ARCHAEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE MARSH-BILLINGS-ROCKEFELLER NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, WOODSTOCK, WINDSOR COUNTY, VERMONT Consulting Archaeology Program University of Vermont Report No. 446 January, 2007 ARCHAEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE MARSH-BILLINGS-ROCKEFELLER NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, WOODSTOCK, WINDSOR COUNTY, VERMONT Submitted to: National Park Service Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 54 Elm Street Woodstock, VT 05091 Submitted by: Kathleen M. Kenny and John G. Crock, PhD. Consulting Archaeology Program University of Vermont 180 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405 January, 2007 Report No. 446 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. iv LIST OF APPENDICES..................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Project Description and Objectives................................................................................. 1 Study Area Description................................................................................................... 1 Research Methodology ................................................................................................... 1 Principal Findings ........................................................................................................... 4 NATURAL SETTING........................................................................................................ 7 Physiographic Zone and Drainage Basin........................................................................ 7 Local Topography and Drainage .................................................................................... 7 Mt. Tom ...................................................................................................................... 7 Kedron Brook and Barnard Brook.............................................................................. 9 Historic Period Floods ................................................................................................ 9 The Pogue ................................................................................................................. 10 Small and Intermittent Drainages ............................................................................. 11 Springs ...................................................................................................................... 12 Climate...................................................................................................................... 12 Soils........................................................................................................................... 12 Flora and Fauna......................................................................................................... 14 PRECONTACTAND ETHNOGRAPHIC OCCUPATION............................................. 17 Early Paleoindian Period, ca. 9,500-8,000 B.C. ........................................................... 17 Late Paleoindian Period, ca. 8,000-7,000 B.C.............................................................. 19 Early Archaic Period, ca. 7,000-5,500 B.C................................................................... 19 Middle Archaic Period, ca. 5,500-4,000 B.C................................................................ 19 Late Archaic Period, ca. 4,000-1,000 B.C. ................................................................... 20 Early Woodland Period, ca. 1000-100 B.C................................................................... 20 Middle Woodland Period, ca. 100 B.C.–A.D. 1000 ..................................................... 21 Late Woodland Period, ca. A.D. 1000-1600................................................................. 21 Known Precontact Sites in the Study Area and Vicinity .............................................. 21 Contact Period and Ethnographic Occupation.............................................................. 22 HISTORIC PERIOD......................................................................................................... 24 Early Settlement (1768-1789)........................................................................................... 24 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 24 Marsh Era (1789-1869)................................................................................................. 25 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 26 Frederick Billings Era (1869-1890).............................................................................. 30 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 31 Billings Estate Era (1890-1914).................................................................................... 33 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 34 French-Billings Era (1914-1954).................................................................................. 34 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 34 Rockefeller Era (1954-1997) ........................................................................................ 34 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 35 i COMPLIANCE HISTORY AND PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH .... 36 Carriage Barn Area (1997)............................................................................................ 36 Woodshed Area............................................................................................................. 36 Woodshed Renovation Project (2004)...................................................................... 36 Mill Building Project (2004)..................................................................................... 36 INVENTORY OF KNOWN AND POTENTIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE MARSH-BILLINGS-ROCKEFELLER NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK HISTORIC ZONE................................................................................................. 38 Precontact Native American Resources........................................................................ 38 The McKenzie Farmstead and Associated Features ..................................................... 41 McKenzie Farmstead: Residence (MABI00016.000); Barn (MABI00016.001); and Outbuilding (MABI00016.002) ................................................................................ 41 Historic Background ................................................................................................. 41 Archaeological Remains ........................................................................................... 48 Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 53 McKenzie Orchard (Stand #12)................................................................................ 54 Sugar House Ruins Number 2 (McKenzie) (mabi00015.000).................................. 56 McKenzie Well ......................................................................................................... 58 McKenzie Unidentified Feature................................................................................ 58 The Marsh-Parker Residence & School Site/Tenant House Area ................................ 59 Marsh House ............................................................................................................. 59 The “Marsh Tenant House” ...................................................................................... 62 Hilltop Farm.................................................................................................................. 63 Historic Background ................................................................................................. 63 Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 65 Abandoned Dump (MABI00021.000)...................................................................... 65 Unknown Field Structure.......................................................................................... 66 Marsh-Billings Mansion, Associated Outbuildings, and Features................................ 66 Billings Mansion (MABI00001.000)........................................................................ 66 Mansion Well (1) ...................................................................................................... 67 Marsh Outbuildings/Billings Laundry/Rockefeller Mansion Parking and Mansion Garage Area .................................................................................................................. 68 Historic Background ................................................................................................