Investigations Into the Oldest Standing Structure in North Carolina by Coy
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Investigations into the Oldest Standing Structure in North Carolina by Coy Jacob Idol December, 2015 Director of Thesis: Dr. Charles R. Ewen Major Department: Anthropology In 2010, Steven and Linda Lane purchased 304 East Queen Street, Edenton, North Carolina. While renovating the structure they discovered that it was much older than previously thought. The results of a dendrochronology analysis demonstrated that the Lane House was the oldest standing structure in North Carolina. As advocates of archaeology and wanting to learn more about the structure, the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University was contacted to investigate the structure. Based on historic documents, its was hypothesized that the Lane House does not sit in its original location. Excavating under the structure and in the back yard a terminus post quem , 1849, was established for when the Lane House arrived at its current position. The archaeology was supplemented by historical research to refine the date to a 16-year range, 1894-1910, for when the relocation of the structure could have occurred. INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE OLDEST STANDING STRUCTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA A Thesis Presented To the Faculty of the Department of Anthropology East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Arts in Anthropology by Coy Jacob Idol i © Coy Jacob Idol, 2015 ii INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE OLDEST STANDING STRUCTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA by Coy Jacob Idol APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ______________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Charles R. Ewen COMMITTEE MEMBER: _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr. I. Randolph Daniel, Jr. COMMITTEE MEMBER: _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Holly F. Matthews CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY: ________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. I. Randolph Daniel Jr. DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES: ____________________________________________________________________ Dr. Paul J. Gemperline iii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Dr. Charles Ewen for his patience and guidance throughout this entire project. I would also like to thank the rest of my thesis committee, Dr. Randy Daniel and Dr. Holly Matthews for their comments and suggestions in the editing process. Advice given by Dr. Tony Boudreaux was very helpful in all stages of this project. My thanks are extended to Carolina Rudd, who was especially helpful in the writing process. Field work would not have been accomplished without the help of Kate Thomas and the 2014 East Carolina University Summer Ventures Archaeology Class. This project would not have been possible without the courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Steve and Linda Lane, who graciously granted me access to their property. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for this wonderful opportunity to continue my education. iv Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Discovering the True Age of the Lane House .......................................................................................... 1 Archaeologists Join the Project .................................................................................................................... 3 Structure Relocation ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Research Question Defined ........................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Historical Background ................................................................................................... 9 Proprietary Period ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Royal Colony through the Early Republic ............................................................................................. 14 Antebellum and Civil War ........................................................................................................................... 17 Reconstruction to the Great Depression ............................................................................................... 19 Relocation of the Lane House ................................................................................................................................. 21 Edenton Today ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Chapter 3: Archaeology in Edenton .............................................................................................. 24 James Iredell House ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Cupola House ................................................................................................................................................... 26 1767 Chowan County Courthouse ............................................................................................................ 26 Ziegler House ................................................................................................................................................... 31 The Homestead ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Courthouse Square ........................................................................................................................................ 34 v Chapter 4: Archaeology at the Lane house ................................................................................. 36 Field Crew ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Shovel Testing ................................................................................................................................................. 36 Excavation Under the House ...................................................................................................................... 41 Processing of Artifacts ................................................................................................................................. 41 Results & Interpretations ........................................................................................................................... 45 Shovel test finds ........................................................................................................................................................... 45 Under house finds, TPQ, and MCD ....................................................................................................................... 45 Map Study and Historic Research ............................................................................................................ 55 Integration with Local History .................................................................................................................. 57 Chapter 5: Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 59 New South ......................................................................................................................................................... 60 Future Projects ............................................................................................................................................... 61 History as the Handmaiden to Archaeology ......................................................................................... 62 References ............................................................................................................................................. 63 Appendix A: Glossary ......................................................................................................................... 74 vi List of Tables 1. Artifact Totals 46 2. STP Ceramic Totals 47 3. Interior Unit Ceramic Totals 48 4. Mean Ceramic Date Calculations 54 vii List of Figures 1. The Lane House 2 2. 1769 CJ Sauthier Map of Edenton 4 3. Goal, in Walnut Street Philadelphia 6 4. Engravings Demonstrating How to Move a Structure 7 5. New and Correct Map of the Provinence of North Carolina 11 6. The Albemarle Region and European Settlement in the New World 13 7. James Iredell House 25 8. Cupola House 27 9. 1767 Chowan County Courthouse 28 10. Wessington House 30 11. The Ziegler House 32 12. The Homestead 33 13. 2014 Summer Ventures Field Crew 37 14. Excavating STPs 38 15. Screening Dirt 39 16. Map of the STPs 40 17. Map of Interior Units 42 18. Interior Unit One 43 19. Interior Excavations 44 20. Yellow Ware 49 21. Japanese