Report on Archaeological Investigations Conducted at the St
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REPORT ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED AT THE ST. MARY’S SITE (18AP45), 107 DUKE OF GLOUCESTER STREET, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, 1987— 1990 VOLUME I: SITE HISTORY, RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Produced by Matthew M. Palus and Elizabeth B. Kryder-Reid with Contributions by Janice Bailey-Goldschmidt Paul R. Mullins Mark Warner Robert L. Worden Project Directors Elizabeth B. Kryder-Reid (1989-1990) Barbara J. Little (1987-1988) Principal Investigator Mark P. Leone Report Prepared for Charles Carroll House of Annapolis, Inc. by Archaeology in Annapolis A Cooperative Project between Historic Annapolis Foundation and The University of Maryland at College Park 2002 Abstract and Executive Summary In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Archaeology in Annapolis was invited to excavate the Carroll House and garden on 107 Duke of Gloucester Street in Annapolis, Maryland. The site, named the St. Mary's Site (18AP45) for the Catholic church on the property, is currently owned by the Redemptorists, a Roman Catholic congregation of priests and brothers who have occupied the site since 1852. Prior to the Redemptorists' tenure, the site was owned by the Carroll family from 1701-1852 and is perhaps best known as the home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832), signer of the Declaration of Independence. Excavations at the site were conducted during four consecutive summer seasons from 1987- 1990. The investigation focused on three research questions. The first line of inquiry were questions surrounding the dating, architectural configuration, and artifact deposits of the "frame house," a structure adjoining the west wall of the brick Carroll House via a "passage" and later a three story addition. The frame house was partially demolished in the mid-nineteenth century but the construction was thought to pre-date the brick portion of the house. The second research question was spurred by documentary research which indicated that the property might have been the location of Proctor's Tavern, a late 17th-century tavern which served as the meeting place of the Maryland Provincial Assembly. Archaeological testing hoped to determine its location and, if found, investigate Annapolis' early Euro-American occupation. The third research question focused on the landscape of the site as it was shaped by its occupants over the past three hundred years. The research questions included investigating the stratigraphy, geometry, and architectural and planting features of Charles Carroll of Carrollton's terraced garden built during the 1770s, and investigating the changes to the landscape made by the Redemptorists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While no structural evidence associated with Proctor’s Tavern was uncovered during limited excavations along Spa Creek, the historic shore of Spa Creek was identified, buried beneath deep fill deposits laid down during construction of the Carroll Garden. Features and deposits associated with this period likely remain intact in a waterlogged environment along the southeastern sea wall at the St. Mary’s Site. Evidence of extensive earth moving by Carroll is present in the garden and was identified during excavation and coring. This strongly suggests that the garden landscape visible at the St. Mary’s Site is the intact Carroll Garden, which survives beneath contemporary and late- nineteenth century strata. The extant surviving garden should be considered highly sensitive to ground-disturbing activities, and is also highly significant considering demonstrable associations with the Carroll family. Other garden-related features were also discovered, including planting holes, and a brick pavilion or parapet located along Spa Creek to the south of the site. The Duke of Gloucester Street wall was shown to be associated with the Carroll occupation of the site. Finally, intensive archaeological research was directed at the vicinity of a frame house constructed and occupied by the Carrolls to the east of the existing brick house, which was replaced by the Redemptorists in the nineteenth century with a greenhouse. These superimposed buildings were documented in detail and remain highly significant features at the St. Mary’s Site. i Acknowledgments This report is the result of many individuals’ contributions; acknowledgments are due, and the task of thanking those involved is complicated. As such, there are those to be thanked for their initial involvement both in the field and in the production of earlier material for this report, and there are those to be acknowledged for their help in seeing it completed. All are owed the same gratitude. Dr. Robert L. Worden never failed with his generosity regarding time, information, and encouragement. Dr. Worden maintained a constant dialogue with the project and did everything in his power to ensure that the historical research was complete and accurate, and the authors are solely responsible for any shortcomings. Also remembered are several seasons’ field crews whose dedication, good humor, and endurance, particularly during the long dry summers of drought and baked clay, made this work possible. Supervision of fieldwork was carried out by the staff of Archaeology in Annapolis, and this only begins to describe the contribution that each has made: Dr. Mark P. Leone, Director, Advisor and Teacher; Dr. Paul A. Shackel, Field Supervisor; Dr. Barbara J. Little (1987-1988) and Elizabeth Kryder-Reid (1989-1990), Site Supervisors; Steve Austin, Sam Brainard, Laura Galke, Mary Ellen D'Agastino, and Mark Warner were site supervisors; and Terry Churchill, Julie Ernstein, Carey O'Reilley, and Paul Mullins directed the field laboratory, staffed over several years both by students and volunteers. Parker Potter helped to produce an effective public program during fieldwork at the St. Mary’s Site. All can be credited with continuing patience and encouragement. George Logan’s summary of the prehistoric and historic background of the St. Mary’s Site was useful and necessary, as was his permission to cite the results of his 1991 field season report, which details the results of archaeological investigations on the interior of the Carroll House. Carey O'Reilley carefully produced final versions of all field maps, plans and profiles, and these were digitized over several years by Debra Stoe, John Buckler, Dan Reyes, Andrew Budacki and others. Jessica Neuwirth provided assistance in gathering materials necessary to complete this report from several sources, and offered a number of possible handholds when the task seemed to be confounded. Julie Ernstein assisted with the details of final production after everyone involved had run out of time and energy to spare. Certainly many more participated in production of the report first-hand, including Lynn Jones, Laura Galke, Janice Bailey-Goldschmidt and others. Any omissions or inaccuracies that this work might contain remain the sole responsibilities of the authors. We would like to extend sincerest thanks to the Redemptorist Congregation at St. Mary’s Parish for the access to the site they afforded us, and for their generous hospitality, and also the guidance of Rev. Alfred Rush, C. Ss. R. at the Redemptorist Archives in Brooklyn, NY; we remember Dr. Ronald Hoffman, editor of the Carroll Papers; Sally Mason; Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, Archivist of Maryland; the Historic Annapolis Foundation; and the Charles Carroll of Carrollton 250th Anniversary Committee for extending the initial invitation to conduct this research. This project has been funded by a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council to the Charles Carroll of Carrollton 250th Anniversary Committee, with matching grants from Anne Arundel County, C & P Telephone, the Carroll Foundation (London), Citibank, the First National Bank of Maryland, and the Maryland Commission on the Capital City. Additional support for the project was provided by St. Mary's Church, The University of Maryland at College Park, the Historic Annapolis Foundation, the Redemptorists, and the Charles Carroll of Carrollton 250th Anniversary Committee. ii Table of Contents VOLUME I Abstract and Executive Summary.................................................................................................... i Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................v List of Figures............................................................................................................................... vii 1. Introduction............................................................................................................................1.1 Project Location and Description .....................................................................................1.1 Administrative History .....................................................................................................1.2 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................1.3 Organization of this Report...............................................................................................1.6 2. Background Research............................................................................................................2.1