Investigation of Jervey Plantation, Christ Church Parish, Charleston County, South Carolina

INVESTIGATION OF JERVEY PLANTATION, CHRIST CHURCH PARISH, CHARLESTON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA CHICORA FOUNDATION RESEARCH SERIES 63 INVESTIGATION OF JERVEY PLANTATION, CHRIST CHURCH PARISH, CHARLESTON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA Research Series 63 Michael Trinkley Debi Hacker With Contributions by: Linda Scott Cummings Vincent Dongarra S. Homes Hogue Chicora Foundation, Inc. PO Box 8664 ▪ 861 Arbutus Drive Columbia, SC 29202-8664 803/787-6910 www.chicora.org October 2004 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Trinkley, Michael Investigation of Jervey Plantation, Christ Church Parish, Charleston County, South Carolina / Michael Trinkley, Debi Hacker ; with contributions by S. Homes Hogue, Linda Scott Cummings. p. cm. -- (Research series / Chicora Foundation ; 63) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-58317-059-6 1. Jervey Plantation Site (S.C.) 2. Plantations—South Carolina—Charleston County. 3. Plantation life—South Carolina—Charleston County. 4. Charleston County (S.C.)—Antiquities. 5. Excavations (Archaeology)—South Carolina—Charleston County. I. Hacker, Debi. II. Title. III. Research series (Chicora Foundation) ; 63. F279.J47T75 2004 975.7 ’91—dc22 2004059398 © 2004 by Chicora Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transcribed in any form without permission of Chicora Foundation, Inc. except for brief quotations used in reviews. Full credit must be given to the authors and publisher. ISBN 1-58317-059-6 ISSN 0882-2041 The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.∞ For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate error so long as reason is free to combat it. -- Thomas Jefferson ABSTRACT This study provides the results of data investigations the site was bush hogged, a recovery excavations at 38CH927, the remains of survey grid was established, and a site a late eighteenth and early nineteenth century topographic map at 1-foot contours was created. plantation settlement. The site is situated at the northern edge of the existing Charleston An auger survey was then conducted, National Golf Course in what historically has with 10-inch auger tests at 25-foot intervals over been known as Christ Church Parish. A portion an area measuring 275 feet north-south by 575 of the site is within a green spaced area on that feet east-west. This yielded a total of 264 test property, while the remainder is on an points. The artifacts resulting from these tests undeveloped parcel which is slated for identified a very large, and dense, concentration residential development by Charleston National. at the western edge of the site, which appeared The investigations were conducted by Chicora to consist of two discrete structures. A third Foundation during July and August, 2000 for concentration, thought to represent a third Mr. Walter Mueller of Charleston National structure, was found further to the east. Properties. This work was proposed, and approved, under a Memorandum of Agreement The subsequent hand excavation (MOA) with the Office of Ocean and Coastal included 550 square feet at what was identified Resources Management (OCRM). as the main house at the center of the site, 400 square feet at what was identified as the kitchen This site was initially recorded by a area on the west edge of the site, and 200 square Brockington and Associates survey conducted in feet at what was identified as a slave structure at 1987, at which time the portion of the site on the the east edge of the site. An additional 100 proposed golf course tract was green spaced square feet of excavation was conducted at under the OCRM MOA. A subsequent survey another artifact concentration, but this area was by Chicora Foundation for Centex Homes found to be heavily disturbed and no additional identified a westward extension of this site, not excavations were conducted in that area. At the previously covered by the MOA. Again assessed conclusion of the block excavations, an by the State Historic Preservation Office additional 410 square feet were stripped in the (SHPO), the site was found to be eligible for vicinity of the slave structure, using a backhoe. inclusion on the National Register. With the As a result, the total excavation consisted of acquisition of the property by Charleston 1,660 square feet (1,250 square feet of hand National it was subsumed under their pre- excavation and 410 square feet of mechanized existing MOA. excavation). A data recovery plan was submitted to This work revealed a main house the SHPO on April 17, 2000 and approved on measuring approximately 20 feet north-south by May 5, 2000. This plan called for an initial phase 40 feet east-west. The eastern two-thirds of the of close interval auger testing to determine structure had been robbed out prior to that artifact concentrations that might guide block portion of the site going into cultivation, excavations. Afterwards, and depending on probably in the early twentieth century. The what had been identified, the plan called for western third of the foundation, however, was limited stripping. Prior to the field in excellent condition. The structure appears to i represent a through-hall plan with one room either side of the central hall. The structure was likely frame, two-stories, and had interior chimneys on the gable ends. The roof was wood shingle. Interior finishes included two-coat plaster, some painted specimens of which were recovered. This structure burned, and as previously mentioned, was later removed so as not to hinder cultivation. The artifact assemblage from this area is dominated by architectural remains, primarily nails and melted window glass. To the west is the posited kitchen area. Although no coherent structural remains were encountered (post holes were common), the artifact assemblage includes dense bone and other kitchen trash. To the east was identified a ground-fast structure measuring 24 feet north-south by 18 feet east-west. The structure lacks any recognizable hearth area or doorways, but appears very similar to other eighteenth century slave structures typically described as wall- trench. In the case of this structure no wall trench survives, perhaps because of extensive plowing. Nevertheless, the building is outlined by a series of 29 recognizable post holes. The artifact assemblage from this area, while sparse, is consistent with a slave dwelling. All of the structures date from the last decade of the eighteenth century through the first quarter of the nineteenth century. During this period the plantation passed through six different owners. Although the well constructed main house suggests that the plantation was owner-occupied, we have relatively little additional historical information concerning the property. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures iv List of Tables v Introduction 1 Development of the Project 1 Research Orientation 3 The Natural Setting 5 Historic Synopsis of the Project Tract 13 Introduction 13 Eighteenth Century Development 13 Antebellum Activities 15 Postbellum Farming 18 Agricultural Profile of Christ Church 20 Historical Summary 26 Excavations 29 Methodology 29 Results of the Excavations 33 Artifacts 47 Methodology 47 The Yard Area, 45R155 49 Kitchen Area, 65R100, 75-85R110, 100R100 53 Main House Area, 100-115R175, 110-115R185, 75R185, 120R195, 100-120R210, 100R215-225 67 Slave House Area, 124-134R445, 144R150, 149R460 78 Plaster Analysis 85 Pollen and Phytolith Samples . Linda Scott Cummings 87 Introduction 87 Methods 87 Phytolith Review 88 Discussion 89 Summary and Conclusions 90 Faunal Remains . S. Homes Hogue and Vincent Dongharra 93 Introduction 93 Analytical Techniques 94 Identified Fauna 95 Inventory 96 iii Cuts of Meat 100 Conclusions 101 Human Skeletal Remains . S. Homes Hogue 111 Summary and Conclusions 113 Sources Cited 117 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Site 38CH927 as originally reported 1 2. Site 38CH927 as a result of the Chicora survey 2 3. Vicinity of 38CH927 in the Charleston area 5 4. Site 38CH927 6 5. Soil survey for vicinity of 38CH927 9 6. Old road leading through the site 11 7. Grass road with pine forest to the left 11 8. Plat of the estate of Nathon Legare, 1818 16 9. Property boundaries shown on the 1818 plat overlaying modern topographic features 17 10. U.S. Coast Survey map Bull’s Bay to Breach Inlet, 1875 18 11. 1919 Fort Moultrie topographic sheet 19 12. Cotton production in Christ Church 24 13. Using auger 30 14. Shovel testing 30 15. Topographic map of the site 31 16. Excavation of 45R155 32 17. Use of a backhoe 32 18. Excavation units at 38CH927 35 19. Plan and profile drawings of the kitchen units 36 20. Kitchen area, 100R100 37 21. Plan and profile drawings of the main house area 38 22. Brick column in 75R185 39 23. Feature 1 41 24. Feature 2 42 25. Feature 3 42 26. Plan and profiles of the excavations in the slave structure 43 27. Portion of the wall trench pattern 44 28. Plan and profile of 45R155 45 29. Main House artifacts 83 30. Kitchen artifacts 84 31. Pollen diagram and phytolith record for sample from Jervey Plantation 91 32. Species biomass percentages 98 33. Jervey Plantation compared to other MNI percentages 99 34. Log difference scale for cattle 101 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Agricultural production in 1850 21 2. Comparison of Jervey Plantation and Christ Church Parish, 1850 22 3. Agricultural production in 1860 23 4. Agricultural production in Christ Church Parish, 1850 and 1860 24 5. Owners of the study tract during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries 27 6. Major ceramics in the Yard Area 50 7. Minimum vessel count for the Yard Area 50 8. Shape and function of ceramic vessels from the Yard Area 51 9.

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