturalGlassNailsBoardsDoor knobsHingesDecorativeearly window glass fragmentsiron cleat head cut, square cut, and hand wroughtflooring, peg boardsbrassiron strap with pin, and shutter typekey escutcheon, brassHarnesses/tools Iron buckles, leather rivets, sharpening stones
TABLE 3. TYPES OF BUTTONS I. Bone dia(mm) Holes Comments
9.5 2 13.5 4 14 4 16 4 16 1 for missing pinhead shank 16 5 17 4 II. Metal with shanks dia(mm) no. found 11 1 loop shank, dome top 13.5 1 stamped, hollow; flower & stem design embossed 14 1 loop shank 16 1 for pinhead shank, missing; hollow pressed 16.5 1 loop shank, ball shaped, hollow 17 1 loop shank, back mark "warranted orange" 17 1 hollow, shank missing 18 1 loop shank missing, hollow, pressed design on front, may be military. 18 1 back mark "extra stronge" 18 1 loop shank 18 1 loop shank, back mark "London Paris" 18 1 broken loop shank, back mark "Extra Strong Gilt" 19 2 19.5 1 molded shank loop; back mark "Fellows & Young Extra Rich" 25 1 loop shank broken, hollow, brass over metal 26 1 loop shank inserted between front and back III. Metal with holes dia(mm) holes comments 14 4 holes, hollow, pressed 12 4 holes, 17 4 holes, hollow, pressed thin brassIV. Agate (Porcelain, Prosser) c. 1850 Sets and individual findings V. Shell No. found holes dia. (mm) 13 two 10 - 22.5 1 one 12 wire pinhead shank missing 10 four 8 - 12 This is an incomplete listing, the study of button artifacts continues.
Photographs Numbered below were used
in the original publication. With
time these will be added to this version also.
Photograph 2.
Legend. Shown here are a matching cup and saucer decorated in a blue transfer
pattern named "
Photograph 3. Legend. Shown here are the matching silver spoons bearing the engraved initials LAW on the handles. The close up photograph shows the initials. Based on the style and initials, we think they belonged to Louisa Ann (Wasmus) Willard who married John Willard in 1841. They lived in the house from about the time of their marriage until sometime after his death in 1959.
Photograph 4. Legend. This photograph shows intact examples of hand blown medicine bottles, each with a pontile mark on the bottom. Shards of many similar bottles were recovered. These are probably among the oldest bottles found, dating to c. 1800. One bottle with the cork stopper in place, contains an iodine like substance.
Photograph 5. Legend. This photograph shows part of a riding spur from the mid-1800s with strap buckles molded into the spur (Noel Hume, 1969).
Photograph 6. Legend. Shown here is a red kaolin pipe, intended for use with a hollow reed. Decorations include grape vines with leaves. 1 In June 1995, we implemented a grid system of 8' squares beginning at the same point 0,0. The new system was extended over Area A and onto the land surrounding the house. The first grid northwest of 0,0 (within "Area A") was defined to be "Grid A". Grid A is bounded by points 0,0, -8,0, -8,8, and 0,8. Earlier measurements from the east foundational wall were subsequently expressed as negative numbers to comport with the new grid system. Because joists were set with 6 joists per 8', the joist numbering system gives greater precision within the 8' squares of the new grid system.
2 The Willard's love of fish may have been legendary among local residents. Local centurion resident Millard Rice (1990) said his father used to tell a story about a worker who was invited to eat with the Willard family. When asked to offer a prayer before the meal, the worker said, "Jesus wept, and well he might. George Willard had corn bread, and fish, every night." As a historian with great respect for accuracy (Rice, 1984), Mr. Rice quickly stated that he placed little credence in the story and, even if it was true, did not know if it concerned the same George Willard who built the house. 3 Occupied by John and wife Louisa before 4/11/1845, probably upon their marriage in 1841. 4 likely Occupied by Louisa and children?? J. R. Beall & S. Streett, Archeological Study of 18FR696 J. R. Beall & S. Streett, Archeological Study of 18FR696