Archaeologicdl Documentation of the Remains ofa Late Eighteenth- or Eddy Nineteenth-Centu y Kissel Located in the Elizabeth River Ferry Docking Facility City .of Portsmouth, Virginia A Technical Report Series No. 6 2006 Virginia Department of Historic Resources 280 1 Kensington Avenue Richmond, VA 23221 Archaeological Documentation of the Remains of a Late Eighteenth- or Early Nineteenth- Centuy Vessel Located in the Elizabeth River Ferry Docking Facility, City of Portsmouth, Virginia Technical Report Series No. 6 Virginia Department of Historic Resources Tidewater Regional Preservation Office 1441 5 Old Courthouse Way, 2nd Floor Newport News, VA 23608 PREPAREDFOR: Hampton Roads Transit P.O. Box 2096 Norfolk, VA 2350 1 PREPAREDRX Tidewater Atlantic Research, Inc. P. 0. Box 2494 Washington, North Carolina 27889 PROJECTD~RE~TOR: Gordon P. Watts, Jr. AUT~RS: Gordon Watts Roderick Mather Raymond Tubby During the excavation of a ferry docking facility on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in downtown Portsmouth, Virginia, the remains of a wooden vessel were discovered. Construction crews uncovered two sections of the vessel approximately 20-25 ft. below the gound surface. As construction of the ferry facility necessitated removal of the wreck, Ham- p ton Roads Transit contracted with Tidewater Atlantic Research, I nc. (TAR), of Washington, North Carolina, to develop a measured ~lanof the surviving vessel remains prior to their removal and document each significant element of the structure after removal. The archaeo- logical documentation carried out by TAR was designed to meet the provisions of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended through 1992 (36 CFR 800, Protection of Historic Proper+ties) and the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 (Abandoned Ship- wreck Act Guidelines, National Park Service, Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 3, December 4, 1990, pages 50 1 16-50 145). Results of the investigation mitigate construction related im- pacts to the resource by preserving the detailed architectural and construction-record associated with the surviving hull structure. Architectural and construction details suggest that the vessel was built and sank during the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, probably during the Revolutionary War or perhaps the War of 18 12. Unique construction features and unusual material suggest that the vessel was built locally for a limited purpose such as privateering, smuggling, or serving as an ersatz fire ship. Abstmct ............................................................................................................. ii ... Contents ......................................................................................................... 111 ... Figures ........................................................................................................... 111 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 2: Historical Background ....................................................................................... 7 3: Description of the On-Site Investigation ........................................................ 33 4: Conclusions .................................................................................................... 69 Bibliography ................................................................................................... 77 Map List ......................................................................................................... 81 Location of the Elizabeth River Ferry Docking Facility at Portsmouth. Virginia ....................................................... 3 Construction plan of the Elizabeth River Ferry Docking Facility in Portsmouth ............................................................ 4 Construction plan of the Elizabeth River Ferry Docking Facility showing the location and orientation of the survivinig vessel remains ............. 5 "The Town of Portsmouth. February 1752" ................................................... 17 A View of Portsmouth in Virginia from the East Side of the River. with Part of Norfolk Town & Powder Point. " 1775 .......................... 18 "Plan of Portsmouth on Elizabeth River from an exact survey made on 2 1st of January178 1 by James Straton. 2nd Lt . of Engineersn ........................ 19 "Norfolk Harbor. Va . Waters and shores of the Elizabeth River from Hampton Road to Norfolk and Portsmouth 1816 by J . G . Swift" ................ 21 "Map of the City of Norfolk with Portsmouth & Gosport in 1850 by George P . Worcester. Civil Engineer" ........................................ 22 Gray's "Map of Portsmouth. Virginia in 1877" .............................................. 23 "An Atlas of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Virginia and Vicinity. " 1889 .............. 24 "Southern Branch of Elizabeth River Chart #45 1. " 1921 ................................ 25 "Norfolk Harbor and Elizabeth River Chart #452. " 1929 ............................... 27 "Norfolk Harbor and Elizabeth River Chart #452. " 1952 ............................... 28 "Norfolk South. Virginiamtopographic quadrangle. 1965................................ 29 Historic map overlay of Portsmouth. Virginia. waterfront ............................... 30 Isometric projection of the forward section of wreck structure ........................ 34 Forward section of wreckage exposed by excavation ........................................ 34 Mapping grid assembled over forward section of hull structure ....................... 35 Mapping forward section of wreckage ............................................................. 35 Loading elements of the wreck structure for transportation to TAR facilities .. 36 Isometric projection of the aft section of wreck structure ................................ 36 Exposed stern section of wreckage ................................................................... 37 Aft keel. deadwood. cant frames. ceiling and hull planking ............................. 37 Intact ceiling planking on the starboard side of the stern section of wreckage ............................................................. 38 Timber documentation ................................................................................... 39 Plan of the surviving wreck structure ............................................................... 40 Facets of the keel ............................................................................................. 41 Forward section of the keel and false keel with sheathing ................................. 41 Forward section of the keel showing rebates for the floors and the starboard garboard strake .............................................. 42 Elements of the false keel ................................................................................. 42 Facets of the garboard strake ............................................................................ 43 Forward section of the keel and false keel with sheathing ................................. 44 Facets of Frame 1 ............................................................................................ 45 Facets of Frame 2 ............................................................................................ 45 Top Fillets used to level the bilge ceiling .......................................................... 46 Triangular notch to start a spoon bit ................................................................ 46 Fa-cets dFxcx3 ............................................................................................ 47 Facets of Frame 4 ............................................................................................ 48 Facets of Frame 5 ............................................................................................ 48 Scarf in a starboard half floor to accept a port half floor ................................... 49 First futtock at the turn of the bilge ................................................................. 50 Facets of Frame 6/7........................................................................................ 50 Facets of Frame 8 ............................................................................................ 51 Bottom fillet employed to contour the turn of the bilge .................................. 52 Facets of Ceiling Plank C 1 .............................................................................. 52 Elements of the keel, false keel, deadwood and sternpost assembly ................... 53 Aft section of keel structure ............................................................................. 53 Facets of Deadwood 1 ..................................................................................... 54 Facets of Deadwood 2 ..................................................................................... 55 Facets of Deadwood 3 ..................................................................................... 56 Facets of the sternpost ..................................................................................... 56 Configuration and forward face of Frame S 1 ................................................... 58 Facets of Disarticulated Floor 3 ....................................................................... 59 Facets of Disarticulated Floor 3 ....................................................................... 61 Facets of Disarticulated Floor 5 ....................................................................... 61 Facets