Northeast Historical Archaeology
Volume 26 Article 2
1997 Anatomy of an Almshouse Complex Sherene Baugher
Edward J. Lenik
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Recommended Citation Baugher, Sherene and Lenik, Edward J. (1997) "Anatomy of an Almshouse Complex," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 26 26, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.22191/neha/vol26/iss1/2 Available at: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol26/iss1/2
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). It has been accepted for inclusion in Northeast Historical Archaeology by an authorized editor of The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). For more information, please contact [email protected]. Anatomy of an Almshouse Complex
Cover Page Footnote We wish to thank all the participants in this excavation including co-field directors Arthur Bankoff, and Frederick Winter; laboratory directors Judith Guston and Diane Dallal; the assistant archaeologist, Margaret Tamulonis; and the hardworking field crew composed primarily of Brooklyn College students with a few interns and volunteers from the City Archaeology Program. We appreciate the diligent work of draftspersons Claudia Diamont and Jason Thompson. Our thanks go to photographer Carl Forster for his meticulous and thorough work taking photographs of the artifacts and making photographic reproductions of details from historical maps. We are grateful for the comments given by Paul Huey, Donald Plotts, nda William McMillen. We appreciate the editorial suggestions by Mary Beaudry and Ann-Eliza Lewis. We thank Hunter Research, Inc., for allowing us to use the data from their composite maps of City Hall Park.
This article is available in Northeast Historical Archaeology: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol26/iss1/2 Nortilcast H J. Anatomy of an Almshouse Complex Sherene Baugher and Edward]. Lenik The focus of this paper is to determine the age and function of a pa rtial building folmdation uncov ered during archaeological testing in City Hall Park, New Yo rk City. The mttlwrs usc evidence from histor ical maps, prints, and documents, as well as archaeological evidence, to determine the function of the building. The evidence suggests that the foundation is an outbuilding that was part of an 18tlz-centun; colo nial almshouse complex. The foundat ion appears to be the remains of the almshouse kitchen. Cet article vise adeterminer !'age et Ia fonction d'unc fondation partielle ric britimcnt mise au jour durant rme exploration archeologique effectuee au City Hall Park de New York. Lcs mtteurs se servent de donees provenant de cartes, de gravures et de documents historiques ainsi que de domu?es archeologiques pour determiner Ia fonction du biitiment. II semble, d'apres /es donnees, qu'i/ s'agit d'tnll' dependance qui fai sait partie d'zm asile colonial du XVIII" siec/e pour indigents. La fondation snnblc Ctre /c vestige de Ia cuisine de /'asile. Introduction almshouse complex? We believe that the prob lems encountered at this site are common in While working-class and middle-class sites urban archaeology, that is, how to interpret have been examined extensively by archaeolo the function of a structural ruin when the site gists, relatively few sites of the 18th- and early is in an intensively developed urban setting 19th-century poor have been studied. This and especially when the legal construction cor article presents the results of archaeological ridor of the project permits inves tigation of excavations in City Hall Park, Manhattan, only a small portion of the feature. which unearthed material associated with The 18th-century artifact assemblage at the New York City's first municipal almshouse City Hall Park site was a domestic deposit complex, 1736-1797 (FIG. 1). Archaeologists composed primarily of food preparation and have excavated 19th-century almshouse com service vessels but also containing bottles, plexes such as the Magdalen Society Asylum kitchen utensils, clay smoking pipes, buttons, for reforming prostitutes in Philadelphia (Clio and dietary remains. This article presents the Group, Inc. 1989; De Cunzo 1995; Weber 1988); documentary, architectural, and artifactual the 1886 orphanage at the Schuyler Mansion in data to support our conclusion that the exca Albany, New York (Feister 1991); and the vated structure was the kitchen building asso cemeteries of the Uxbridge and Hudson poor ciated with New York City's first municipal farms in Massachusetts (Bell 1990, 1993; Elia almshouse. and Wesolowsky 1991). Only one other known almshouse of the colonial period, the 1696 almshouse in Albany, has been excavated Project History (Huey 1987, 1991a; Pena 1990). In 1988, the New York City Department of The purpose of this article is not to discuss General Services undertook preliminary the quality of life within a colonial almshouse design work for a utility corridor in City Hall but rather to address the basic premise of the Park, Manhattan (Block l 22, Lot 1). The project City Hall Park excavation, which was con area was located south of Chambers Street and ducted to determine the function and age of a east of Broadway between City Hall and partial building foundation uncovered during Tweed Court House (FIG. 2). These two build archaeological field testing. The main research ings, City Hall (1811 ) and Tweed Court House questions were: 1) what could be determined (1861), are designated New York City Land about the architecture of the buried building; marks (NYC Landmarks Preservation Com and 2) what was its relationship, if any, to the mission 1966: 1; 1984: 2). In addition to the two 2 Anatomy of an Alms/rouse Complcx/Bauglrer and l mik ~ I mi. Figure 1. Map indicating the location within New York City of the City Hall Park archaeological site. (Drafted by Jason Thompson.) extant buildings, there were at least eight and Brooklyn College to perfor m the mitiga other major structures on the northern portion tion fieldwork. of City Hall Park during the past 250 years Fieldwork for this project was conducted (Baugher-Perlin e ta!. 1982: Appendices 1, 2, for six w eeks in 1989; this work was under 11, and 15). taken by the Ci ty Archaeology Program at the The City Archaeology Program identified New York City Landmmks Preservation Com the project site as having the potential to con mission in conjunction with the Brooklyn Col tain archaeological material; this information lege Summer Archaeological Field School. was sent to the Department of General Ser Laboratory work and report preparation were vices. The agency contracted with a private funded by a g rant from the New York City consultant to undertake a documentary study. Department of General Services to the New Because of mino r disturbance to the site the York Landmarks Preservation Foundation and con s ulta nts recommended field tes ting the work was done by the City Archaeology (Grossman and Associates, Inc. 1988: 12-14). Program. This excavation did 1101 require an In preliminary field testing the consultants environmental review and was carried out as a uncovered a section of a brownstone wall th at voluntary effort on the pilrt of the three city appeared to b e part of an 18th-century agencies/ institutions. building. Follow ing the completion of the ini The excavation uncovered a total of 6,Y03 tial fi eld testing, the Department of General artifacts, including ceramics, glass, smoking Services asked the City Archaeology Program pipes, and metal material. In addition, 4,514 Nortlzcastliistonc,,l;\rdmcologyNol. 26, 1997 3 CH,\MBERS STREET C? . TW EED COL'RT HOUSE . . ;-·: . . . ~ ·. ... . D . OD. •. · .' ... ·.· CITY HALL ·· ... :.: ... ·.'. : ' . J()() ft. PARK ING LOT Figure 2. Map indicating the location of the City Hall Park archaeological site within th e northern portion of City Hall Park. (Drafted by Jason Thompson.) faunal remains were unearthed. The site con workhouse; the building was erected in 1735 tained material associated with a colonial and opened in 17311 (New York Ci ty 1905, 4: structure as well as with the landscaping of 236, 240-241, 305). Since there was almost City Hall Park in the late 19th and 20th cen always a labor shortage in colonial America, turies and with the construction of the rear only the most desperate were placed in institu steps to City Hall, ca 1810 (Baugher et al. tions of this kind (Miller 1Y76: 306). 1990). This article focuses only on the colonial Historian Steven Ross (1988: 149) in an component of the site. Historical maps, deed~ arti cle on New York's almshouse notes that wills, municipal Common Council records, between 1729 and 1737 the City w a~ in an eco and other documents were evaluated to deter nomic depression and that "major outbreaks mine the function o f the excavated colonial of measles in 1727 and smallpox in 1731 and structure.l 1732 added further to the numbers o f the worthy poor." The growing number of poor in Documentary History of the Almshouse New York forced the city governme nt to Lot, 1736-1797 develop an institutional meuns of caring for them. In 1736, New York City's firs t municipul In 1734, the New York City colonial gov almshouse or workhouse opened its doors. ernment decided to build an almshouse/ The almshouse served both as a shelter for those poor who were sick, disabled, or elderly, 1 Extensive documentary research for the northern portion and as a workhouse/house of corrections for of City Hall has been undertaken and is detailed in Baugher people considered able to work, including "all eta!. 1990; Baugher-Perlin eta!. 1982; Grossman and Associ ates, Inc. 1988; and Hunter Research, Inc. 1994. disorderly persons, parents of Bustard Chil- 4 Allalomy of an Almshouse Compla/Baugha nlld U'llik dren, Beggars, Servants running away or oth house, is located \\'el l bevond the bounds of erwise misbehaving themselves, Trespassers, the almshouse site. This parcel (which bor Rogues, Vagabonds" (New York City 1905, 4: dered on the public lands) belonged to John 308-309). Harris; most of the property was acquired by The almshouse/workhouse was completed the City in 1746 and incorporated into the in March of 1736 and cost the city £202 to build public lands (New York City 1lJ05, 4: 483; 5: in 1735 (New York City 1905, 4: 250-257). As 176, 187- 188)2 A !'Inn of tile City and Environs of early as the month after its opening, in April of New York (Grim's plan), depicting New York 1736, additions were being made to the site in 1742-1744 but drawn in 1813, is the first complex. The number of poor who entered the map to show the almshouse or any structure almshouse increased, and within 10 years the on this s ite (Fie. 4 )) On Grim's plan the government had enlarged the structure. From almshouse is located neilf the site of present 1736 to 1790 addi tiona! structures serving the day City Hall, the Harris house is to the west almshouse are known to have been con of the almshouse, and a small building is structed in the surrounding area: located to the east of the almshouse. The Montresor plan, published in 1775 but I) a kitchen, oven, and wash house were depicting New York in 1766, id entifies both built in April, 1736; main buildings and outbuildings in City Hall 2) a stable was built in November, 1736; (FIG. It 3) an additional building was added to Park 5). is the major 18th-century map serve as a hospital in 1739; to provide detailed information on the 4) the almshouse was enlarged in 1746 almshouse site. In 1765, General Thomas Gage (£200 were allocated for this expansion); ordered Captain John Montresor to undertake 5) two wooden cisterns were sunk in 1749; the survey, which was made between 6) a fenced burial place for deceased resi Dece mber 16, 1765, and Febru Figure 3. The site noted on A Plan of the City of New York from an Actual Suroey made by james Lyne, a map commonly known as the Bradford map or Lyne survey, cartographer unknown, 1731, depicting 1730. (Stokes 1915, 1: plate 27.) Figure 4. The earliest known depiction of the almshouse is on A Plan of the City and Environs of New York, a map commonly known as Grim's plan, cartographer David Grim, 1813, depicting 1742-1744. (Stokes 1915,1: plate 32a.) 6 Anatomy ofan Almshouse Complex/Baugher and Lenik Figure 5. The site is noted on A Plan of the City of New-York and Its Environs to Greenwich, on the North or Hudsons River, (Etc.), a map commonly known as the Montresor plan, by John Montresor, 1775, depicting 1766. (Stokes 1915, 1: plate 40.) the 1736 almshouse stable. Since the Commons Ratzer map (1776) show orchards and gardens with pasture was directly to the south of the surrounding the almshouse complex. Both the almshouse, this site would have been a reason Ratzen plan and Ratzer map also show an able location for a bam or stable. It is possible upside down L-shaped outbuilding to the that the structure to the north of the almshouse northwest of the almshouse in almost the same orchards is the 1736 wash house, or it might be location as the western outbuilding on the a structure associated with the military bar Montresor map. This structure may be the racks (the long building directly north of this 1736 kitchen or the 1739 hospital; both build small structure). The minutes of the Common ings serviced the almshouse. Council do not discuss any other support Identification of the colonial structure structures for the almshouse during this uncovered in the archaeological excavation is period. Lastly, orchards are depicted to the based on the evidence of three colonial maps; north and west of the almshouse; four garden the Montresor map, the Ratzer map, and the plots are shown to the east of the almshouse, Ratzen plan all show a large outbuilding in the and formal gardens are to the north of the two same location as the foundation excavated in major almshouse outbuildings. The minutes of 1989. The question is whether this outbuilding the Common Council (New York City 1905, 4: was associated with the almshouse or with the 324) note that as early as May, 1736, gardens military barracks. A clearly defined border or were established for the almshouse. boundary line surrounding the almshouse and ln 1766, Lieutenant Bernard Ratzer, an its outbuildings is shown on three maps: the assistant engineer to General Thomas Gage, Grim plan, the Montresor map, and the Ratzen compiled data for both the Ratzer map and plan. There is a consistency in the depiction of Ratzen plan4 (Stokes 1915, 1: 341-343). Both the two major outbuildings within the border the Ratzen plan (FIG. 6) and Ratzer map (FIG. 7) 4 Bernard Ratzer produced both maps. The 1766-1767 plan, depict the almshouse, gaol, and barracks in the however, contained an incorrect spelling of his name as same location as shown on the 1766 Montresor Ratzen. Stokes (1915, 1: 342) notes that the correct spelling plan. Both the Ratzen plan (1766-1767) and the was Ratzer. Northeast Historical ArchaeologyNol. 26, 1997 7 Figure 6. The site is noted on A Plan of the City of New York, commonly known as the Ratzen plan, by Bernard Ratzen (also spelled Ratzer), 1776, depicting 1766-1767. (Stokes 1915,1: plate 42.) ·~ Figure 7. The site is noted on Plan of the City of New York, In North America, commonly known as the Ratzer map, by Bernard Ratzer, 1776. (Stokes 1915, 1: plate 41.) 8 Anatomy ofan Almshouse Complex/Baugher and Lt:nik - ...,.- - -~ ~,_\ _-.- _,.. •. I • ~ -- - Figure 8. The site is noted on A New and Accurate Plan of the City of New York in the State of New York in North America, by B. Taylor, 1796. (Stokes 1915, 1: plate 64.) or boundary of the almshouse parcel. The min Barracks, demolished in 1790, is not shown on utes of the Common Council (New York City the map. The drawing of the almshouse on 1905, 4: 488) note the allocation of funds to this map is a useful source of architectural build a fence for the almshouse in 1740. information and is discussed later in this Archaeologist Paul Huey (1991b; personal article. communication, 1996) noted that colonial In June, 1797, the government issued an almshouse complexes in England and Holland order to take down the almshouse, and in were usually laid out in either au shape with a August, 1797, the government attempted to central building flanked by two large out salvage some material for reuse in a new struc buildings or in a rectangular shape with a ture to be built for the superintendent of the main building and three support buildings. new potter's field burial ground at what is The New York City almshouse fits the descrip now Washington Square Park in Greenwich tion of the u-shaped plan. These two outbuild Village (New York City 1917, 2: 343, 374; ings were probably the kitchen and hospital Stokes 1928, 6: 337-338). In May, 1797, inmates since the other documented structures were of the almshouse were moved to the second minor buildings such as a wash house or almshouse, built on the site of the Upper Bar stable. There is no indication on the maps that racks and now the site of Tweed Court House. these two outbuildings were associated with It is interesting to note that after City Hall the military barracks. Park was chosen as the site for the new City The 1796 A New and Accurate Plan of the Hall in 1800 there was a slow but steady relo City of New York in the State of New York in cation of the sick and poor to other locations North America by B. Taylor is the last map that outside the city. By 1816, all remaining poor depicts the almshouse (FIG. 8). The map pro were removed from City Hall Park to the new vides only a general location of the main struc almshouse at the Bellevue Hospital complex tures on City Hall Park, that is, the almshouse, north of the city (Stokes 1928, 6: 537). gaol, and bridewell (workhouse). The Upper Nort /n•tbf l h ' ll'nca/ 1\rc/w,·o/ogyNol. 26, 1997 9 "'-' 'I :-·--·--·--·- ·-·---·- ·- - - ·- ·\ 1, I ~~ER HOUSE 1 _q l- ·~ I> UARRACKS ERTY l"r: ,.. _ . I J _,_ _,_ L_,_ ,- •l•-•- •- __:-"cnoow:; BARRAC KSSllUE: i 1 i _; ~ - ! i l i \~ ------< 0 > ::: ~ f l ! ~ I ~ i l~ : : ____ qji r-l , __. l '=J I ~ t-t - - •- t I~ I ~ ! ~ EXCA\'AIT0Bl1LO"O l 1r ..U...\tsJtot'SE otTBtn lNG AL' Hot'sE ot:TBL:!Wr.->o I B. • I I i n • i ' 'EV. GAUL l I r- - -: I ' E sHousE"<] n . ,_ ,_j__,_ ,J I I Wno~\.1\'K.~O~~ b -1--.--. -· L._ -·- _,_J HARRIS HOUSE I FENCE SCALEo 1"- ig Q o :( 1728-1775 POWDER MAGA.l..INE i !~9 0NORlll 1 Figure 9. A Composite Map of the Nor/hem Portio 11 of City Ha ll Park Depicting 1728- 1775. Hunter Research, Inc., produced the original map showing the location of a ll known structures including our excavated colonial foundation. In this version, red rafted by Claudia Diamant, the code numbers have been replaced with identification labels. The Goerck / Ma ngin pla n, iss u ed in almshouse. In addition, the fe nce lines show a November, 1803, shows that the foundation of clear delineation of p roperty for the almshouse the new City Hall is located in the vici nity of complex. the site of the firs t almshouse. The second The documentary data regarding the fabric almshouse, erected in 1797, is depicted on this of the buildings further suggest that the exca map on the site of the fo rmer ba rracks. The vated colonial structure was one of the m ain second a lmshouse had been used for only 20 outbuildings of the almshouse rather than one years when, in 1816, all inmates were moved of the military buildings. The 1757 upper bar to a third almshouse a t Bellevue. In the first racks (so-called to disting uis h it from the quarter of the 19th century, the refore, the lower barracks, which was located within the no rthern portion of City Hall Park was trans city on the southern tip of Manhattan) was formed from a location to house the poor, the built as a "sing le s to ry fra m e s tr u c ture" soldiers, and the criminals into a government (Hunter Research, Inc. 1'190: 2-2) . The other center. military b arracks depicted on the his torical Hunter Research, Inc. (1994) undertook an maps w e re a ls o w ood fra me s truc tures extensive documentary study of the north and (Hunter Research, Inc. 1994: 2- 130; 2-132). The so uth parcels of City Hall Park; they prod uced a lmsho use, built be tween Ap ril, 1735, a nd a series of m ylar com posite overl ay m a ps March, 1736, was m ade of brick on a s tone s h owing all the s tructures that h ave b een foundation (New York City 1905, 4: 250- 251). d epicted on historical maps.s Figure 9 shows O n April 15, 1736, the Commo n Council the known structures on the northern portion of City Hall Park from the period 1728-1775, and Figure 10 depicts known structures from 5 The historical maps were in various scales so the struc tures were drafted on m·erloy maps with a scale of 1 in. (2.5 1776-1 796. The military barracks an d o ther em) = 20 ft (6 m). The locetions ,md sizes of the structures military buildings are beyond the site of the depicted on the histori cal maps were cro" -checked w ith excavated building. The excavated structure is other documentary d nta. The structures were drefted to show the largest size depicted on the historical maps. clearly w ithin the fenced bo unda ry of the 10 A11ntomy of an Afmslwu>e Collll'"'x/llnugltcr n11d Lc11 ik -r-=;.:::::::.._._,_, ___ ,_,_,_ ,_. __~---1,, ~ I -- B,\RR.AlKS ~-- ["'.t- • < -1<. I Hr\RkACKS STRrr.r "tp-< · \ "?,>-?. AI.MSHOUSE GARDEN () ~ -- ---/ Jo'------~ i .I \\ ,--- '\ ,- --- ~ 1 l______. J. ~ ~--; - -j l 1_,_,_,_}·=~ "'""ITDHLILD"'~ l li J ~HULSE O I LFENC·-E ·- ·-·-·-.1 I SCALE: 1"=60' I Cl "' ~ .~~· - 1776-1796 C]J ~ " POWDER MAGALJNE 0 ~ .~ NORTI1 ( Figure 10. A Composite Map of tile Nor/hem l'ortion of City Hall Park Dcl'icting 7776 - 7796. Hunter Research, Inc., produced the original map showing the location of all known structures including our exca\'ated colonial fnundation. In this version, red rafted by Claudia Diamont, the code numbers ha\·e been replaced with identification labels. ordered a committee to employ workers "for Archaeological Excavation Building a Kitchen, 0\'en and Washhouse to the said Workhouse"; the kitchen was made of An a rchaeologic COLO ~ tAL DEPOSITS I~ THE BL'!LDII\C GR.·\SS GRASS • :'ift.-- \Oft. --, I I I I I I :\lliEI'il I """-!==;::::!=::J:.. ~ j <'ITY IIALL I Figure 11. A map of the site showing the location of the colonial deposits, the bro\l'nstonP foundation wall, and the original rear steps to City Hall. (Drafted by jason Thomp~on.) was approximately 1 ft (0.3 m) in depth, con of brick walls, loose brick, mortar, plaster, and tained a mixture of 18th- and 19th-century assorted colonial e1 rti facts including ceramics, artifacts. A reddish brown soil lay over the glass, clay smoking pipes, and faunal material. almshouse deposits. In most units the 18th Below this deposit wus a fl-12 in. (15-30 em) century deposits were 3 ft thick (0.9 m) and layer of loose plaster that contained 18th-cen comprised both building demolition rubble tury artifacts. Underneath the plaster stratum (brick and mortar) and 18th-century artifacts, was a compacted earthen floor (Munsell e.g., ceramics, glass, and metal (FIG. 12). The number: 10YR 3 / 4, \·ery dark yellowish first 2-2.5 ft (0.6-0.75 m) contained remnants brown). Based on observations made in the field, the floor appeared to be mortared . Ex<~minatinn of specimens in the lilbOriltory, 6 During june, the project w~s jointly directed by Sherene B~ugher, Director of the City Archaeology Progr~m, ~nd however, showed that it was il compilcted Arthur Bankoff ~nd frederick Winter, both professors at earthen floor with a high lime content. Below Brooklyn College; during july, Baugher and Edw~rd Lenik, the floor was il 2-4 in (5-I 0 em) bilse of yellow of the City Archaeology Program, co-directed the excavation. clily (Munsell number: 7.5YR 5/fl, yellow 12 A11ntomy of an Almslzousc Comt>lcx/Btlllglzrr nnd Lmik brown). Underneath the clay was sterile sand the 1984 electrical line (FIC. 11) . The western (Munsell number: 7.5YR 3/4, dark brown). end of the foundation and the building's inte The clay base underneath the compacted rior extended underneath the adjacent fenced earthen floor also extended under the brown in grass area. The interior surface of the wall stone foundation (FIG. 12). When a comparison was whitewashed. Along the exterior of the was made between the stratigraphy outside northern foundation wall was a trench that the colonial foundation and within the struc varied in width from 3-10 in (8-27 em). The ture it was clear that the clay base was not a remnants of the southern foundation wall natural deposit at this level. The clay appeared were located in square N25 W10 (rrc. 11). The to have been used as a base for both the floor distance from the outer border of the northern and the foundation. foundation wall to the outer border of the Within the building debris were five large southern foundation wall was 20 ft (6 m). segments of intact brick wall ranging in size Because the utility corridor affected only the between 24 x 18 x 14 in (0.6 x 0.45 x 0.35 m) walkway between City Hall SOUTH WALL ASPHALT REMOVED ASPHALT PAVJSG BEDRE.MOVI:D VURBTl>ENCH -----: MOTILED SOIL 7.;'! YR _I{JW 1.5 YR.f/.l ;::;::::~======::rw_.!.;;J - MIXED !8TH ,::-: 7.5 YR AND 19TH ~~~~9!_AR ilL<---_SA~N~OY~S~Q)~I, W~JT ~H~Pf~:BS~l~ES~~~~CLA::~:Os~~fi7 .;'!~Y~R3~1' ~~~~ CH~~~;:LJ/.l __l_~-~\l~ ...>-=--/'J L- CDEPOSENTURYITS ~ SM.,' DYSOJ L ,.SYR:'I/4 5 _ f IOYR 'J..SI~ W lOYR lf.\ STEAMUNE TRJ:: N~ \ "-) BRICK, MORTAR, AND Q.A Y COLONIAL v r DEPOS ITS LOOSF. PI .AnFR WITH RRICK ~======;;~~E~·A~RT~HE~N~~~OO~R==J~O Y~R~li'~===J I CLAYBASE l.lYR>/6 - STERILE SANDY SOIL 7.5 YR 3/-t IFf 2Ff. Figure 12. The stratigraphy within the colonial building. The south-- wall profile from excavation unit N40 W15 shows the loose brick, mortar, and plaster deposit over a la yer of loost> plaster and whitewash. (Sectional drawing by Jason Thompson.) Nortlleast Historical ArclweolagyNol. 26, 1997 13 .. ALMSHOUSE UPPER BARRACKS Figure 13. Detail of the almshouse in 1770. This photo enlargement of the almshouse from the pen-and ink drawing (a political cartoon) by du Simitiere depicts architectural details. (Stokes 1915, 1: plate 27.) Evidence from Historical Illustrations rapher David Grim in 1813 (Stokes 1915, 1: pl. 32-a). Thirteen buildings are illustrated across Many of the architectural details of the the top of the map, one of which is identified almshouse can be discerned from four artists' as the "Poor House" or almshouse (FIG. 14). depictions of the structure and other docu This drawing also depicts the structure as mentary sources. The first such historical view being two and a half stories high, five bays on of the structure is a pen-and-ink caricature the first and second levels, with two chimneys. (political cartoon) depicting an incident in Two additional details are visible in this 1770 and drawn, probably within the same drawing, namely what appear to be stairs year, by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere (Stokes leading up to the central doorway on the first 1915, 3: pl. 4-b). Depicted in this cartoon are a level and a basement with four windows on jail, the Liberty Pole, military barracks, and the the front. almshouse in the center of the drawing (FIG. The third drawing that shows the 13). The almshouse is shown as two and a half almshouse is on B. Taylor's map, A New and stories high with five bays, including a central Accurate Plan of the City of New York in the State doorway on the first level and five windows of New York in North America (Stokes 1915, 1: on the second level. The structure has a pl. 64). The map, which depicts the city in hipped roof and two chimneys, one at each 1796, contains small bird's-eye views of end of the roof. A picket fence with a gate is in selected buildings, one of which is identified the foreground of the building. as a "Work House," that is, an almshouse (FIG. A second drawing is a pen-and-ink plan of B). The structural details shown are similar to New York City as it purportedly appeared in those on the du Simitiere and Grim drawings 1742-1744, drawn from memory by the cartog- described above with one exception, i.e., a 14 Anatomy af an AlmshouSl' Complex/Baugher and Lenik third chimney is present at the center of the ters, lath, and lime were used in its construc roof. tion in 1735 (New York City 1905, 4: 241, The fourth drawing, whose artist and date 250-251,259-260,282-286,289-290, 338-339). are unknown, depicts the almshouse with a symmetrically designed facade that Rothman Archaeological Structural Evidence (1971: 37) describes as being "built in [the] style of [an] ordinary residence." It is an The limited archaeological excavations at engraved book illustration that may be the the site resulted in the discovery of an intact unknown artist's composite version of the section of a stone foundation wall. This dis almshouse based on earlier illustrations. The covery posed a fundamental question, namely, engraving shows the architectural details pre was this foundation the remains of the viously described but in a more formal and almshouse that once stood on this site? Or, elaborate fashion (FIG. 15). A few additional alternatively, was the stone foundation associ details have been added, such as double-hung ated with one of the other structures built on sash windows with six-over-six lights and the site? The archaeological evidence, particu what appear to be stone lintels and sills. The larly the structural features and artifacts, pro structure has a fenestrated basement with four vided us with some answers to our basic ques windows on the front facade and two visible tion. In the following discussion we attempt to on one side. Seven steps lead up to the correlate the archaeological evidence with the entrance from the street level. The entrance documentary architectural evidence for the has a rectangular door with cornice. A railing almshouse. flanks the entryway and stairs. Fifty feet (15 m) north of the present City The minutes of the Common Council for Hall rear staircase, the top of a brownstone December 20, 1734, state that the house was to wall was uncovered at a depth of 3 ft (0.9 m) be 56 ft (17m) long and 24 ft (7.2 m) wide, and below ground level. The extant excavated sec two stories high with a cellar (New York City tion of the wall, which extended east-west, 1905, 4: 241). The building was to be con was 13.5 ft (4 m) in length. The eastern end of structed of brick on a stone foundation. In the brownstone wall was destroyed by the addition, the minutes of the Common Council construction of utility lines in the 1890s and indicate that shingles, pine boards, two gut- again in 1984, and the western end of the wall was not excavated since it extended beyond the limits of the project corridor. The wall was 2 ft (0.6 m) in height, and 1 ft (0.3 m) in width, ALMSHOUSE and the cut stone was bonded by a lime/clay mortar. The top of the wall was leveled with flat, rough-cut bluestone, and the interior or southern face was covered with whitewash. The remains of a second foundation wall were located 20 ft (6 m) south of the wall pre viously described. It extended east-west and was also constructed of brownstone rubble bonded with mortar. The extent of this wall was not fully investigated since it, too, con tinued beyond the limits of the project area. The interior floor of the structure, that is, the area between the north and south walls, con sisted of clay, probably procured locally, which functioned as a waterproofing mem brane.7 The clay base extended under the Figure 14. David Grim's pen-and-ink drawing made in 1813, depicting the almshouse in 1742-1744. The almshouse is one of 13 buildings that are illustrated across the top of the map, A Plan of the City and Environs of New York, by cartographer David Grim. (Stokes 1915,1: plate 32a.) Northmst ll!slonwl Arcluwo/ogl!Nol. 26, 1997 15 foundation wall, suggesting that the entire tation of the structure's construction (personal footprint of the building was excavated and communication, 1YSlJ). the floor leveled and sealed prior to laying-up A large number of bricks was recovered the foundation. The floor was covered with from the site, and they varied considerably in small flakes of whitewash. quality. Several multiple mortared brick sec A builder's trench was evident on the exte tions were found. One such section had flat rior side of the north foundation wall. It was rough-cut bluestone bonded to one side of the quite narrow, ranging from 3-10 in (8-25 em) bricks. The bluestone was of the same type in width. This feature together with the floor and approximate size as that found on the top lining suggests that the foundation wall was of the north foundation wall. The bricks of this built by workers who were standing on what remnant section were thinner and longer than was to become the interior floor of the struc the later standardized bricks and appear to be ture. Two experts on 18th-century architecture, representative of the type produced in New Donald Plotts, from the New York City Land York City during the 18th century. Some of the marks Preservation Commission, and William brick found at this site may have been sal McMillan, Director of Buildings and Grounds vaged or reclaimed from another structure and for Historic Richmond Town, evaluated the utilized here. Eighteenth-century building structure in situ and concur with this interpre- practices permitted the reclamation of bricks Figure 15. This illustration, which appears in both this article and in Rothman's book ( l LJ7l), is from the collection of the New-York Historical Society. The photograph (fwm ,1 1'!05 glass negative) was taken of an illustration in an engraved book with the caption, "The Poor House. Erected in 1735, on the Present Site of City Hall, New York." The societv's files ha\'l' no other information on the date, the title of the book, the artist, or the source of tlw origmal art work. (Courtesy of the Collection of The New-York Historical Societv.) 16 A11alomy of"" Almsho/IS<' Cvml'lcx!Haugltt'r and l.mtk from buildings scheduled for demolition for in similar .wchitectural styll's (Paul Huey, per reuse in new construction. sonal communie<1 tion, 1LJLJ6). Two small masonry elements, one of brownstone and the other of Manhattan schist, Architectural Artifacts were also uncovered at the site. These artifacts appear to be architectural elements related to The analysis of the arti f,Kts recovered from the structure. They were not aligned with the the site prm·ides additional e1·idence of the foundation wall, however, and because of the structure's ,uchikctur;1l elements as well as small scale of the excavation neither their some clues to its function or use. Because of function or relationship to the wall could be the limited exc,wJtions we 11·ere unable to ascertained. determine the size of the structure and the Five large sections of the brick wall were location of such fe.1tu res ,1s doors, room(s), found within the excavation units inside the fireplaces, or windtli\'S. Since the location and structure. All of these segments had layers of type of windows \\'ere not e1·id ent in the exca whitewash on them. Four of these sections \'ation of the site, the presence c1nd distribu were aligned in an east-west orientation, tion of window glass was our princip;1l indi which suggests they collapsed or were pushed cator of such fenestration. inward from a wall located just to the east of Window glass \\',1S found scattered over the excavation corridor. The fifth brick wall most of the site. A total of l'i3 fr;1gments was segment was found near the southern founda found within undisturbed deposits that date to tion wall. It was aligned in a south-to-north the 18th century. Unfortun<.t tel y, these fra g direction, suggesting that it collapsed inward ments are ton small _Table 1. Functional categories for the colonial foundation deposit from the City Hall Paris ~ite. ______Artifact group Artifact count Artifact pcrcenta_&' __ Kitc/wn a11d dining group Ceramics 244 23.5 Bottles 28 2.7 Table glass 32 3.1 Cutlery (spoons, knives, corkscrew) 3 0.3 Total 307 29.6 Architecture group Window glass 116 11.2 Nails 395 3H Construction hardware 3 0.3 (hinges, latch, shutterhook) Total 514 49.5 Clothing group Buttons 17 1.6 Button blanks 26 2.5 Straight pins 9 0.9 Buckles 2 0.2 Total 54 52 Personal group Personal items (pencils, coins, eyeglasses) 3 0.3 Tobacco pipes 71 6.1> Total 74 7.1 Activities group Construction tools (files, blades) 9 0.9 Furniture parts (pulls, lock plates) 2 0.2 Toys (marbles) 2 0.2 Misc. hardware (hooks, rings, springs, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, iron bars, wire) 4 0.4 Unidentifiable metal (function/ type) 71 6.1> Other (iron, scissor) 0.1 Total 1!9 1>.6 Assemblage Total 1038 100 A total of 61 buttons and button fragments the site. These bone by-products exhibit evi was recovered from the site, most from within dence of being cut by a metal bit, and the the colonial found ation excavation units. Of blank holes ha\·e diame ters tha t range from this to tal, 27 specimens or 44 percent are cut 11-23 mm. Nearl y all of these discarded bone discs or button backs manufactured from fragments were found wi thin the colonial bone. Each specimen has one central hole for foundation. The presence of bone backs, a ttachment to a garment. These bone disc but blanks, or bone by-products a t the site sug tons range in diameter from 11-29 mm, and in gests that the manufacture o f bone button s thickness from 1- 4 mm. Analysis of these was an important activity at the site d uring the specimens indicates tha t they were manufac 18th century. Ross (1988: 159) has noted tha t tured from fl a t meat bones, probably ribs. Sev the almshouse was equipped with tools and enty-six bone b lanks or bone b utton by that residents were required to work in return product fragments were also recovered from for their food, lodg ing, and clothi ng. Appar- ently, New York City sold the goods produced issued in :'-Jew jersey (~ oel Hume 196Y : 16Y). in the almshouse, including such items as The third coi n e~ppeared to be e~n Irish he~lf yarn. It is reasonable to conclude, therefore, penny which was issued from 17(16 to 1783 that the residents probably made clothing with (Noel Hume llJhY: 1 hh). The obverse of this cloth-covered bone buttons for their own use. coin had a royal profile being to the right with The data further suggest that commercially the legend "Georgivs" o\·er the hee1 d. On the manufactured or imported buttons may have re\·e rse side was a crowned hMp w ith the let been too expensive for this institution to ters "H" and "ll," possibly for Hibernia (Ire acquire during this time. land). The date was unidentifiable. Only one military button was found in the Both the almshouse complex (173h-17Y7) colonial deposit. The milite~ry button is a and the \'arious militM\' barrilcks (1757-1790) stamped disc of brass with an incised decora existed in the area at the same time in the mid tion on its face that appears to read " CIR." This to la te 18th century. There \\',1S nothing in the button is probably 18th-century British, i.e., assemblage, however, to s uggest a military George I Rex, and was found within the colo deposit or a militilry building. Furthermore, nial foundation. The minutes of the Common there WilS nothing in the collection to suggest e~ Council (New York City 1917, 1: 184, 223) note hospital assembl<1ge either. the presence in the almshouse of two disabled soldiers in 1785 and 1786. Conclusion The clothes individuals wear (along with their buttons) can be an indicator of their eco We conclude that the bn•wnstone founda nomic and social status. The overwhelming tion walls unco\·ered ilt the site of the presence of plain, utilitarian, self-made but 1735-17(}7 illmshouse complex were not pilrt tons at the site, manufac tured primarily of of the main structure bu t rilthe r that of bone and brass, clearly reflects the indigent another structure, most likely the kitchen. Our status of the inhabitants. Owning high-quality structural analysis indiciltes thilt the size of the buttons with decorated faces was apparently walls, i.e., their height il nd width, would not neither a priority nor an option for inmates have the load-bearing capacity to support a and keepers alike. two-and-a-half story structure of the size indi Three kitchen utensils were recovered ca ted in the historical illustrations. Instead, the from the colonial foundation: a pewter spoon archaeological evidence s uggests that the handle, a bone handle, and a bone-handled brownstone walls <1nd other structural features knife. Their context indicates that they date to uncovered were those of <1nother smaller the 18th century. O ther utensils were found structure that may hil\'e been iln outbuilding. nearby in adjoining excavation units outside We propose the1t th e structure uncovered the foundation, among them an iron knife at the almshouse site w,1s most likely a kitchen blade fragme nt with tang, a pewter spoon tha t was constructed after th e milin building minus its handle, and a fragment of a cast-iron was erected. The his torical record indicates leg, possibly from a cooking pot. These arti that the kitchen was built of brick, stone, and facts, however, were found in disturbed or lime (New York City 1Y05, ..J.: 331). The archae mixed contexts. ological record confirms these details as we A total of four coins was unearthed in the found a considerable quantity of brick, stone, colonial deposit. Three of the coins could be mortar, plaster, and also window glass, nails, dated (FIG. 16) . A fourth coin was also found; and architectural hardware. This conclusion is unfortunately, it was so badly eroded that it further supported by the quilnti ty of Kitchen was unidentifiable. Two of the coins contained Group artifacts recovered from the site, which the same engravings. On the obverse was a amounted to 29 percent of the totill artifact col horse's head and neck over a plow with the lection (T..\fl. 1). The Kitchen Group, which legend "Nova Caesarea" and the date 1787. rela tes to the preparation, sen·ing, consump On the reverse side of the coin was the United tion, and storage of food , includes 244 ceramic States shield and the legend "E Pluribus fragments, 28 bottle fragments, 32 table glass Unum" over the shield. This coin, a cent, was 20 Anatomy ofan Almshouse Camplex/Baugher and Utlik Figure 16. Three 18th-century coins. The left and right coins are 1787 New Jersey cents. The center coin is probably an Irish half penny issued between 1766 and 1783. The reverse side (shown in this photograph) has a crowned harp. (Photograph by Carl Forster.) fragments, a spoon, a knife, and faunal tographer Carl Forster for his meticulous and remains, primarily cow and pig. thorough work taking photographs of the arti The archaeological, architectural, and doc facts and making photographic reproductions umentary evidence all indicate that the foun of details from historical maps. We are dation uncovered was most likely the kitchen grateful for the comments given by Paul Huey, for New York City's first municipal almshouse Donald Plotts, and William McMillen. We (1736-1797). Additional research and analysis appreciate the editorial suggestions by Mary can be undertaken on the archaeological col Beaudry and Ann-Eliza Lewis. We thank lection from the almshouse kitchen; this mate Hunter Research, Inc., for allowing us to use rial is significant because it has the potential to the data from their composite maps of City yield important information pertaining to the Hall Park. social history of early New York City, including governmental attempts at dealing References with problems of the poor. Baugher, Sherene, Edward J. Lenik, Thomas Amorosi, Diane Dallal, Judith Guston, Acknowledgments Donald A. Plotts, and Robert W. Venables 1990 An Archaeological Investigation of the We wish to thank all the participants in this City Hall Park Site, Manhattan. Site report excavation including co-field directors Arthur on file at the New York City Landmarks Bankoff, and Frederick Winter; laboratory Preservation Commission, New York. directors Judith Guston and Diane Dallal; the assistant archaeologist, Margaret Tamulonis; Baugher-Perlin, Sherene, Meta Janowitz, Mark and the hardworking field crew composed pri Kodack, and Kate Morgan marily of Brooklyn College students with a 1982 Towards An Archaeological Predictive Model for Manhattan: A Pilot Study. few interns and volunteers from the City Report on file at the New York City Land Archaeology Program. We appreciate the dili marks Preservation Commission, New gent work of draftspersons Claudia Diamont York. and Jason Thompson. Our thanks go to pho- 13ell, Edward L. Alb Feister, Lois Mead, john H. 1991 T he Orphanage at Schu y le r Mansion. 1969 Histont !JciiCIIt!t Our F,·,·t. Published lecture Northeast Historical 1\rclzaeology 20: 27- 36. noll's, The Constitution Island Association and the Putnam County Historical Society, Fontana, Bernard, and). Cameron Greenleaf Putnam Count\', New York. 1962 Johnny Ward's Ranch: A Study in Histor ical Archaeology. The Ki1•a, fo umal of the Miller, Gene1·ie1·e Arizona Arclzacologica/ a11d Historiwl Society 1976 Hospitals. In Dictionartt of A111 erican 28 (1&2): 1-115. History, Re1·. l'd., Vol. 2: 306- 307. Charles Scrib!wr's Sons, NL '\1' York. Grossman and Associates, Inc. 1988 Archaeological Sensitivity Evaluation and New York City Testing Recommendations for tlw Pro 1905 Mi11utes of lite C111nllon Council of tile City of posed Subterranean Utilities Corridor Neil ' York ll697-17NJ. I> l'ols. ed. by Her Between City Hall and Twel'd Court bert L. Osgood, L't ,11. Dodd Mead & Co., House, C ity Hall Park, New York City. New York. Report on file at the New York C ity 1Y17 Minutes of t!tc Co11111Wn Council of tile City of Departme nt of General Services, New Ne Huey, Paul R. NPw York Citv L.111dmarb Presen·ation Comm is 1987 Archaeological Evidence of Dutch sion Wooden Cellars and Perishable Wooden 1966 Designatit1n Rl').>n rt for City Ho1ll, LP-0080. Structures at Seventeenth- and Eighteenth Rt>purt o n fil p at 1\:ew York City Land Century Sites in the Upper Hudson Va lley. marks Prt>se r1·ation Commission, New In New World Dutcil Studies, ed. by Roderic York. H. Blackburn and Nancy A. Kelley, 13-35. 1Yil4 Designatinn RL'j1 York City Landmarks Preservation Com Weber, Carmen A. mission, New York. 1Y88 A Phase I Archoeological Investigation of the Site o f the Fr,m klin Ins titute Futures New York County Cen ter. Site n~ p o r t on file at the Franklin 1769 Libe r 38 o f Conveyances . Filed in the Institu te, Philadelphia. Office of the Register, New York, New York. Sherene [la u gher is an assistan t pmfessor in the Noel Hume, Ivor Department of La ndscapl' Architecture at Cornell 1969 A Gu ide lo A rtifact, of Colo11 ial America. Uni\·ersity and slw is also ,1 facultv member in Cor Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. nell's Archaeolog\· f'rugr.1m ,1nd American Ind ian Peiia, Elizabeth Shapiro Program. From 1 tJSO to 1990, she served as the fi rst 1990 Wa mpum Productio11 i11 Ncu• Ncthala11d a11d official archaeologist for the City of New York. Her Co lonial New York : The Hi,torica l and journal articles and book chaptl'rs ha\·e focused on A rchaeological Context. Ph.D. d isserta tion, issues of 1Hth- and lYth - centu ry status and class as Boston University. University Microfilms revealed in ceram ics, glass, landscape architecture, International, Ann Arbor, Michigan and cemeteries. Her current research interests con cern land use and the cu ltu rill landscapes o f both Ross, Steven J. Nati\'e American and Eu rnanwrican sites. 1988 Objects of Charity: Poor Relief, Poverty, and the Rise of the Almshouse in Ea rly Ed ward J. Lenik is p rincipal consulting a rchaeolo Eig hteenth-Century New York C ity. In gist w ith She ffi e ld Archal•o logica l Consultants, A ullrority and Resistancc i11 Early Nt•11 • York, [lutler, New ]Prsev. l le hils .ntthored numerous arti ed . by William Pencak and Conrad Ed ick cles published in historical dnd archueological jour Wright, 138-172. N ew-York His torical nals and se\·eral monogril phs