Preservation in Progress:
Archaeology at the Orchard House

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During July of 2001 archaeologists from University of Massachusetts Boston carried out an archaeological survey at the Orchard House. The main focus of the survey project was on areas that will be excavated during construction of a new foundation and cellar under the rear half of the house. Archaeology plays an important role in preservation projects. In this case the primary goal was to insure that the preservation work at the site, especially on the foundation, did not destroy important archaeological artifacts and features buried in the ground. The archaeological work also uncovered a variety of artifacts that provide clues to the history of the property and the lifestyle and practices of the Alcott family.

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Archaeologists carefully record the location and context of artifacts, using hand tools to expose buried artifacts.

Archaeological exploration of the areas outside the house used small test excavations to examine the layering of the soil and nature, extent, and integrity of the archaeological deposits. Areas at the rear of the house showed extensive modification of the houselot landscape. While the Alcotts scraped and leveled some areas, they filled other areas. Some of the fill deposits included trash thrown out by the family.

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Above left: Yellowware chamber pot with a blue dendritic pattern, second half of the 19th century. Above right: Purple transfer printed plate, mid 19th century.

This yellowware vessel is part of a chamber pot. During the late 19th century, when the Alcotts lived in the house, people had no flush toilets but used outhouses built on their property. A chamber pot was used inside at night and later dumped in the privy. These types of artifacts help show how different home life was in 19th century Concord.

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Above left: United States Military Artillery button, approximately 1802 - 1828. Above right: 1861 (?) Photo of the Concord Artillery Co., founded in 1804, in their Napoleonic uniforms. Photo from Images of America, Concord Massachusetts (Arcadia Publishing, Dover, NH, 1997, p. 29).

This button, found in a fill layer outside the house, is from the uniform of artilleryman. This button predates the Alcott occupation of the house and is a reminder of the long military history of Concord.

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Above left: Thoreau's 1852 plan of the property showing a well location. Above right: Leith Smith excavating in the cellar underneath the standing structure.

When Alcott bought the property he moved the tenant house, joining it to the main house and leaving the well underneath the structure. Test excavations in the cellar searched out and located the remains of the historic well.

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Above left: A view of the top of the historic well in the crawlspace under the kitchen. Above right: Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of the Louisa May Alcott Association, discussing the well discovery with archaeologist Leith Smith.

The discovery of the historic well under the structure, while exciting, also complicated the cellar renovation plans. The Alcott Association decided to try to preserve the well in place, and as a result, both the cellar access and the shape of the outer wall both had to be modified. These alterations to the original plans helped save this important physical reminder of the house's history. This is example shows how archaeological test excavation in advance of restoration aids the preservation process.

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For additional information.
phone 617.287.6859 or email Fiske center@umb.edu

This page last updated on: March 8, 2007