Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18BA470 Site #4
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
Site 18BA470, also known as Site #4 or AVW/Area 9/Site 2, is the archeological remains of a mid 19th to early 20th century dwelling located near the Middle River area of Baltimore County. The site is situated on the interior flat of a low terrace east of Windlass Run. At least two unnamed tributaries of Saltpeter Creek are to the east of the site. The dominant vegetative setting of the site contains several hardwood and coniferous species, including red oak and other oak varieties, yellow poplar, sycamore, red maple, sweetgum, black cherry, beech, sassafras, Virginia pine, loblolly, American holly, and cedar. Soils at the site are primarily Fallsington sandy loams and Galestown loamy sands.
While portions of the historic tract on which 18BA470 is situated were originally patented in 1682 and 1743, the parcel appears to have only been actively used just prior to 1828 by a Benjamin Ferguson. Ferguson was a wealthy shipping merchant from Virginia who also owned a townhome in the City of Baltimore during the first quarter of the 19th century. Aside from his holdings in Virginia and the City of Baltimore, Ferguson also owned several tracts of land in Cecil County and Baltimore County, including his tract in Middle River. In June of 1828 Ferguson died. In the will he indicated that, among other things, his land as well as “all building improvements” were to be given to his sister, Charlotte Ferguson. The will further indicates that up until 1828 the land was being cleared of trees and the wood sold. Ferguson’s executor was also instructed in the will to provide Charlotte with $400 so she might purchase cows and horses in order to better cultivate the land.
Some time prior to 1846, Charlotte Ferguson passed away and the parcel in Middle River was willed to Benjamin Ferguson’s two daughters, Lucy A. Gray and Mary Owen. Unable to divide the property equitably, the land fell under the control of the courts and on July 11, 1846 the property was sold by the courts to a Samuel Wilkinson. Wilkinson was just beginning to establish himself in Middle River by the time he obtained the Ferguson land. In the years that followed, Wilkinson would obtain several other tracts bordering this one. In September, 1848 the deed transfer was finalized. In the deed, Wilkinson was given ownership of the land west of “Galloway’s Farm Road” including a road that extends east to west through his property.
According to the 1850 US Census, Samuel Wilkinson appeared to be firmly settled on the lands. The census indicates that Wilkinson, 58 years old, lived on the property with his wife and six sons with ages ranging from 14 to 21. Wilkinson and his two oldest sons are recorded as farmers. The records from 1850 also indicate Samuel Wilkinson employed a laborer, Samuel Snowden who also lived at the property in Middle River. Wilkinson owned a 22 year old female slave who likely served in the home. Wilkinson and his wife also had at least one daughter, Rebecca. Rebecca, who was 18 at the time of the 1850 census, was already married and lived with her husband, Thomas Biddison.
Historical research conducted on Site 18BA470 did not clearly indicate when Wilkinson and his family left the property in Middle River. An 1857 map of the area indicated that Wilkinson still lived on the property at that time, however the US Census shows that Wilkinson left Middle River by 1860. The 1860 Census also shows Wilkinson’s daughter, Rebecca, and her husband, Thomas Biddison operated a farm in Middle River, though 10 years earlier they were not present in the area. It is likely that while Thomas and Rebecca Biddison did not own the Wilkinson farm until 1869, they may have rented and operated the farm for Wilkinson by 1860.
Following the death of Samuel Wilkinson in April of 1867, the property fell to the executor of his will, Thomas Fowler. Two years later, Fowler officially transferred the farm to Wilkinson’s daughter and her husband. The 1870 census describes Thomas Biddison as a 46 year old farmer living with his wife, Rebecca. Rebecca is described as a 38 year old homekeeper. Thomas and Rebecca are also recorded as having three daughters, and two farm hands, Joseph Fowler (25) and Thomas Hawkins (21). Following Thomas Biddison’s death in 1880 the property was willed to his daughter, Elizabeth E. Edwards. From 1880 until 1906, archival research is unclear whether the land owner lived on the property or rented it out to tenants. By 1906, William H. Dell was awarded the estate. Dell remained at the estate for 11 years operating the property as a farm. William H. Dell died in 1917 and in his will he instructed that, “my farm near Bengies” be willed to his church.
According to the archival research, William H. Dell appears to be the last resident of the parcel containing Site 18BA470. While the Fergusons appear to be the first family to actually use 18BA470, research is not clear whether they actually built on the parcel. The first strong historical evidence to indicate a residence on the land comes in 1846 when Samuel Wilkinson acquired the deed. Historical documents further indicate that 18BA470 was continuously in use from 1846 to 1917.
In November and December of 1998, a Phase I archeological survey was conducted for the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), of the areas to be impacted by construction of a four-lane highwaly (MD 43). The study consisted of testing portions of a series of right-of-ways totaling 10 miles in length. Predictive modeling was used to select probable locations of prehistoric and historic resources. Roughly 2.2 miles were treated as high-probability areas. The tested area was comprised of 78 acres.
The 1998 fieldwork was composed of a pedestrian survey or walk-over and a subsurface investigation. All areas defined as possessing high probability, and a 20 percent sample of low probability area, were tested. No testing was undertaken in areas that were clearly disturbed, too wet, or too steeply sloped to plausibly contain evidence of previous occupation.
The subsurface investigation consisted of a total of 515 shovel tests, 395 located within high probability and 120 in low probability areas. This Phase I subsurface investigation resulted in the initial identification and characterization of 18BA470. Investigation of the historic site consisted of the excavation of 12 shovel tests at 5 m intervals and one test unit. Shovel test pits (STPs) were 40 cm in diameter and were excavated to 60 cm below the surface. The formal test unit was 1 X 1 m in extent and all soils (both from the STPs and the test unit) were screened through hardware cloth. The majority of the testing was completed on the eastern side of the site. It was characterized as a 19th through 20th century residential compound, consisting of a fieldstone and concrete cellar hole, a concrete cellar hole, a circular well, a brick-lined rectangular shaft (a possible privy), and a rectangular formation of fieldstone and concrete thought to be a grave or flowerbed. The excavation also recovered a total of 2,285 artifacts including 1 pearlware sherd, 25 whiteware sherds (3 transfer-printed and 22 decal-decorated), 6 Rockingham sherds, 75 Japanese pordcelain sherds, 6 German porcelain sherds, 80 other sherds, 7 machine-made bottle glass fragments, and 292 molded bottle glass fragments. The remaining materials are cataloged in the table above as “miscellaneous objects”, but the majority of the artifacts were architectural debris. The recovery also included a number of personal items such as perfume bottles, porcelain figurines, jewelry, and Mah Jongg gaming pieces.
It was recommended that the site was potentially significant under Criterion D, and if development plans were determined to adversely impact the resource, then a Phase II evaluation should be carried out.
In early 2005, a second Phase I archeological survey was carried out at the site and in surrounding areas. The work was carried out on a 1,000 acre property (which included the site) slated for development of a new business campus. Construction of the business campus was contingent upon receipt of a wetlands permit through the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Thus, the survey was required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended).
Phase I work at 18BA470 in 2005 entailed the excavation of 74 STPs excavated at 15.24 m (50 foot) intervals. Shovel tests were excavated according to natural stratigraphy, and screened through hardware mesh. Radials were then placed around positive tests at 7.62 m (25 foot) intervals in order to determine site boundaries. No intact cultural features were identified beyond those found in 1999, but artifacts were found to be distributed farther to the west than previously thought.
A total of 137 artifacts were recovered during the 2005 Phase I project. The assemblage included 1 Jackfield sherd, 1 pearlware sherd, 29 whiteware sherds (3 blue transfer-printed, 1 green transfer-printed, 1 underglaze green, 2 underglaze blue, 4 sponge painted), 1 Nottingham stoneware sherd, and 1 salt-glazed stoneware sherd. The remaining materials were architectural debris. Based on the material recovery, Phase II testing was recommended and was immediately carried out as a part of the larger business campus project.
Utilizing the grid system created during the prior Phase I survey, the system was further expanded to conduct more precise testing and to encompass that portion of the site previously studied in the 1990s. The Phase II grid was composed of shovel tests spaced apart at 15.24 m, 7.62 m, and 3.81 m (50, 25, and 12.5 ft) intervals. All shovel test locations were excavated manually, using spade shovels and trowels. The STPs were also excavated stratigraphically in order to maintain vertical control over the artifacts recovered and soils were screened through hardware cloth. A soil profile was prepared for each shovel test location excavated. Soils were described by texture and color and data was recorded on standardized forms. A total of 284 shovel tests were excavated.
The material recovery resulting from the STP work was plotted on a field map in order to display the distribution of artifacts. Based on the nature and density of artifacts recovered within the site area, ten 91 cm (3 ft) test units were excavated. Test units were excavated manually, using flat shovels and trowels. These units were also excavated stratigraphically in order to maintain control over the vertical provenience of artifacts recovered. Selected strata in excess of 7.62 cm (3 in) were further excavated by arbitrary levels. All excavated, non-feature soils were dry-screened in the field using hardware mesh. A standardized form was also used to record soil characteristics, stratum depths, and recovered materials. A scaled profile of one wall was drawn for each unit and the profile was also recorded using black and white photography. Nine of test units were excavated in the northeastern portion of the site area, where a large concentration of artifacts was identified around the farmstead complex. One test unit was placed in the north-central portion of the site, near a second high concentration of artifacts.
Special excavation and documentation procedures were followed when possible cultural features were thought to have been identified within test units. Within reason, the overall goal was to expose the horizontal and vertical extent of these features. The presence of an intact feature was assessed during the excavation process. Aiding in this assessment was the employment of the cross-section or bi-section approach. During the handling of potential features, a thorough documentation process was employed and included plan view hand-drawn sketches followed by photographs.
More than 250 STPs and 9 of the 10 test units produced positive artifact recoveries. A total of 8,756 artifacts were recovered during Phase II work at 18BA470. By quantity, the artifact recovery consisted of the following broad temporal affiliations: 8,741 historic artifacts and 97 modern objects. The 97 modern materials are included in the tally above as “Miscellaneous objects”.
The historic collection was composed of several functional artifact groups. By quantity, these groups included the following: 316 activity items (including 161 pieces of hardware), 3,596 architectural artifacts, 1,324 ceramic sherds, 1,082 pieces of container glass, 256 miscellaneous kitchen-related artifacts (153 oyster and clam shell fragments, 75 animal bones, silverware, etc.), 99 personal items, 3 arms objects (a gunflint and 2 rimfire cartridges), and 2,065 miscellaneous objects. The architectural assemblage included 1,479 pieces of window glass, 666 machine-cut nails, 381 wire nails, 355 other nails, 190 pieces of mortar, and 525 brick fragments. The ceramic sherd assemblage included 13 miscellaneous earthenware, 1 creamware, 640 whiteware, 242 porcelain, 39 ironstone, 29 Rockingham, 152 redware, 17 yelloware, 5 American Blue & Gray stoneware, and 33 other stoneware sherds. Among the miscellaneous objects were 699 pieces of coal, 129 clinkers, and 254 pieces of charcoal.
In summary, the historic artifact recovery was thought to be associated with a mid 19th to early 20th century occupation period, given the recovery of creamware, yelloware, ironstone, whiteware, American Blue & Gray sherds, machine-cut and wire nails, and other items. The occupation period likely began sometime around 1840 and extended until 1910-1920. The artifacts were mostly confined to the upper two or three organic strata overlying subsoil. In some cases, however, portions of the artifact assemblage were found in deeper strata. The artifact-laden strata were generally classified as yard soils, buried organic layers, or historic plowzones.
Based on the nature and distribution of artifacts in relation to numerous cultural features, Site 18BA470 was thought to consist of two distinct occupations, the earliest existing from the early-to-mid 19th century and the later existing from the late 19th to early 20th century. The material recovery also suggests the occupants of the earlier historic site were likely middle income planters while during the later period the site was occupied by wealthy urban/professional individuals using the area as a second home or country estate. This later interpretation was based on the quality of materials recovered, including imported table wares and recreational items. Of the numerous cultural features identified, a fieldstone and mortar dwelling foundation (Feature 1) and a circular well were likely associated with the earlier historic occupation. A concrete dwelling foundation (Feature 2), burnt/collapsed kitchen (Features 3, 6, 8, and 14) and the circular well were likely associated with the later occupation. In total, three structures were identified, two dwellings and a ruinous kitchen. A possible fourth structure was also identified in the proximity of a large architectural artifact concentration. This fourth structure would likely be an outbuilding associated with the earlier 19th century occupation.
The Phase II research at 18BA470 revealed that very well-reserved artifact deposits were present in the northeastern portion of the site. This was precisely where the yards and structures associated with the earliest occupation of the site were situated. The outlying west and southern areas of the site, by contrast, had clearly been impacted by plow action and were not considered to be intact. Based on these findings, the 2005 researchers recommended that the northeastern portions of 18BA470 be preserved for future research and avoided during construction of the business campus or subject to a Phase III data recovery. MHT concurred with this opinion and determined that the site was eligible for listing on the NRHP. No Phase III has been carried out to date.
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