Addressing an Historic Preservation Dilemma: the Future of Nineteenth-Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast Terry H
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Northeast Historical Archaeology Volume 31 Special Issue: Historic Preservation and the Archaeology of Nineteenth-Century Farmsteads in the Article 13 Northeast 2001 Addressing an Historic Preservation Dilemma: The Future of Nineteenth-Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast Terry H. Klein Sherene Baugher Follow this and additional works at: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Klein, Terry H. and Baugher, Sherene (2001) "Addressing an Historic Preservation Dilemma: The uturF e of Nineteenth-Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 30-31 31, Article 13. https://doi.org/10.22191/neha/vol31/iss1/13 Available at: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol31/iss1/13 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]. Addressing an Historic Preservation Dilemma: The uturF e of Nineteenth- Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast Cover Page Footnote We thank Mary Beaudry, Lu Ann De Cunzo, George Miller, Richard eit, and Lou Ann Wurst for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of this summary. We also thank David Landon and Ann-Eliza Lewis for their editorial suggestions, and Dena Doroszenko for taking the time to update us on how site evaluations are made in Ontario, Canada. Finally, we thank Lynne Sebastian for reminding us about William Lipe's timeless and seminal article "A Conservation Model for American Archaeology." It was amazing to see that Lipe's recommendations still serve as a guide for addressing current historic preservation issues. This article is available in Northeast Historical Archaeology: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol31/iss1/13 Northeast Historical Archaeology/Val. 3D-31, 2001-2002 167 Addressing an Historic Preservation Dilemma: The Future of Nineteenth-Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast By Terry H. Klein and Sherene Baugher Introduction Northeast in the context of federal historic preservation laws and regulations. This con As noted in the Introduction to this issue of text was the focus of the workshop because the Northeast Historical Archaeology, government majority of farmstead archaeology, at least in agencies, historical archaeologists, developers, the United States, results from compliance and others involved in any facet of historic with local, state, and federal preservation preservation often ask the questions, "Why laws, regulations, and ordinances. The pur study farmsteads?" "They are so common and pose of the articles in this volume is to so well documented, why do we need to exca advance the dialogue on 19th-century farm vate these sites?" "What are the research stead sites begun in Altoona, and to highlight values of these sites?" and "Are these sites various approaches for investigating and really significant?" These questions represent defining the significance of these sites. the historic preservation dilemma associated The articles present a consensus on what with 19th-century farmstead sites in the we all consider to be the "thing" that we are Northeast. Based on the recommendations and studying, interpreting, excavating, docu approaches presented in the articles included menting, and preserving. Though the term in this volume, we offer a framework for iden "19th-century farmstead" masks a wide range tifying, evaluating, interpreting, and pre of site types, the articles agree on the specific serving farmstead sites in the region, a frame site types that fall under this term. There is work that is in keeping with the new environ" also a consensus that we must consider these ment in which historic preservation is being sites in their entirety, including the fields, carried out today, particularly in the United fences, walls, outbuildings, trash pits, dumps, States. This summary article also presents rec outbuildings, and domestic dwellings. This ommendations on how this framework can be mirrors the consensus of the Altoona work made operational, including funding sources shop participants (see Klein et al. this volume). for developing and implementing this approach. We also discuss the roles of govern The articles also demonstrate the research ment, academia, the private sector, and the value of 19th-century farmstead sites in the public in this effort. These recommendations Northeast region, and the articles' authors dis and discussions will hopefully provide the cuss common research domains and topics. tools we need to answer the questions posed These include: above. 1) taking a landscape archaeology approach that examines the entire farm as· an inte Goals and Objectives of this Volume grated whole, examining more than just the domestic dwelling; and linking The articles presented in this issue of changes in this landscape to the nature of Northeast Historical Archaeology grew out of a and changes in technology, innovation in workshop held at the 1997 annual meeting of farm management practices, social iden the Council for Northeast Historical tity, and regional and national events (see Archaeology (CNHEA) in Altoona, Baugher, Beaudry, Catts, De Cunzo, and Pennsylvania. The primary goal of the work Schafenberger and Veit this volume); shop was to discuss the significance and treat 2) looking at long term change within these ment of 19th-century farmsteads in the rural places as reflections of change 168 The Future of Nineteenth-Century Farmstead Archaeology in the Northeast/Klein and Baugher within rural/ agricultural society (see investigated?" The 1997 Altoona workshop Beaudry, Catts, Sharfenberger and Veit, participants' response was "all of them." this volume); Interestingly, when discussions focused on 3) examining the ethnic and class differ more specific attributes of which sites should ences of farmers and farm laborers in the be investigated, there was no consensus. context of the dynamics of rural society Huey's (2000: 33-34) recent article on research (see DeCunzo, O'Donovan and Wurst, issues and problems for 19th-century sites in this volume) 4) bringing to light the historical roots and New York articulates well the view that all of values of both local modern communities these sites are important and worthy of inves and communities of the past (see Catts, tigation. King, this volume); and Every site is different, and no site is truly 5) using these sites to create "micro-histo redundant It is fortunate that so many ries," "site biographies," and "ethnogra 19th-century sites exist, because the larger phies" that in turn lead to a broader and more nearly total the sample size, the understanding of rural and agricultural stronger the research results will be. As culture and society (see Beaudry, Catts, every artifact at a single site is a clue in DeCunzo, Sharfenberger and Veit, this reconstructing a larger picture, so every volume). 19th-century site is a clue in better under Finally, the articles present similar recom standing a very complex period in history mendations concerning methods for historical (Huey 2000: 33)- research and for field investigations (in partic However, in terms of the day-to-day world ular, see Baugher, Beaudry, Doroszenko, King, of compliance with local, state, provincial, and this volume). These include: federal historic preservation laws and regula 1) the survey and testing of all components tions, the "all of them" response is both of the farmstead site; impractical and somewhat contrary to the pur 2) the excavation of large areas within the pose of these laws and regulations. The laws entire site; of Canada and the United States were never 3) the use of remote sensing within areas written with the goal of preserving everything. outside of the core of the farmstead; 4) the need for giving equal attention to loca Rather, historic preservation statutes and regu tions that contain large quantities of arti lations provide some measure of protection to facts and those that do not; and only what our societies consider to be impor 5) the use of the full range of historical tant historic and archaeological resources. sources, including literature, paintings, What is "important" or "significant" and agricultural journals and publications, therefore worthy of protection is defined in oral history, etc. these laws and regulations by general sets of criteria and guidance. The specific application A Framework for Identifying, of these criteria and guidance to actual historic Evaluating, and Preserving 19th-Century and archaeological properties is not defined. Farmstead Sites As a result, there is a need for clear and useful The common themes and approaches pre criteria to determine which farmstead sites sented in these articles can serve as a frame necessitate our consideration. But, how do we work for surveying, excavating, evaluating, determine whether or not a given farmstead interpreting, and documenting farmstead sites. site is significant and has the potential to The authors would, however, add some addi address important research issues? Where are tional items to this framework in order to these specific evaluation criteria found? What more fully address current historic preserva are the important research topics? Are these tion problems. Klein et aL's article, Table 4 topics appropriate for the components of farm presents the question