Northeast Historical Archaeology

Volume 39 Article 3

2010 Lost within the Rubble: The Archaeological Findings from the Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults Douglas B. Mooney

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Recommended Citation Mooney, Douglas B. (2010) "Lost within the Rubble: The Archaeological Findings from the Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 39 39, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.22191/neha/vol39/iss1/3 Available at: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol39/iss1/3

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Lost within the Rubble: The Archaeological Findings from the Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults

Douglas B. Mooney Archaeological investigations of the former Spring Street Presbyterian Church property resulted in the discovery of four stone and brick subterranean congregational burial vaults. In active use for only about 25 years, these chambers were found to contain the remains of more than 200 individuals, including large numbers of children. Excavations revealed that remains had been impacted by both natural and manmade processes at various points in the past; however, a total of 46 discrete burials were identified during the excavations. Findings from these investigations provide much previously-unavailable information regarding the structure, internal organization, and preservation of remains within 19th-century funerary vaults. Les recherches archéologiques effectuées sur la propriété de la Spring Street Presbytérien Church ont permis de découvrir quatre caveaux souterrains construits en pierres et en briques. Ces chambres funéraires, bien qu’utilisées pendant seulement 25 ans, contenaient les restes humains de plus de 200 fidèles, dont plusieurs enfants. Les fouilles ont révélé que les restes avaient été grandement perturbés dans le passé. Néanmoins, 46 ensembles de sépultures ont pu être identifiés. Les résultats de ces recherches fournissent plu- sieurs nouvelles informations concernant la structure, l’organisation interne et la préservation des restes humains dans les caveaux funéraires du XIXe siècle.

Introduction leading roles in the abolitionist movement in the decades before the Civil War. The church This article discusses archaeological investigations of the former Spring Street was established in 1811 on a 100-ft. square plot Presbyterian Church property, located at 244- of ground near the southeast corner of Spring 246 Spring Street, in the lower west side of and Varick Streets. Worship services were ini- Manhattan, New York City by AKRF, Inc. tially conducted in a simple frame structure (AKRF) and URS Corporation (URS) (Mooney measuring some 30 by 60 ft. in size. This first et al. 2008). These excavations involved the church building was damaged during the anti- documentation of four early 19th-century abolition riots of 1834, and a larger, stone-and- burial vaults (ca. 1820–1846). These vaults are brick edifice was constructed and remained believed to be the first burial facilities of their standing until demolished and replaced by a kind in the northeastern part of the United parking lot in the mid-1960s (Meade 2008 and States to be studied archaeologically. The exca- Meade, this volume). vations also documented the recovery and As revealed in fragmentary church docu- study of the human remains and artifacts con- ments, the Spring Street Church had estab- tained within the vaults. Although the vaults lished its burial vaults for the reception of had been impacted by both contemporary con- members of the congregation by at least 1820. struction and mid-20th-century demolition These were subsequently enlarged by the activities, they did generate important baseline addition of two more vaults in 1831 (Meade comparative data relating to the physical 2008). The construction of underground vaults, structure of 19th-century church vaults and as opposed to the creation of a cemetery, may the organization and maintenance of inter- have had more to do with the congregation’s ments within these structures. lack of financial resources than any other The Spring Street Church was an impor- factor. From the moment of its founding, the tant religious organization in New York City Spring Street Church was in debt, and, in the during the first half of the 19th century. While late 1820s, the congregation was reported to be its members were predominantly drawn from comprised primarily of working-class individ- the poorer working classes of the city, the uals and families, “most of whom belong to congregation was led by a series of socially- that class of person who cannot afford to pur- progressive leaders who early on established chase or hire a pew in our city churches” mixed-race worship services and played (Ludlow 1828, quoted in Meade 2008). The 20 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 21

movement to establish sprawling rural (fig. 1). But this early research found no evi- garden cemeteries on the outskirts of cities dence that the church property ever contained had not yet begun at this time, and, so, a cemetery or other burial facilities. churches were required to create their own Consequently, initial archaeological investiga- burial facilities or leave their congregants to tions sought to identify the origin and histor- the horrors of potter’s field. A later 19th- ical/depositional contexts for the human century commentator writing about the 1832 remains impacted by the construction activi- construction of the Wesley Methodist ties and to determine if additional remains Episcopal Chapel burial vaults noted that were present in other areas of the site. “wealthy churches” that could afford to pur- Early fieldwork involved two concurrently chase large parcels of land “had burying- performed tasks – monitoring renewed con- grounds attached to them,” while poor struction excavations through incomplete sec- churches, forced to make due with smaller tions of the building footprint and conducting lots, “built vaults” (New York Times, April 4, thorough investigations of the initial find spot. 1880). Given the financial limitations of the Construction monitoring was completed over Spring Street congregation, the construction the course of the ensuing few weeks and of burial vaults may have been the only found no additional skeletal material in any available option. Similarly, the long-term other portion of the site. Archaeologists identi- cost for the care and maintenance of under- fied and mapped the foundations of the ca. ground vaults versus cemeteries also may 1836 Spring Street Presbyterian Church and have played a role in their decision. determined that the church had been built on shallow stone foundations with no attendant Initial Explorations basement level. Efforts to find evidence of the first (1811–1835) church building, however, Archaeological investigations of the church proved fruitless. Careful monitoring of the and its burial vaults began in December 2007, open yard space formerly bounding the west after construction crews excavating for a new side of the church property found that it had hotel/condominium complex at the corner of never been used for burial or interment purposes. Spring and Varick Streets impacted the buried Hand excavation within the original find church vaults and exposed human remains. spot revealed that all skeletal material exam- Subsequent investigations of this discovery by ined by OCME staff was derived from soil and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner rubble recently disturbed by site machinery. (OCME) recovered the remains of a minimum Archaeologists recovered significant quantities of 16 individuals, representing men, women, of disarticulated and sometimes badly crushed and children, from the surface of the site, human bone scattered over an area within an (Crowder et al. 2008; Morin, this volume). approximate 50-ft. radius of the find spot. This Archaeological investigations within the 175- material consisted of a mix of cranial and post- ft. by 130-ft. Spring Street construction site cranial elements, representing the remains of were started within days of the OCME inspec- multiple individuals of various ages and gen- tion and were overseen by the staff of the New ders, and was interspersed randomly York City Landmarks Preservation throughout the demolition debris. The densest Commission, in consultation with members of clusters of remains were situated in close prox- the Professional Archaeologists of New York imity to the original find spot and were com- City (PANYC). prised of loose, co-mingled pockets of bone At that time, little was known about the mixed with concentrations of badly decayed history of this location or of the Spring Street wood, likely coffin wood, and a variety of Church. Initial background research con- funerary artifacts. These artifacts consisted pri- ducted by AKRF soon determined that the marily of probable coffin nails and screws, but location where human remains were discov- also included scattered coffin hinges and a ered (referred to as the “find spot”) fell within handful of fragmentary coffin lid plates. the southeastern corner of the original church Once all disarticulated remains and associ- Figure 1. Plan of the construction site showing where human remains were initially discovered, with respect to property, within one of the two open side ated artifacts were documented and collected the location of the former Spring Street Presbyterian Church property. (Image courtesy of URS Corporation.) yards that once flanked the church building from the original find spot, construction 22 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 23

machinery was used to clear remnant demoli- about the use of the vaults, the individuals tion debris from the area and to assist in the interred within them, or the duration of their search for any intact historic burials. This pro- use. Likewise, only trace data was found in cess gradually uncovered stone and brick these documents that could be used to guide walls framing a series of connected “rooms”, the archaeological investigations or to help or chambers, oriented along a north-south axis interpret the results. within what had once been the far south-east To determine if the stone-and-brick struc- corner of the former Spring Street Church tures were the remnants of these vaults and if property. Ultimately, a total of three partially they continued to hold intact human remains, intact rooms were discovered just to the north a number of small test pits were excavated of the original find spot while a badly dam- within each of the chambers. In all cases, test aged fourth structure was uncovered beneath excavations confirmed that quantities of the find spot (fig. 2). human bone and/or coffin wood were present The unearthing of these chambers coin- beneath the demolition rubble, soil, and ash/ cided with the discovery of surviving church cinder matrix that filled the interior of the records indicating that the Spring Street vaults. In at least two of the vaults, exposed Church congregation had constructed four human remains were quite densely packed subterranean burial vaults on their property and, in one case, these remains were repre- during the 1820s and early 1830s. sented by what appeared to be a series of in Unfortunately, references to the vaults in sur- situ human remains stacked one atop another. viving church documents were limited to a Archaeological testing eventually determined series of entries in the minutes of the church that the southernmost burial vault had been trustees and provided minimal information extensively impacted during recent site

Figure 3. Excavating the burial vaults under the temporary shelter. (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.)

excavation and that disturbed skeletal material southernmost chamber arbitrarily designated from the original find spot likely represented Vault 1 and the northernmost Vault 4. All remains relocated from within this space. human remains and associated artifacts within Based on the evidence that intact historical each of these chambers were excavated, burial remains were preserved on the site, recorded, and mapped separately from those in preparations were made to archaeologically adjacent vaults. Because the site remained an document and recover the remains of the active construction zone, all archaeological church members interred within the vaults. activities were confined to the interior of the The goal of this phase of the project was to vault foundations. Available work space addi- recover 100% of all human remains and related tionally was restricted by the temporary shelter funerary artifacts contained within the burial erected over the vaults to protect remains from vaults in a manner that ensured the greatest both the elements and the view of curious possible degree of respect for the deceased. In onlookers (fig. 3). the process, both the burial vault structures and the The archaeological excavation and recovery disposition and organization of human remains of remains within the vaults was conducted within them were thoroughly documented. exclusively by hand and utilized methods and approaches dictated by the highly variable Methodology preservation and distribution of skeletal mate- During the recovery phase of the investiga- rial within each vault. The primary limiting tions, each burial vault was treated as an inde- factor affecting approaches to the excavation pendent unit of study and documentation. For and documentation process was the presence this purpose the vaults were assigned sequential of large amounts of jumbled, disarticulated Figure 2. A section of the burial vaults as initially uncovered. (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.) identification numbers from 1 to 4, with the remains, as well as significant quantities of 24 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 25

skeletal elements that were badly crushed. to their respective vaults of origin and were These conditions made the systematic exposure collected, bagged, and boxed as a single unit. and documentation of remains within a given vault considerably more difficult. Burial Vaults A primary focus of the recovery effort was to identify articulated remains representing Efforts to fully document the vault con- distinct individuals. Whenever such articu- struction were hindered greatly by the fact lated remains were uncovered, they were that each of the four vaults had been impacted assigned unique numerical designations con- to varying degrees prior to the start of the sisting of two parts: vault of origin and a investigations. These impacts resulted in the sequential burial number within that vault highly differential preservation of specific con- (e.g., Vault 2 Burial 5; Vault 4 Burial 16). Broad struction details with significant portions of criteria for designating individual burials were the vaults having been nearly completely established in the field in consultation with Dr. destroyed and several of the surviving walls Thomas A. Crist, the project bioarchaeologist. having been dislodged to varying degrees. To Because of the highly variable nature of pres- further confuse matters, evidence was found ervation within the vaults and because articu- suggesting that the vaults had been impacted on lated remains were often encountered within multiple occasions since their original construction. jumbles of disarticulated skeletal elements, The four subterranean burial chambers none of the identified individual burials were were constructed in two stages between circa 100% complete. In fact, identified burials 1820 and 1831. The vaults were located along exhibited a wide range of skeletal representa- the southeastern margin of the church prop- tion, and ranged from as little as 30% complete erty within a perpetually open side yard and to as much as 90% intact. Missing skeletal ele- were approximately two ft. east of the founda- ments, in many instances, were impacted by tions of the second (1836) church building,. later activities or, in the case of smaller bones Assuming that our understanding of the like those of the hands and feet, had become dimensions and placement of the original intermingled with surrounding disarticulated (1811) frame church is accurate, the vaults material. Once again, because of varying con- were located approximately 17–18 ft. directly ditions, no universal standards or hard-and- east of that earlier structure’s northeast corner fast minimum criteria could be employed in (fig. 4). No evidence was found, in either the making these determinations, other than that excavations or the historic documents, to suggest identified articulated remains were judged to that any of the vaults were ever connected via a be clearly and unambiguously associated with passageway or other access to the church itself. and indicative of a single distinct person. The burial vaults measured some 42 ft. Ultimately, each case was evaluated indepen- (north-south) long by 17 ft. (east-west) wide, dently, and discrete burial designations were were contiguous to one another, and were con- made by the author at the time of excavation. structed of a combination of stone and brick. Given that a significant proportion of the Of these four chambers, the northern two (des- vault remains were extremely poorly pre- ignated Vaults 3 and 4) were the first vaults constructed on the property, in or about 1820, served, recovery efforts intended to collect and exhibited the best overall preservation. 100% of the human remains present were aug- The exterior walls for these chambers were mented by screening the associated soil matrix approximately 1.75-ft. thick and made of mor- through standard ¼-inch hardware cloth. In tared, rough-dressed stone. Although parts of instances where pockets of crushed bone were these walls were truncated during the removal encountered, efforts were made to collect and of demolition rubble, segments along the bag both the pulverized bone and associated western and northern sides remained intact to soil matrix. While these severely impacted a height of approximately five ft. above the remains were of no analytic value whatsoever, vault floor. Within these foundations, Vaults 3 they were recovered for purposes of reburial. and 4 were divided by a one-ft.-thick, east-west- Unlike identified discrete burials, all dis- oriented, mortared brick wall. The interior space turbed/disassociated and crushed remains of each chamber measured nine ft. north-south Figure 4. Location of the burial vaults within the church property, and with respect to both the first and second were assigned only a general provenience according by fourteen ft. east-west, and encompassed a church buildings. (Image courtesy of URS Corporation.) 26 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 27

total area of 126 ft.2. These northern chambers investigations found no architectural or did not have prepared floors, but rather bot- structural evidence of features related to the tomed out onto naturally occurring, moderately interior partitioning of burial space that might coarse, sand subsoil (fig. 5). be associated with the intentional segregation of The southern two chambers, designated remains by familial association, socioeconomic Vaults 1 and 2, respectively, were constructed status, standing within the church hierarchy, entirely of brick and consisted of three outer or other criteria. None of the chambers con- walls appended to the southernmost stone tained any trace, either in the surviving floors wall of Vault 3. Based on this configuration, or walls, of having been once separated into Vaults 1 and 2 are interpreted as the funerary smaller spaces by additional interior walls or structures added to the site in 1831. Overall, other dividers. Family burial vaults in other the construction of Vaults 1 and 2 was some- parts of the country, such as those associated what less substantial than that of Vaults 3 and with Christ Church in Philadelphia (John 4 and may be, in part, a reflection of the Hopkins, pers. comm. Dec. 7, 2007) or at the church trustees’ desire to have the new burial Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D. C. chambers built “at the lowest terms offered” (Association for the Preservation of Historic (Spring Street Presbyterian Church Trustees Congressional Cemetery 2012), are known to Record 1826–1841, quoted in Meade 2008). have been constructed with benches or shelves The outer walls of these vaults measured attached to the walls so that coffins could be approximately 1.5 ft. thick, while the east-west raised off the floor and not stacked on top of wall dividing Vaults 1 and 2 measured 1.0 ft. one another. It is possible, however, that evi- thick. The interior spaces of these southern dence for interior partitioning was removed by vaults appear to have been slightly smaller past impacts to the vaults, and so the lack of than their northern neighbhors and measured archaeological evidence in this case may not approximately 8.8 ft. north-south by 14 ft. east- accurately reflect the historical division and west. Unlike their older neighbors, Vaults 1 use of space within these chambers. and 2 both were constructed with prepared It is presumed that the Spring Street burial floors consisting of dry-laid brick arranged in chambers originally would have been con- a running bond pattern. Based on evidence structed with vaulted brick ceilings. Figure 5. Overview of Vaults 3 and 4 after excavation. (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.) from Vault 2, these newer chambers were also Descriptions of contemporary funerary vaults slightly shallower in construction, with the within public burying grounds in the greater The presence of possible ceiling remnants after the ceilings collapsed to fill the remaining floor of Vault 2 sitting approximately 0.5 ft. New York City vicinity (e.g., National Board of within Vaults 3 and 4 also suggests that the voids and to prevent the subsequent subsid- above the base elevation of Vaults 3 and 4. Health 1879) note that this was a common con- Spring Street burial chambers had been ence of the parking lot surface. Unlike Vaults 3 and 4, the walls and phys- struction feature and, by comparison, suggest impacted to some extent prior to the start of Lastly, evidence of even earlier impacts to ical structure of Vaults 1 and 2 were exten- that ceilings in the Spring Street burial cham- hotel construction. Specifically, the presence of the vaults was found during the controlled sively impacted during initial construction bers may have been perhaps 8 ft. high at their ceiling fragments within these chambers may excavation of remains from Vaults 3 and 4. activities for the new hotel/condominium. apex. Although such a ceiling configuration indicate that the vaults collapsed inward when Those chambers contained remnants of four Vault 1 was the most heavily damaged of the cannot be confirmed, both Vaults 3 and 4 con- the church was demolished to make way for a internal supporting piers/columns that may two chambers and was extensively disturbed tained large curved sections of mortared brick public parking lot in the mid-1960s. This situa- have been installed as a means to correct a by excavation machinery. Archaeological in the fill matrix that could have once been tion would, in fact, be expected if the vault structural failure in the arch. These support investigations revealed that the only frag- part of a vaulted structure. If the Spring Street ceilings and/or associated earthen cap columns were aligned north-south along the ments of this vault surviving in situ consisted burial chambers were constructed in this extended above the surrounding ground sur- western foundation of Vaults 3 and 4, two in of a small segment of the eastern wall and manner, then the roof arch probably protruded face and required leveling. Artifacts sup- each chamber, and were constructed of mor- interior floor, along with a tiny section of the above the surrounding ground surface and porting the timing of this event were found tared brick atop simple stone slab footers (figs. southeast corner wall and associated brick was likely covered by a mounded earthen cap within the fill matrix capping the human 5 and 7). The columns in Vault 3 were the floor. All remaining portions of this chamber several feet thick. Entrance to the vaults is pre- remains in the northern two vaults and better preserved examples and consisted of had been completely removed. Vault 2, on the sumed to have been through metal doors at included pieces of asphalt paving, plastic- vertical members measuring 0.8 and 1.6 ft. in other hand, exhibited a considerably greater the surface of this mound. Given that no evi- coated industrial wiring, and at least one total height while those in Vault 4 were repre- degree of preservation and was represented by dence of doors or other passages connecting the hobble skirt Coca-Cola bottle (manufactured sented by only the stone slab footers. In both truncated and fragmentary outer walls and a various chambers was identified, each vault may 1915–1970). If this interpretation is accurate, chambers, the sand floor surrounding the col- 60–70% intact brick floor (fig. 6). have been equipped with its own set of entrance then other materials (gravel, ash/cinder, umns contained variable amounts of both lime With the understanding that the vault doors. It is not known whether or not these demolition rubble, etc.) capping the human and mortar, suggesting that the mortar used to structures had been extensively impacted, vaults were vented to the open air in any way. remains within these vaults were likely added construct these supports was mixed within the 28 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 29

bottom of the vaults. The construction of these Interestingly, this case too was rectified supports, in turn, may have disturbed adjacent through the construction of secondary interior in situ human remains. No evidence of similar support structures to brace the ceiling. An support piers was found within either Vaults 1 or 2. article in the Times two days earlier (April 4) While it is not known with certainty when provides some details regarding the impact these support columns might have been the ceiling collapse had on remains within installed, these repairs may have been made these vaults, noting that: during the period when Vaults 3 and 4 were still receiving burials. Historic documents When the arch fell in…the three feet of earth indicate that failures to burial vault ceilings which was above it went down with the mass, may not have been uncommon. On April 6, and kindly covered up the crushed remains of 1880, the New York Times reported the fol- poor mortality below. A few broken coffins and lowing instance of a similar, though far more some parts of skeletons were lying visible severe, structural failure. among the rubbish (New York Times, April 4, 1880). An inspection was made yesterday by Dr. E. H. Janes, Assistant Sanitary Superintendent Human Remains of the Health Department, of the vault of the Attorney Street Methodist church, which caved Excavation of the burial vaults confirmed in on Friday morning. . . A contract has been the findings of the preliminary testing. With made by the Trustees for the repair of the break the exception of Vault 1, these chambers con- in the roof of the vault, and the work will be tained large amounts of human skeletal commenced forthwith. Two brick walls for the remains and associated funerary deposits. The support of the arch will be erected, and the exposed remains will be covered by the earth human remains primarily consisted of excavated for the foundations of these walls deposits of disassociated skeletal elements (New York Times, April 6, 1880). with widely disparate states of preservation

Figure 7. Detail of vault plan showing the distribution of intact or partially intact burials within the burial Figure 6. Overview of Vault 2 after excavation. (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.) chambers. (Image courtesy of URS Corporation.) 30 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 31

from completely intact to badly crushed. These direct association with the remnant wall at the volume of remains within each vault. Vault 4 were represented both by groups of more or remains were interspersed with large quantities chamber’s southeast corner. While the rest of produced, by far, the largest amount of skeletal less complete remains stacked one atop the of coffin wood remnants, the majority of the vault was found to be completely devoid material, followed next by Vault 3, and lastly other (fig. 8), as single and stacked truncated which were poorly preserved and badly of in situ remains, all available evidence sug- by Vault 2. In terms of general preservation remains (fig. 9), and as those that were appar- crushed. Better-preserved sections of coffin gests that at least some burials were still con- characteristics, identified individual burials in ently complete but badly crushed. In several wood were evident in some instances, however, tained within this space prior to the start of the Vault 2 generally showed the least degree of instances, primarily in Vault 4, burials were and provided insights to their appearance and construction excavation. Skeletal remains completeness and integrity while Vault 3 pos- identified within deep pockets of jumbled, dis- method of manufacture. A considerable recovered from demolition debris within the sessed the greatest proportion of articulated articulated remains (fig. 10). Lastly, in a small amount of brickbats and other construction initial find spot, representing a minimum of 16 remains and Vault 4 the largest amount of number of cases, partially intact burials were debris also were mixed in with the remains. individuals, are believed to have been those comingled skeletal elements. identified in more central parts of the vaults, Despite the generally jumbled condition originally contained within Vault 1. Burial remains exhibited a pattern of dis- away from walls and beneath dense fill and and variable preservation of the burial In Vaults 2, 3, and 4, human remains lined persal within each vault that was broadly con- demolition rubble deposits. Remains recov- deposits, URS archaeologists were able to the floors of the chambers and were contained sistent among all three. Excavations revealed ered in these latter contexts were nearly delineate a total of 46 variably complete in deposits that varied in depth from just a few that the largest volume of remains was found always badly crushed with almost no intact burials within this assemblage. The disarticu- inches to 1.5 ft. Within each vault, highly jumbled within relatively limited areas immediately bone remaining. lation of the remains was likely associated deposits of disarticulated and comingled skel- adjacent to the north, east, and south vault Despite the overall disturbed and disasso- with a variety of causes and occurred on mul- etal elements represented the largest propor- walls. Conversely, spaces near the center and ciated nature of the larger assemblage, the tiple occasions in the past. tion of remains; however, large quantities of western margins of these vaults contained dra- physical arrangement of most of the partially Of all the vaults, the southernmost (Vault 1) crushed remains and better-preserved pockets matically reduced quantities of bone and intact burials complied with common Judeo- stands out from the others in that it contained of articulated burial remains also were identi- related artifacts, and, in some instances, only Christian funerary practices; all but a few only trace evidence of human remains. The fied. Skeletal material was not distributed trace amounts were present in these areas. examples were oriented in an east-west direc- recovered remains consisted of a small amount evenly over these three spaces, but, rather, Within the high-density areas of each room, tion with the head to the west. Preliminary of fragmentary skeletal material found in exhibited marked contrasts in the overall remains located along the north and south field examinations suggested that the individ- uals interred in these vaults likely comprised a vault walls showed a much higher degree of representational cross section of the larger preservation and produced the largest number church congregation. Males and females of all of articulated burials. In contrast, remains life stages were identified and a significant along the eastern walls were generally poorly proportion of the total collection was com- preserved, frequently showed signs of extreme prised of subadults; this latter finding was crushing, and were often represented by multiple consistent with historical documents indi- stacked coffins that had been pancaked in situ, cating that large numbers of children were one on top of the other. This internal patterning buried in the vaults (Meade 2008). of remains was most pronounced in Vaults 3 and While articulated remains indicated that at 4 while in Vault 2 the internal distribution of least 46 interments were contained within burial deposits was slightly less clear cut. Vaults 2–4, the presence of large numbers of Despite the generally disassociated and intact skulls and partial crania among the com- comingled nature of the Spring Street skeletal ingled skeletal elements suggested that the material, members of the archaeological team total burial population was significantly larger. identified 46 partially intact interments within Basic demographic data for the 46 burials the burial deposits, representing the remains identified in the field, as determined from of 47 individuals (Vault 3, Burial 17 consisted post-excavation bioarchaeological analyses of of the remains of both a young woman and her remains, are summarized in Table 1 (Crist et al. full-term fetus; subsequently re-designated 2008; see also Crist, this volume) (tab. 1). It burials 17A and 17B). Of the delineated should be noted that Vault 4, Burials 1–4 were burials, 12 were found in Vault 2, 16 in Vault 3, originally identified in the field as being asso- and 18 in Vault 4 (fig. 7). These remains were ciated with distinct children; however, subse- recovered from a variety of depositional con- quent analysis revealed these remains to be texts and, similar to the larger assemblage, those of multiple comingled children consisted of skeletal material exhibiting widely (assigned distinctive letter designations during variable states of preservation. The majority of post excavation analysis). This situation is the intact burials were located at the bottom of indicative of the challenges faced during the dense piles of disarticulated skeletal material excavation of these vaults, especially in the adjacent to the north and south walls of the earliest stages, and the difficulty sometimes Figure 8. Stacked intact burials within Vault 3. (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.) separate vault spaces. Burials in this context encountered in trying to delineate discrete burials. 32 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 33

Table 1. Age at death and gender summary for field-identified burials* Although coffin remains and associated preserved metal coffin plates engraved with † † funerary artifacts were often poorly preserved the names and birth/death dates of individ- Burial # Sex Age range Burial # Sex Age range and found out of direct burial contexts, suffi- uals interred in the vaults. Legible dates on Vault 2 Vault 4 cient data was recovered to allow some these lid plates spanned the years 1820 insights to be gleaned regarding the burial through 1846 and provide a more accurate 1 F <35 1–4A C 5 mos. fetus customs and practices associated with the time frame for the use of the vaults than that 2 C 2.5–3.5 1–4B C <6 mos. Spring Street vaults. The characteristics of sur- provided by church records. Unfortunately, viving coffin samples indicate that burials 3 C 4.5–5.5 1–4C C <6 mos. almost all the coffin plates were long since sep- were simple affairs unattended by extravagant arated from their original coffin lids and were 4 F 40–49 1–4D C 2–3 mos. decoration or displays of status. Coffins were discovered as loose artifacts mixed with the likely hexagonal in shape with flat lids, 5 M <35 1–4E C 6 mos. jumbled, disarticulated remains. The one although portions of at least one gable-lidded exception was a coffin plate found in direct coffin were identified in the field. While some 6 F <35 1–4F C 6 mos.–1.5 yrs. association with an identified burial (Vault 3, coffins appear to have been stained or painted Burial 12). This coffin plate was used (in con- 7 C 4.5–5.5 1–4G C 6 mos.–1.5 yrs. in bright colors (examples of red- and yellow/ junction with osteological analyses) to posi- 8 F 25–29 1–4H C 6 mos.–1.5 yrs. gold-colored wood were observed), most did not have a great deal of exterior ornamenta- tively identify the individual as wealthy busi- 9 M 40–49 1–4I C 4.5–5.5 tion. No coffin handles, escutcheons, or other nessman, Rudolphus Bogert. Additional burial 10 M 20–29 1–4J C 5.5–6.5 adorning furniture were recovered during the artifacts, such as buttons, articles of jewelry, investigations, and other coffin hardware and other personal items were few and sug- 11 C(F) 14.5–15.5 1–4K C 2.3–3.5 (hinges, screws, etc.) was, for the most part, gest that efforts to prepare the deceased for 12 M 20–24 1–4L C 6 mos.–1.5 yrs. purely functional in form and appearance. burial also involved little pomp and ceremony. The most significant funerary artifacts One specific personal artifact that stood out 1–4M C 5.5–6.5 recovered were a series of more than 30 during fieldwork was a gold wedding band Vault 3 1–4N C 6 mos.–1.5 yrs. 1 F 25–29 1–4O C 1–3 2 F 20–24 5 M 20–24 3 F 20–24 6 M 35–39 4 M 25+ 7 F 30–34 5 M <35 8 M 60+ 6 M 25–29 9 M 50–59 7 F 20–24 10 M 40–44 8 F 25–29 11 F 30–34 9 M 35+ 12 M 50–59 10 M 30–34 13 F 20–24 11 M 25–34 14 M 30–34 12 M 70+ 15 M 40–44 13 F 30–34 16 C (F) 14.5–15.5 14 M 35–39 15 M 45–49 16 M 30–34 17A and 17B F 25–29/full-term 18 F 25–29

* Burials with a numeric identifier were identified in the field; letters indicate a burial identified in the lab. † Male is M; female is F, and child or infant is C. This information excerpted from the analysis of human remains report (Crist et al. 2008; Appendix D). Figure 9. Stacked truncated and individual truncated burials in Vault 2. (Courtesy of URS Corporation.) 34 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 35

recovered with the remains of Burial 8, in earth, because of the liability of the coffins to This task may have involved the collection piers in both Vaults 3 and 4 contained sometimes- Vault 3; the band had no inscription or other burst” (Eassie 1875: 60). During this same and repositioning of loose, disarticulated skel- dense concentrations of lime, along with occa- markings that might have helped to identify period, health inspectors visiting cemetery etal materials dispersed by the process of nat- sional pieces of unused cement mortar. Given the its owner. Aside from coffin-related artifacts vaults in Jersey City, New Jersey evocatively ural decay discussed above and surely environment within these spaces, it seems prob- (nails and screws), simple straight pins, used described the interior space of these chambers resulted in additional disturbance and disar- able that sand for use in the mortar was exca- to hold a burial shroud in place, were the most as “gloomy and wet,” and noted that “…the ticulation of the remains as decomposed cof- vated directly from the exposed natural floor. commonly found funerary objects. Shroud condition of the wooden coffins exemplifies fins were moved, restacked, and/or removed The distribution of remains within Vaults 3 pins were recovered in both disturbed contexts every gradation from soundness to complete if damaged. Given that persons entering the and 4 may support this interpretation. In both and in direct association with many of the decay. A few have been renovated, while vaults would have needed space to move instances, areas immediately surrounding the better-preserved burials. More detailed others have been permitted to crumble until around, it is likely that central areas would support columns were almost entirely devoid descriptions of the Spring Street funerary arti- they are disgusting to the sight; two or three have been kept reasonably clear of remains— of burial remains, as were spaces just to the facts along with additional analyses and inter- exposing their dead” (National Board of by moving older interments to the periphery east in the center of the chambers. It seems pretations of early 19th-century burial customs Health 1879: 203). of the chambers—thereby creating the distribution likely that the creation of necessary workspace are discussed elsewhere in this volume (see It should be noted that the natural distur- of remains identified during this investigation. to accommodate the temporary storage of raw White and Mooney, this volume). bance and disarticulation of burial remains Historical accounts indicate that remains materials (brick, lime), the movement of laborers, would be further expedited if coffins within within the vaults likely were moved or reposi- and the collection of sand for the mortar may Assessment of Prior Disturbance the Spring Street vaults were stacked on top of tioned at least intermittently over the period of have required at least some burial remains to be one another, as it appears they were. The their use. Records show that in March 1830, stacked on top of others along the outer walls. In addition to recovering human remains decomposition of stacked coffins would make the church’s trustees appointed a committee to Perhaps the dislodged and crushed intact burials from the vaults, these investigations also them more prone to collapse, crushing, and, regulate the two existing vaults (3 and 4), in Vault 3 were evidence of this activity. sought to determine what factors contributed possibly, toppling and violent rupture. A par- probably as a way of extending their use life to the largely disturbed appearance of the ticularly gruesome account of conditions (Meade 2008). While it is not known what Site Demolition burial deposits. Background research and evi- befalling stacked coffins in vaults was actions were implied by the term “regulate,” dence documented in the field suggest that as recorded in 1850 at the church of St. Mary at the normal definition of that word suggests Potentially the most significant impacts to many as four separate factors may have con- Hill in England: “In one spot thirteen coffins that this would call for some reordering of the Spring Street burial deposits were caused tributed to this condition. These factors likely are piled one upon the other, many of them remains within the chambers. Potential evi- by the exposure and subsequent infilling of the involved natural processes of decomposition, broken and crushed; the bones from the upper dence indicating that burials had at some vaults during the demolition of the site in the intentional actions on the part of members of coffins dropping down among those of the point been moved around in this manner was late 1960s. Fill deposits immediately overlying the congregation and other persons in reno- lower, and mixing with them in all stages of identified during excavation and was repre- the burial remains produced a number of arti- vating and repairing the vaults, and events decay” (quoted in Reeve 1993: 74). Although it sented by a small but significant number of facts that were manufactured during the mid- that were, at least in part, accidental in nature. is doubtful that coffins in the Spring Street skeletal remains (primarily hand and foot ele- 20th century. These artifacts were almost cer- vaults were ever stacked to this extreme, the ments) within the largely vacant central parts tainly introduced into the vaults when the Natural Decay implications raised by this example are of Vaults 3 and 4. These remains were found vaults were broken into by machinery used to nonetheless clear and valid. pressed down several inches into the sand One of the primary factors affecting the clear and grade the site in advance of the con- Rodents and other burrowing creatures floor of those chambers, and appear to have struction of the subsequent parking lot. The integrity of individual burials within the represent another natural process of decay been trampled by people walking and vaults was almost certainly the natural process presence of dense brick rubble overlying the possibly affecting the integrity of vault working in these rooms. burial deposits, including large sections of of bodily decay. As documented in graphic deposits. The potential impacts of this type of detail by public health researchers in the 19th wall and curved ceiling elements, indicates bioturbation on interments in the ground of a Vault Repairs that demolition activities caused the vaults to col- century, the human body decomposes quickly churchyard is limited by space restrictions after death and, in due course, emits an assort- As discussed previously, archaeological lapse. The remaining void would then have been inside the grave shaft and coffin; however, the filled with rubble to level the area for paving. ment of “offensive gases and putrid liquids” effects of rodent activity on the dispersal of investigations discovered evidence, in the The introduction of this large amount of which, in turn, impregnate the surrounding remains in large cavities like vaults would be form of internal support piers, that Vaults 3 demolition debris and its subsequent compac- coffin wood, causing it to weaken and decay more pronounced. Although no direct evidence and 4 were subjected to structural repair at tion likely accounted for the majority of (Eassie 1875). As the coffins decompose, the of this disturbance was documented in the some point during or after their period of remains inside are eventually exposed and are Spring Street vaults, the ubiquitous nature of active use. These activities also may have con- damage observed within the burial remains permitted to naturally disarticulate. While few rodents in urban settings and in environments of tributed to the disturbance of burial remains. and probably accounts for much of the pattern descriptions verifying these conditions have decay suggests that its occurrence here was likely. The construction of these brick columns would of crushing identified. Remains located in been preserved in the historic record, two have required raw materials to be brought into more central portions of the vaults would have accounts, one of which is particularly vivid, the burial chambers and, presumably, the borne the brunt of impacts from the collapse of have been identified. Cremation advocates Vault Regulation establishment of a suitable workplace in the the roof and the dumping and compaction of investigating burial conditions in England As burials accumulated within the Spring vaults. The archaeological evidence suggests rubble fill while those arranged tightly along during the last quarter of the 19th century con- Street vaults, it likely became necessary to that mortar used in this construction was the outer walls would have been afforded a cluded “that entombment in vaults was a redistribute coffins and remains along the mixed directly within the vaults. Portions of greater measure of protection from the more dangerous practice than interment in the floor to make room for additional interments. the sandy floor immediately surrounding the effects of site demolition. 36 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 37

Discussion and Conclusions degree of coffin decay and the extent of was not restricted in any way, this is not the skeletal disarticulation evident, the overall pattern that would be anticipated. Rather, both At the time of its completion, preservation and distribution of Spring Street vaults would be expected to contain a propor- this project represented the only remains appears to be consistent with that tionally similar number of individuals. known intensive archaeological documented during excavations of other con- Likewise, it would be expected that the demo- exploration of historic church temporary vaults at St. Mary’s at Hill and graphic profile of individuals contained in vaults within this region of the Christ Church, Spitalfields, in England and each vault would approach some level of country. Although comparative observed first-hand by 19th-century health parity. Instead, Vault 3 was found to contain archaeological information from officials in Jersey City, New Jersey (Reeve and only adult burials, with no subadults/children contemporary church vaults in Adams 1993, National Board of Health 1879). present, while Vault 4 contained large num- this country are not available, Both the English and American family bers of men, women, and children. While conditions within the Spring vaults exhibit some manner of differential these disparities hint at the existence of inten- Street burial chambers appear to access to interment or segregation within tional patterning of burials between these share a number of broad similari- vaults whether by familial association, wealth, vaults, without access to more detailed church ties with documented English or social status. While the Spring Street vault records and information regarding the identi- church vaults and American excavations found no physical or structural ties of the people interred in the vaults, the family vaults from the same evidence of segregation within individual true cause or nature of these differences period. In terms of their overall burial chambers, in the form of interior walls, remains uncertain. structure and manner of con- shelves, or crypts used to divide the space, the Archaeological investigation of the Spring struction, the Spring Street vaults findings ultimately remain inconclusive about Street Church site produced important base- may have more in common with whether or not some form of selective inclu- line data related to the structure and operation family tombs, such as those sion or partitioning of burials was practiced by of early-to-mid-19th-century church vaults studied in the Historic the Spring Street congregation. In large mea- and highlighted some of the problems Congressional Cemetery in sure, the inability to identify any type of burial involved in documenting and extracting Washington, D. C. For the latter patterning is due to the highly fragmentary meaningful data from these contexts. The pau- cemetery, the earliest vaults are nature of surviving church records, the city of comparable sites in the northeastern simple rectangular rooms cov- inability to establish the identities of specific United States makes it difficult to know if con- ered by a vaulted ceiling within remains interred in the vaults, and the disartic- ditions found at Spring Street are representa- which coffins “were simply laid ulated nature of the large majority of remains tive of congregational vaults in general. At on the floor and stacked as more present. At the most basic level, it is not Spring Street, the main factors inhibiting of the family or friends were laid known if interment within the Spring Street archaeological documentation and analysis to rest” and where they would Figure 10. Partially intact burial within disarticulated remains in Vault 4. vaults was a right granted to all members of were the dual processes of natural decay and eventually “deteriorate and (Photograph courtesy of URS Corporation.) the congregation or if access was limited to a vault regulation that resulted in the disarticu- crumble to the floor, as specific subset of individuals. lation of skeletal remains and the dislocation intended.” Later in the 19th century, however, could afford the increased cost of vault burial Some distinctions that could be indicative and mixing of associated funerary artifacts. the Congressional Cemetery vaults gradually (Association of Diocesan and Cathedral of the intentional differential use of or access These less-than-ideal conditions were became more elaborate in their interior design Archaeologists 2010). What some of the English to these chambers by members of the congre- further amplified by later construction-related through the addition of shelves and individual burial vaults have in common with Spring Street gation were identified. The most obvious dif- impacts to both the vaults and the burial crypts for the storage of burial receptacles is the accommodation of large numbers of burials ferences are evident between Vaults 3 and 4 remains. Because neither the presence of the (Association for the Preservation of the through the practice of stacking burials within and involve the disparity in overall volume of vaults nor the conditions within them were Historic Congressional Cemetery 2012). individual rooms along with the need for peri- remains and the demographic representation known when the investigation began, an In England, numerous church crypts and odic “regulation” of decaying and fallen coffins of individuals contained within each. Both overall methodological framework for docu- (Reeve and Adams 1993). vaults have been archaeologically docu- chambers were built at the same time (circa menting these burial chambers had to be mented, including Christ Church in As discussed previously, vault regulation 1820) and were presumably in use for the established in the field with minimal advanced Spitalfields (Reeve and Adams 1993), St. was a process brought about by the natural same duration; however, despite this similar preparation. Inevitably, the initial work within George’s in Bloomsbury (Boston et al. 2009), decay of stacked coffins in the vaults and was and St. Luke’s in Islington (Boyle 2005), among required at times to “tidy” the vault interiors, use-life, Vault 4 contained a volume of human the vaults was performed with a certain others. Although considerable differences are to allow for the placement of additional coffins remains that was several orders of magnitude degree of tentativeness and second guessing, evident between these sites in terms of the into the vaults, or, potentially, to speed the greater than that recovered from Vault 3 (at the but was assisted by the participation of team structure and use of burial crypts, most of decay of remains. Archaeological evidence writing of this paper bioarchaeological anal- members who possessed a great deal of prior these vaults are located beneath the floor of from the Spring Street vaults suggests that reg- yses of Vault 4 remains and the calculation of cemetery experience and a thorough knowl- the church sanctuary and consist of multiple ulation may have been necessary for at least minimum numbers of individuals present was edge of skeletal anatomy. This latter skill set rooms with specific rooms set aside for the use some of these reasons, as well as to allow for still ongoing). Given a situation where access proved especially valuable when working to of a single extended family or for those who the repair of the vault ceilings. In terms of the to the vaults by members of the congregation parse out skeletal remains associated with 38 Mooney/Archaeological Findings from Spring Street Church Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 39, 2010 39

discrete interments from the mass of Boyle, Angela, Ceridwen Boston, and Annsofie Mooney, Douglas B., Edward. M. Morin, Robert G. Douglas Mooney is a Senior Archaeologist disarticulated bone surrounding them. Witkin Wiencek, and Rebecca White with the URS Corporation in Burlington, New Despite the difficulties encountered, the 2005 The Archaeological Experience at St. 2008 Archaeological Investigations of the Jersey. He served as the Principal Investigator Spring Street excavations generated a great Luke’s Church, Old Street, Islington. Spring Street Presbyterian Church for the Spring Street vault excavations. His Cemetery, 244-246 Spring Street, New York deal of useful information related to the struc- Archaeological Recording Action Report. research interests include prehistoric, histor- City, New York. Report prepared by URS Report Prepared for ABL Cultural ical, urban, and mortuary archaeology. ture of the vaults and the internal organization Corporation for Bayrock/Sapir of the human remains, the funerary traditions Consulting. Accessed April 2012. http:// Organization, LLC. Report on file at the Douglas B. Mooney evident in the interment of the deceased, and lso. co. uk/burials. New York City Landmarks Preservation Senior Archaeologist the demography and medical history of the Commission, New York. Crist, Thomas A., Shannon A. Novak, and Molly H. Crist URS Corp congregants buried in the vaults. While this 437 High Street 2008 Appendix D: Analysis of Human Remains, National Board of Health data has been helpful in filling gaps in our Burlington, NJ 08016 knowledge, the role played by church vaults, In Archaeological Investigations of the 1879 Cemeteries and Burials. Annual Report of Spring Street Presbyterian Church the National Board of Health. Government [email protected] and burial vaults in general, remains an inade- Cemetery, 244-246 Spring Street, New York Printing Office, Washington, DC. quately studied aspect of historic mortuary City, New York. Report prepared by URS customs and practices. Hopefully the lessons Corporation for Bayrock/Sapir Reeve, Jez, and Max Adams learned at this site will be useful in planning Organization, LLC. Report on file at the 1993 The Spitalfields Project. Volume 1: The archae- ology, Across the Styx. CBA Research Report and guiding future burial vault investigations. New York City Landmarks Preservation 85. Council for British Archaeology, York. Commission, New York. Acknowledgments I would like to recognize the invaluable Crowder, Christian, Megan Ingvoldstad, and Jeanette Fridie guidance and assistance provided by AKRF 2008 Appendix A: New York City Office of Inc., the Landmarks Preservation Commission Chief Medical Examiner (Report No. M-06- (LPC), and the Professional Archaeologists 6910, Issued February 14, 2007). In of New York (PANYC) over the course of Archaeological Investigations of the this investigation. I would especially like to Spring Street Presbyterian Church thank all those at URS who labored on and Cemetery, 244-246 Spring Street, New York contributed to this project. City, New York. Report prepared by URS Corporation for Bayrock/Sapir Organization, LLC. Report on file at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, New York.

References Eassie, William 1875 Cremation of the Dead: Its History and Association for the Preservation of the Historic Bearings upon Public Health. Smith, Elder, & Congressional Cemetery Co., London. 2012 Tomb Restoration. Accessed May 2012. http://www. congressionalcemetery. org/ Ludlow, Henry G. tomb-restoration. 1828 Letter to Caroline Ludlow Frey, November Association of Diocesan and Cathedral Archaeologists 1828. Frey Family Papers in the 2010 Archaeology and Burial Vaults: A Manuscript Collections of the New-York Guidance Note for Churches: Association Historical Society. of Diocesan and Cathedral Archaeologists Guidance Note 2. Accessed April 2012. Meade, Elizabeth D. http://www.britarch.ac.uk/adca/docu- 2008 Appendix B: Topic-Intensive Documentary ments/ADCAGuidanceNote2.pdf. Study, In Archaeological Investigations of the Spring Street Presbyterian Church Boston, Ceridwen, Angela Boyle, John Gill, and Cemetery, 244-246 Spring Street, New York Annsofie Witkin City, New York. Report prepared by URS 2009 ‘In the Vaults Beneath’: Archaeological Corporation for Bayrock/Sapir Recording at St. George’s Church, Bloomsbury. Organization, LLC. Report on file at the Archaeology Monograph No. 8, Oxford New York City Landmarks Preservation Archaeological Unit, Oxford. Commission, New York.