A Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of the Stanwick Farm
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A Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of the Stanwick Farm, Aquasco, Prince George‘s County, Maryland, Phase II Investigations of Garrett‘s Chance #2 (18PR703), and Phase II/III Investigations of Garrett‘s Chance #3 (18PR704) BY JAMES G. GIBB ANDREW GARTE & ASSOCIATES 6285 Shady Side Road Shady Side, MD 20764 Submitted to LANDESIGN Engineers • Land Surveyors • Planners 2905 Mitchellville Road, Suite 111 Bowie Professional Center Bowie, MD 20716 August 2004 Revised September 7, 2005 Revised February 9, 2006 Abstract LANDESIGN, Inc., proposes residential development of 113 acres of the 134-acre Stanwick Farm at Aquasco, Prince George‘s County, Maryland (Maryland Archeological Research Unit No. 9), the project to be called Garrett‟s Chance. In anticipation of concerns of the Prince George‘s County Department of Planning, and out of concern for the increased design costs that might be incurred to avoid potentially significant archaeological resources, LANDESIGN, Inc., commissioned this Phase I archaeological and architectural survey of the area of potential effects. Fieldwork was undertaken between May 9 and July 15, 2004, under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator with one or two archaeological technicians. All other aspects of the project were undertaken by the Principal or by an assistant under his immediate supervision. The project area is contiguous to Swanson Creek and the Charles County line. Much of the eastern portion of the tract is cultivated, although severely eroded. Most of the western portion of the tract has reforested over the past 30 to 40 years. Surface reconnaissance and limited shovel testing of the forested areas revealed that they had been more severely eroded than the current fields, likely accounting for the farmers having taken them out of cultivation. The survey involved archival research (largely title research), architectural recording and assessment, controlled surface collecting of the plowed and disked fields, and shovel testing in some forested portions of the project area. Four archaeological sites and four standing structures and ruins were inventoried, including: a probably Late Archaic site (18PR702), an early 18th- century houselot (18PR703), a Paleoindian site (18PR704), a late 19th/early 20th-century trash scatter (18PR709), a c.1930 farmhouse with two small outbuildings, and three tobacco barns, one a ruin. Andrew Garte & Associates undertook Phase II investigations at Garrett‘s Chance #2 (18PR703) and Garrett‘s Chance #3 (18PR704), and a Phase III data recovery at Garrett‘s Chance #2 (18PR703). Garrett‘s Chance #1 (18PR702) will not be developed, and no further investigation is recommended for this site. Garrett‘s Chance #2 (18PR703) has been mechanically stripped and all but a few postholes excavated: no further investigation is recommended. Garrett‘s Chance #3 (18PR704) yielded one Clovis point, a Bare Island biface, and a number of flakes and fire- cracked rocks from three intensive surface collections after heavy rains, shovel testing at 25 ft intervals, and twelve 2½ by 2½ ft excavation units. The site is heavily eroded, the cultural material diffuse and largely undiagnostic, and the hilltop is severely eroded with a plowzone as little as two inches thick in places. No further investigation of Garrett‘s Chance #3 (18PR704) is warranted or recommended. Garrett‘s Chance #4 (18PR709) is a dense scatter of late 19th and 20th century domestic refuse, with very little architectural material, on a slope below the extant farmhouse. The site appears to be severely eroded and the evidence for architecture is limited to a few brick fragments and several pieces of possible window glass. The site appears to lack research potential and we recommend no further investigation. The three barns were built 9in the 20th century. One is a collapsed ruin, another is in fair condition. The third is in good condition and will remain. The house appears to date to the 1930s and to be in good to excellent condition. It is a two story frame vernacular dwelling with a late 20th century addition. All of the interior moldings around doors and windows is identical, with bulls eye bosses, even around the doors and windows of the recent addition, suggesting a classical revivalism that is also evident in the pair of fireplace mantels. Two small outbuildings—a workshop/storage building and a chicken coop—both appear to be mid-20th 2 century. The Compton family built the house and outbuildings. They lived in the area at least since the 18th century and were among the several locally prominent farm families. The house is of a type found through Prince George‘s County and Southern Maryland. The Compton houselot does not appear to meet any of the criteria for inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places. The late 19th-century trash scatter and the Paleoindian site both lack integrity and are ineligible for the National Register. The early 18th-century site has been excavated in its entirety and also no longer meets National Register criteria. The Late Archaic site adjacent to Swanson Creek may be eligible for National Register listing, but additional investigation would be necessary to make that determination. The site, however, is not slated for development. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................4 List of Figures .....................................................................................................5 List of Tables .......................................................................................................7 Chapter 1. Introduction .......................................................................................8 Chapter 2. Project Location and Environment .................................................9 Location .......................................................................................................................................9 Environment ................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 3. Culture History ................................................................................15 Regional Prehistory ..................................................................................................................15 PaleoIndian Stage ..................................................................................................................15 Archaic Stage .........................................................................................................................17 Woodland Stage .....................................................................................................................18 Local Prehistory ........................................................................................................................22 Regional and County History ..................................................................................................26 Colonial Period ......................................................................................................................26 Post–colonial Patterns ............................................................................................................26 Tract History .............................................................................................................................27 Summary ...................................................................................................................................34 Chapter 4. Research Design and Methods .....................................................35 Research Design ........................................................................................................................35 Methods .....................................................................................................................................36 Chapter 5. Results of Survey............................................................................37 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................37 Garrett’s Chance Field A .........................................................................................................38 Garrett’s Chance Field B .........................................................................................................39 Garrett’s Chance Field C .........................................................................................................40 Garrett’s Chance Field D .........................................................................................................40 Garrett’s Chance Field E .........................................................................................................40 Garrett’s Chance Field F .........................................................................................................41 Garrett’s Chance Field G .........................................................................................................41 Garrett’s Chance Field H .........................................................................................................43 Garrett’s Chance Field I ..........................................................................................................43 Garrett’s Chance