Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18BA196 Granite Manufacturing Mill
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Granite Manufacturing Mill Site (18BA196) is the location of an early 19th century iron works and nail factory (the Ellicott Rolling and Slitting mill complex) that was replaced in the late 19th century with a cotton and textile mill (the Granite mill complex). The site is located on a floodplain on the east bank of the Patapsco River in the town of Oella in Baltimore County. The Granite Mill site (18BA196) is within the National Register bounds of the Ellicott’s Mills Historic District and is a component of the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places (MIHP) Granite Manufacturing Company district (MIHP #BA-2810). The main factory buildings are situated on a floodplain and associated worker dwellings are situated on a steep ridge above the floodplain. The housing units, 2 stone duplexes, are not included within the defined boundaries of Site 18BA196. No remains of the mill site are visible above ground but the associated dwellings have been restored. Several episodes of flooding and a hurricane in 1972 damaged the mill buildings and eroded the land between the buildings and the Patapsco River.
The Ellicott Iron Rolling and Slitting Mill, opened in the first decade of the 1800s, was the first factory to be located at the site. The mill complex consisted of two buildings: the large, 2-story frame building with a stone foundation thought to be the slitting mill and the smaller stone structure with a frame loft that was probably the nail factory. The nail factory has a large smoke stack to its rear that probably was used as a forge for heading the nails. At some point prior to 1838, the iron works added a furnace that was used for rolling copper sheets. The iron works was put up for sale in ca. 1838 but it was several years before the property was purchased. A group of investors purchased the site after forming the Granite Manufacturing Company which was incorporated by the State of Maryland in 1843. By 1846, a 4-story granite mill building with a tower had been constructed. They apparently utilized the pre-existing mill dam and raceway that had been constructed for the iron works. The mill complex consisted of the cotton mill, a machine shop, and a foundry. By the mid-19th century, the company was struggling to meet its financial responsibilities and in 1863 it was advertised for sale. The advertisement described the factory as being 14.6x51.2 m (48x168 ft) with 4 stories 3.35 m (11 ft) high and containing 2 overshot wheels, 101 muslin and drill looms, and with steam heat and gas lights. Ancillary buildings included a one-story foundry 26x23 m (85x75 ft) and a 3-story machine shop 25.6x14 m (84x45 ft) as well as other buildings that may have represented the remains of the Ellicott iron works. The Granite Manufacturing Company was bought at auction by John Hopkins of Baltimore and 3 other individuals, and the facilities were renovated. The mill was quickly rebuilt after a fire in 1866, but following a flood in 1868 which heavily damaged the mill, ancillary buildings, and dam, it was never rebuilt. In 1875 the Union Manufacturing Company (a large neighboring textile manufacturer) bought the property as part of its expansion and in 1887 the W.J. Dickey Company acquired all the Union Manufacturing Company’s assets. The Dickey family held the land until 1972, when it was extensively damaged during hurricane Agnes, and it is currently owned by the Oella Company.
The present owner of the mill site commissioned a brief exploratory examination of the area in order to locate the mill foundation walls sometime between 1972 and 1980. The area of interest was located between a proposed sewer line right-of-way (ROW) and the banks of the Patapsco River. The survey was carried out by local non-professionals and apparently did not result in the locating of the mill site.
During a historic overview of the Oella area conducted in 1980 by personnel from the Baltimore County Office of Planning and Zoning, it was determined that the proposed construction of sewer and water lines to be conducted during the Oella Sewer Project would potentially impact cultural resources in the site area. In February 1981, a Phase I/II scope of work within the proposed ROW involved more specific archival research and field reconnaissance. The project area was bounded to the east by Oella Avenue and to the west by the Patapsco River. Fieldwork included pedestrian survey and mechanical trenching in the area of the Granite mill complex. At the time of the investigations, a portion of the site area was being used as a parking lot and it contained several in-use outhouses. A row of garages, represented only by cinder block walls and broken concrete floors, were also at one time located on the site. Portions of what appeared to be stone retaining walls separated the site from the road, and another line of rocks, possibly a collapsed wall, was noted near the shoreline.
The excavations took place during the winter when the ground was frozen thus making hand excavations impossible. Also, very large rocks were present in and throughout the fill and on the surface. Therefore, a back hoe was employed to open the trench excavations. Trench 1 totaled 43.95 m (144.2 ft) in length running roughly north-south. The northern extent of the trench was determined by the location of a manhole and the southern extent was determined by the presence of an impenetrable frozen layer of crushed rock covering a parking area. A 5.18 m (17 ft) section of a mortared stone wall running NW-SE was encountered in the northern section of the trench about 30 cm below the topsoil. Another 1.2 m (4 ft) section of the wall was found farther to the south along the trench. The width of the wall was determined through the excavation of a cross trench (Trench 4) located at the northern end of the wall segment. The wall at that point was 1.19 m (3.9 ft) wide and 1.83 m (6 ft) in depth with slightly expanded footers. It was seated on top of sterile, banded river sands. Trenches 2 and 3 (both north of Trench 1) were excavated in order to determine if the stone wall continued to the northeast but it was not observed. Trench 6 was excavated in the southern half of, and relatively parallel to, Trench 1 in order to examine an exposed line of rock. The excavation revealed that it was the top of a stone wall running NE-SW but that curved to line up with the wall identified in the northern half of Trench 1. The foundation of modern cinder block walls for what was apparently a privy was encountered when Trench 6 was dog-legged to the east. Trench 7 was excavated perpendicular to Trench 1 on the river side and was generally a continuation of the east-west dog-legged segment of Trench 6. No additional walls were found in the trench excavation; however, a mortared rock area, possibly representing a collapsed wall, was identified at about 0.609 m (2 ft) below ground level. Brick rubble, lumps of rust, and a few other artifacts were found below the mortared rock in approximately 2.74 m (9 ft) of sandy fill. Trenches 6 and 7 were aligned with the proposed storm drain to be constructed as part of the Oella Sewer Project.
An east-west running stone wall was exposed at the southern end of Trench 1. The wall measured 0.609 m in width and was at least 1.2 m deep. The north side of the wall abutted a 0.46 m thick lens of uneven brick rubble bounded with mortar. The rubble measured between 1.2 and 1.524 m deep. At about 1.2 m below the ground surface, a 5 cm (2”) iron pipe ran through the brick rubble. Also at the southern end of Trench 1, in the area of the former garages, a 2.4 m long and 0.46 m deep layer of hard-packed slag, iron, and brick fragments was exposed at about 1.2 m below the surface. This sat above a layer of sand mixed with broken brick which in turn was sitting on sterile sand. The density, thickness, and relatively smooth horizontal surface of the upper layer suggested that it may have been a floor. No walls were found in association with the deposits.
In all, 126 historic artifacts were retained as a result of the Phase I/II investigations. Activity items (n=20) included a whistle, 2 glass marbles, 1 piece of TV antennae, 1 battery, and 1 railroad spike. Also in the activity category were large amounts (not all collected) of iron slag (n=3), coal slag (n=4) and ash, 1 iron machine part (possible foot peddle), 1 iron hook, 1 L-bracket, 1 U-bolt, 3 iron bars, and 1 valve handle or lever fragment, all which likely reflected the use of the mill. The 40 architectural materials included 7 brick fragments, 21 window glass shards, 3 ceramic drain pipe sherds, 1 piece of roofing slate, 4 lumps of mortar, 1 steel rivet, 1 cement fragment, and 2 electrical insulators. The two clothing items recovered were a glass button and a metal Marine Corps button. In addition to the activity- and architectural-related items associated with the structure and functioning of the mill, several kitchen-related items were also recovered. These included 30 bottle/container glass fragments, 21 ceramic sherds (13 whiteware, only 2 of which were decorated, 3 porcelain, 1 Rockingham, 3 stoneware, 1 earthenware), 1 metal spoon handle, 1 condiment jar, and 3 pieces of animal bone with butchering marks. The 7 personal items consisted of 3 cologne bottles, 1 chamber pot fragment, 1 milk glass and 1 clear glass facial cream jars, and 1 modern deodorant bottle. Miscellaneous items included only 1 unidentified copper object.
An analysis of the vertical distribution of the artifacts indicated that the material recovered from the upper stratum spanned the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Artifacts in the lower strata, except in Trench 5 and the intrusive privy fill excavated in Trench 6, were entirely datable to the 19th century. Trench 5 and the privy fill contained materials from both the 19th and 20th centuries. Artifacts were generally domestic in nature but in Trench 7 large chunks of iron, brick, slag, and window glass were the only items found.
The wall identified in Trench 1 was initially thought to be a large stone foundation wall. Upon further assessment, it was interpreted as a raceway retaining wall. As no parallel wall was found during the investigations, it was postulated that this was the outside wall. The raceway would have carried water from an upstream mill dam to the factory. The Granite mill was known to have had 2 overshot wheels and to have been situated on an island of sorts formed by the raceway on the east side and the river on the west. It is possible that this is the same raceway constructed for the operation of the earlier Ellicott iron works. A raceway was depicted in an early 19th century painting of the mill and nail factory complex. The mill race was shown raised above the level of the mill ground level by a heavy stone retaining wall. It was also postulated that the mill race may have been constructed even earlier for use by the Ellicott brothers’ flour mill (ca. 1774) that was located farther downstream.
There was ample evidence to suggest that much of the mill had been destroyed by the effects of repeated flooding. None of the artifacts found during the excavation could be definitely associated with any particular mill structures or functions. Fill material consisting of industrial and domestic debris was likely introduced onto the site in an attempt to level areas destroyed by flooding. However, portions of the 19th century mill complex appeared to have remained intact, such as the mill race and possible structural walls. The raceway retaining wall was to be impacted by the proposed sewer installation operations. The hard packed floor found in the garage area was also going to be impacted by the proposed construction. If any cellar areas of the mill remained intact, then they would most likely be found at depths great enough so as to not be impacted by the work. Given the discovery of mill features during the Phase I/II study, limited data recovery was recommended at Site 18BA196 for both the east and west sides of the sewer line ROW. In particular, data recovery was suggested for those portions of structural remains situated within Trench 1, which was aligned with the center line of the ROW.
A Phase III data recovery program was initiated in the summer of 1982. The purpose of the investigations was to excavate those areas of the site that were within the sewer ROW. This included an area lying within 1.524 m of the centerline south of Man Hole #2 and north of the graded edge of the existing parking lot (the northern and southern limits of Phase I/II Trench 1). The study area was to be extended in the event that 19th century foundations/features were found within the parking lot. Areas outside of the project bounds were added to the scope of work when structural features were found to lie outside of the ROW.
A long, north-south running trench, referred to as the Main Trench, was machine excavated along the center line of the proposed sewer. The trench was placed slightly to the east of the Phase I/II Trench 1 in order to expose the raceway retaining wall. The wall was followed for about 26 m, at which point it began to curve to the southwest. Only the top 0.3 m of the wall was exposed. Trenches #1, #2 and #3 were dug running east-west (Trench #1 was within the ROW of the proposed storm drain), or perpendicular, to the main trench and revealed portions of a stone wall that ran parallel to the previously identified wall. This second wall, interpreted to be the outside raceway retaining wall, was located 5 m (17 ft) east of the first wall. At the southern end of the main trench, the wall curved slightly to the west before it abruptly stopped. South of this, a concrete spillway and another stone wall section running roughly east-west were found. The spillway and wall segment were excavated in Trench #6; only 2 bottle glass fragments were recovered from the trench. The most southerly wall curved in a manner that indicated it was part of the outside raceway wall identified in Trenches #1, 2, and 3. The spillway was a poured concrete slab set between the 2 raceway walls. It appeared that the spillway fed onto a water wheel or pair of water wheels. Excavations on the interior and the exterior of the east raceway wall indicated that there were several episodes of fill. Almost all of the artifacts were recovered from the uppermost 46 cm of fill. The fill represented episodes of dumping in the late 19th and 20th century from the nearby residences; therefore, none of the artifacts were thought to be related to the mill operations.
A total of 292 historic artifacts were recovered from the Main Trench. The 15 activity items consisted of 1 glass marble, 1 pencil lead, 1 pair of wire cutters, 3 telephone pole spikes, 6 railroad spikes, and 3 long wood spikes. Architectural items (n=54) included 12 window glass shards, 34 indeterminate nails, 2 mortar pieces (samples), 1 ceramic tile pipe fragment, 1 plastic stopper with chain (possibly from a sink), 1 length of copper wire, 2 miscellaneous hardware items, and 1 bolt. Clothing items found included only 1 glass button. In all, 195 kitchen-related items were retained including 105 bottle and container glass fragments, 4 table glass fragments, 3 pieces of milk glass, 81 ceramic sherds (5 plain and 2 decorated porcelain, 4 white salt-glazed stoneware, 34 plain whiteware, 25 decorated whiteware, 3 yellowware, 5 gray salt-glazed stoneware, 3 glazed earthenware), and 2 milk glass lid fragments. A total of 21 miscellaneous items were recorded including 3 unidentifiable glass fragments, 1 piece of plastic, 15 unidentified metal objects, and 2 small pieces of leather. The 4 personal items recovered consisted of 1 glass perfume bottle, 2 broken milk glass cosmetic pots, and 1 plastic hair comb. Two Pamplin-style reed pipe fragments constituted the tobacco-related group.
A total of 1,223 historic artifacts were recovered from Trenches #1, 2, and 3. The 27 activity items consisted of 1 porcelain doll’s head, 4 tea set fragments, 1 miniature porcelain bear, 10 glass marbles, 1 auto glass fragment, 1 auto battery, 2 record fragments, 4 railroad spikes, 1 section of copper chain, 1 fragment of a harmonica, and 1 pencil lead. Architectural items (n=136) included 6 red brick fragments, 2 yellow furnace brick fragments, 47 window glass shards, 5 cut nails, 11 wire nails, 43 indeterminate nails, 6 large spikes, 1 broken porcelain doorknob, 2 earthenware doorknobs, 1 porcelain insulator, 1 pipe clamp, 7 miscellaneous hardware items, 2 nuts/bolts, 1 hinge, and 1 hinge pin. Clothing items (n=18) found included 4 glass buttons, 1 metal button, 2 plastic buttons, 1 copper rivet, and 10 leather shoe pieces. The 9 furniture items recovered were 1 porcelain vase fragment, 1 brass tack, and 7 table lamp fragments. In all, 975 kitchen-related items were retained including 522 bottle and container glass fragments, 17 table glass fragments, 6 pieces of milk glass, 420 ceramic sherds (20 plain and 7 decorated porcelain, 260 plain whiteware, 58 decorated whiteware, 4 Rockingham, 2 pearlware, 2 yellowware, 17 gray salt-glazed stoneware, 1 brown salt-glazed stoneware, 11 other stoneware, 14 glazed earthenware, 12 unglazed earthenware, 12 earthenware fragments from a single crock), 2 metal (possibly silver plated) spoons, 3 animal bones and 1 tooth, and 4 oyster shell fragments. A total of 40 miscellaneous items were recorded including 3 pieces of charcoal, 4 pieces of slag, and 33 unidentified metal objects, some which were questionably described as a strap, pieces of sheet metal, metal plates, an iron ring, and tube lengths. The 12 personal items recovered consisted of 1 glass perfume bottle stopper, 2 glass jewelry beads, 8 broken milk glass cosmetic pots, and 1 plastic barrette. A Pamplin-style elbow/reed pipe, 2 kaolin pipe stem and 2 bowl fragments constituted the tobacco-related group and 1 rifle shell made up the arms-related group. In addition to the historic artifacts that were recovered from Trenches #1, 2, and 3, two prehistoric projectile points were also found (1 quartz, 1 of an undetermined material).
The wall portion located in the main trench varied in width. Excavation along the western or river side of the main trench encountered two stone walls that ran perpendicular to the wall in the main trench (the west raceway retaining wall). Where the walls intersected, the width of the wall in the main trench decreased. Trenches #4 and #9 were excavated to determine the extent of the perpendicular walls. The southern wall (excavated by Trench #4) was found to contain 2 intact, cut-stone window sills and a cut-stone door sill, as well as another corner of a the wall at the western end of the trench. The interior of the south wall was faced with plaster. Trench #8 was excavated in order to expose the western wall. It then became clear that the wall uncovered in the main trench was the eastern wall of a structure that adjoined the raceway wall. The wall shared by the structure and the raceway was wider than the rest of the raceway wall. Based on the dimensions of the exposed walls, the structure was determined to have been the Granite Factory machine shop. A trench excavated on the interior of the east wall showed that the wall reached a depth of 1.67 m (66”) below the top of the wall. Approximately 1.2 m of fill sat above what was perceived to be strata related to the use of the building. A layer of brick and rubble, above an ash layer, which sat on top of a coal layer were possibly related to the 1866 fire that destroyed the adjacent factory. The floor of the building contained iron nodules and slag from iron working. In the southeast corner of the building, a group of metal bands were located, supporting documentation that barrel hoops were made at the location. Other items found on the floor included sheet metal, gears, a drive shaft, a table leg brace, and metal brackets (not all artifacts were collected). Future excavations north of the structure, where the wheel was thought to be located, may reveal a head race, a wheel pit, and a tail race for the machine shop.
A total of 35 historic artifacts were recovered from Trenches #4, 8, and 9. The 2 activity items consisted of glass marbles. Architectural items (n=6) included 1 red brick fragment, 1 furnace brick fragment, 1 unidentified nail, 1 piece of mortar and 1 piece of plaster (samples), and 1 large spike. The only furniture items recovered were 1 clock mechanism and 1 metal handle. In all, 23 kitchen-related items were retained including 8 bottle and container glass fragments, 12 ceramic sherds (1 plain and 2 decorated porcelain, 4 plain whiteware, 4 decorated whiteware, 1 glazed earthenware), and 3 animal bones with cut marks. A total of 6 miscellaneous items were recorded, all were unidentified metal objects. The single personal item recovered was an ink bottle. One Pamplin-style elbow/reed pipe constituted the tobacco-related group of objects.
At the west end of Trench #4, south of the wall, excavations in Trench #5 encountered sections of another rectangular structure. The cut granite walls were mortared and the east wall exterior had been finished with mounded and sharpened mortar that was painted with a black tar-like substance. This portion of the building would probably have been above-ground and visible at the time the structure was in use. Although the base of the walls was reached during excavations, the floor of the building was not encountered. The excavators referred to this building as the “nail factory” that was suggested to have functioned as part of the Ellicott Rolling and Slitting Mill. Its construction differs from, and possibly predates, the machine shop. It is unclear what the function of the building may have been after the Granite Manufacturing Company took over the property.
The east wall of the “nail factory” terminated at a large, circular structure 6 m in diameter, built of cut stone and lined with two layers of brick. At the point of termination, the circular structure had been heavily mortared to the wall. The brick had been plastered with a heavy layer of mortar/cement. The base of the structure was reached at 2 m below the top course of stone. Two iron pipes, along with 4 brick platforms or ledges and a plank of wood embedded in the mortared floor were found at the base of the interior of the structure. Five wooden slats of various heights were found on the side walls and were also imbedded into the mortar in the floor. An oily substance with a distinct odor was present on the base of the feature and at the top of the walls. A sample of the substance was taken for later analysis. The function of the structure was interpreted as a container for gas, possibly coal oil gas, for use in lighting the Granite Factory. Only a handful of artifacts (n=10) was recovered from the fill in the center of the structure. Two artifacts were architectural (1 brick fragment with adhering mortar and 1 wood sample covered with oil) and 8 artifacts were kitchen-related (3 bottle glass fragments, 2 whiteware sherds, 2 stoneware sherds, and 1 snail shell).
Excavations in Trench #7 revealed a stone wall lined with bricks on its south side that was connected to the west side of the circular feature. That wall joined to a thick L-shaped wall was made of granite. The L-shaped segment was followed for about 3 m in both a southerly and westerly direction before the excavation was terminated. To the west, the wall ended at a steep bank above the Patapsco River and it was evident that the wall had been destroyed by flood waters. Work to the south was terminated due to time constraints but it was indicated that the wall likely continued for some distance above the river bank. It was postulated that this segment of a structure represented the remains of the Granite Manufacturing Company textile mill. It is located at a point to the northwest of the race spillway where it could have contained two water wheels. Archival research indicated that the textile mill was situated close to the river, only separated from it by a small strip of land on which a road was built. Further excavation in the area of the remains, what would have been the northeast corner of the large building, could potentially uncover evidence of the strong cement and stone foundation constructed by the Company. Remnants of the building may also be found in the river. This feature was not to be affected by the proposed sewer line construction.
Although Trenches #5 and #7 may not have been contemporaneously constructed, the artifacts recovered from those areas were reported together. A total of 58 historic artifacts were recovered from the trenches. The 5 activity items consisted of 3 glass marbles, 1 metal tool, and 1 record fragment. Architectural items (n=15) included 2 window glass shards, 2 cut nails, 4 large spikes, 1 metal support rest, 5 light socket fragments, and 1 piece of asbestos siding. In all, 29 kitchen-related items were retained including 16 bottle and container glass fragments, 11 ceramic sherds (4 decorated porcelain, 3 plain whiteware, 2 decorated whiteware, 2 glazed earthenware), 1 animal bone, and 1 oyster shell fragment. A total of 9 miscellaneous items were recorded including 3 cement fragments, 4 unidentified metal objects, and 2 pieces of plastic.
In addition to the excavated materials, a total of 16 artifacts were collected from the surface of the site. The 2 activity items were glass marbles. The only architectural item retained was a spike. One metal button was the only clothing item found. In all, 12 kitchen-related items were retained including 2 bottle glass fragments, 9 ceramic sherds (3 ironstone, 2 whiteware, 3 gray salt-glazed stoneware, 1 earthenware), and 1 metal spoon.
The Granite Manufacturing Mill Site (18BA196) is the location of an early 19th century iron works and nail factory (the Ellicott Rolling and Slitting mill complex) that was replaced in the late 19th century with a cotton and textile mill (the Granite mill complex). The 19th century mills were an important part of the industrial development of Baltimore County along the Patapsco River. Archeological investigations resulted in exposing large portions of a raceway, a section of the “nail factory” associated with the ca. 1806 Ellicott complex, and portions of 3 buildings related to the operations of the ca. 1846 cotton/textile mill. Several features associated with the Granite mill site almost certainly remain intact under the present backyards and parking lot located along Oella Avenue. The east wall of the Granite mill building, along with associated artifacts, would likely be found through further excavation. Although the proposed installation of sewer pipes was undertaken at the site, large sections of remnant 19th century features still exist below ground. If further earth-moving activities cannot be avoided in the areas suggested above as likely containing significant cultural resources, then additional data recovery is recommended.
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