Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18ST390 Mattapany-Sewall
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Mattapany-Sewall Site (18ST390) is a multicomponent site with Late Archaic and Early and Late Woodland short-term camp components and a mid- to late-17th century Manor house and armory component. This site is located on a relatively level terrace south of the Patuxent River on the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS) property in St. Mary’s County. It is situated west of the vestiges of a filled ravine that leads to the river. The site is one of 15 sites that make up the Mattapany-Sewall Historic Site (MIHP# SM-357). The area is generally unused by base personnel. Formerly it had been a tree farm and it remains largely wooded with cleared expanses in grass. No structures are currently located in or near the site, but gravel access roads are located there with one such road passing through the site. The area had been cultivated for decades (probably centuries) prior to acquisition by the Navy. Some of the area has been found to have been subjected to landscaping. The soils within the project area are well-drained Matapeake silt loams (0-2% slope). The site measures approximately 182.88 m X 121.92 m (600’X400’).
An examination of prehistoric materials collected from the base area in 1934 indicated that occupation of the area dates from the Early Archaic period through the Late Woodland period. The earliest known historic settlement in the area appears to have been the establishment of a Jesuit mission ca. 1637. Historical documents indicate that the King of Patuxent, the local tribe, gave the land to the Jesuit’s. It is presumed that it was largely unused. The mission of Mattapany was part of a larger political entity known as “Mattapanient Hundred”. There are references from the 1640’s and 1650’s to “Mattapanian House”, which was presumably the Jesuit residence. There is no evidence of a continuing Jesuit presence at Mattapany after 1641. Population disruptions in the area resulting from the Indian raids of 1642 and Ingle’s rebellion in 1645 caused “Mattapanient Hundred” to disappear.
The parcel had apparently been owned by Hugh Hopewell, Thomas White, and Francis Van Eden in the early 1650’s and was suspected to be near the location of Jesuit Mission. Sometime in the later 1650’s, Lawrence Ward acquired the estates of Hopewell, White, Van Eden, and another man called Warr, as well as the property Warr had sold to Thomas Knott, under unknown circumstances. When Ward died in 1655, the property went to his wife Mary who then remarried Nathaniel Utie. Mary Utie ceded her Mattapany lands to Lord Baltimore in 1662 who in turn incorporated much of the land into the 1000-acre manor which was then patented to Nicholas Sewall in 1663. A house was constructed on the property ca. 1663/4, just prior to Sewall’s death. His widow, Jane Lowe Sewall, was remarried in 1666 to Charles Calvert, then governor of the colony. It appears that the Calvert’s lived at Mattapany-Sewall Manor until they returned to England in 1684.
Historical references indicate that by 1678 the property appears to have begun to be used as an arsenal and that possibly a fort and garrison serving as the colonial arsenal had been established at the manor. It has been postulated that either the dwelling was also used to store arms or that a separate building was constructed for that purpose (archeology indicates the latter). Calvert’s colonial government was said to have been finally overthrown at that fort during the Protestant Uprising of 1689. One of the last historical references to Mattapany, dated 1695, indicated that the area continued to serve as a storehouse for arms and ammunition. For the next 250 years, the land in and around the site was maintained in agriculture, primarily tobacco production. Mattapany-Sewall Manor was returned to the Sewall family by the fifth Lord Baltimore in 1722. The Sewall family continued to own the property until 1840. They built a large brick dwelling some 228.6 m (250 yards) northwest of the original house built ca. 1663/4. In 1840, the land was purchased by George Forbes then resold to Richard Thomas. The Thomas family retained the property until the early 20th century. NAS acquired the property in 1942.
In compliance with Executive Order 11593, a Phase I/II archeological survey of the NAS was begun during the months of June-September in 1981. The goal of the survey was to produce a preliminary study of the archeological resources of NAS preparatory to launching a longer-term study which will fulfill the requirements of the Executive Order. In addition to archeological fieldwork, historical background research was also conducted. The goals of the 1981 research were to verify the location of various significant sites thought to be located at NAS and to most easily and efficiently examine a sample of the undisturbed portion of the facility.
Site 18ST390 was identified as a potentially significant archeological site during the initial 1981 documentary survey of the NAS property. Approximately 100 shovel test pits (STPs) and nine 1.524 m² test units were excavated at the site. The excavation of a 7.62 m X 1.524 m (25’X5’) trench revealed an approximately 4.87 m (16’) wide section of reddened, hardened, apparently scorched subsoil. This was interpreted as a brick clamp. A larger number of brick fragments were thought to be brick maker’s waste. An associated pit feature was partially excavated and was thought to be a source of clay for the brick-making facility. The possible brick-making operation may have been associated with the construction of the manor house (not yet located in 1981) with its large brick-lined basement and brick foundation.
The historic artifact assemblage indicates a mid- to late-17th century period of occupation. The prehistoric materials that were recovered suggested substantial multicomponent occupations dating from the Early Archaic period through the Late Woodland period. No artifact inventory was provided in the original report. The artifact totals from the 1981 study were combined with those from the subsequent 1982 investigation in Volume III of the later (1983) report which is not available at the Maryland Historic Trust (MHT); however, the artifact inventories from the 1981 and 1982 investigations were detailed in a journal article from 1987 and those totals are provided below.
Further archeological investigation in order to delineate the site’s boundaries was suggested for 18ST390 following the 1981 study. Archeological investigations were undertaken at the site in advance of construction of a hot water pipeline in 1982. At that time, another approximately 300 STPs were dug along a 3.048 m (10’) interval grid and 15 test units were excavated at the site. The goals of the 1982 study were to delineate the site limits for planning purposes and to provide verification of the site’s identification as the Mattapany-Sewall Manor. Excavation revealed that the site area had been repeatedly plowed. The plowzone was between 20.32 and 35.56 cm (8” -14”) in depth. There was an extensive fill layer above the plowzone in places. The fill layer was virtually devoid of artifacts. The artifacts recovered during shovel testing concentrated in a 30.48 m² (100’X100’) area, suggesting that this area was the nucleus of the historic site.
A number of sub-surface features were identified in 1982 including 3 trash-filled pits. One pit was thought to be the remains of a cellar but excavation revealed no structural remains (support post holes or footings) or other evidence that would suggest its use as a cellar. Strata within the pit included 5 layers of burned oyster shell, ash, and carbon below layers of refuse disposal (possibly a borrow pit for the “brick clamp”), below a fill of construction and domestic debris, possibly representing the destruction of a nearby structure. A smaller, shallower pit was adjacent to and partially overlying the apparent borrow pit. The 2 strata of feature fill included structural and domestic debris. The third pit was shallow with a relatively flat bottom and also contained structural and domestic debris. A shallow ditch was located in one test unit and a post hole and mold feature was identified in another test unit. The post hole was identified by a stain that measured 27.94 cm X 30.48 cm (11”X12”) but was not excavated.
A total of 2,286 historic artifacts were collected during the 1981 and 1982 investigations. There were 3 activity items including 1 narrow/hilling hoe blade (c. 1650-1700), 1 draw knife, and 1 hammer. There were 271 architectural items including 20 Dutch yellow brick fragments, 20 red brick fragments, 20 Dutch pantile pieces, 20 mortar fragments, 20 plaster pieces, 20 wrought nails, and 10 iron hinges (all minimum estimates), as well as 155 window glass shards, 5 pieces of window lead, and 1 possible brass handle. There were 8 clothing items including 1 large iron buckle, 6 brass straight pins, and 1 brass buckle tongue. There were 9 furniture items (brass tacks). There were 1,399 kitchen-related items including 37 case bottle glass fragments, 286 dark green colonial bottle glass shards, 20 table glass fragments, 3 pale green pharmaceutical glass pieces, 16 North Devon gravel tempered, 5 North Devon Sgraffito, 8 Surrey/Hampshire earthenware, 9 black-glazed earthenware, 3 red sandy earthenware, 6 Staffordshire manganese earthenware, 2 Staffordshire slipware, 1 Staffordshire brown salt-glazed stoneware, 3 Staffordshire white salt-glazed stoneware, 287 tin-glazed earthenware (154 plain, 49 manganese, 84 blue-white), 50 Dutch earthenware, 20 Rhenish blue & gray salt-glazed stoneware, 29 Rhenish brown salt-glazed stoneware, 23 Merida Micaceous earthenware, 6 Iberian earthenware, 39 Morgan Jones local earthenware, 480 bones (cow, pig, sheep, deer, dog, turkey, & turtle). There were 3 personal items including 1 bone die, 1 copper coin weight, and 1 cast brass candle holder. There were 541 tobacco items including 328 measurable white clay pipe stem fragments, 37 datable white clay pipe bowls and fragments (all c. 1650-1700), 161 non-datable pipe fragments, 14 terra cotta pipe fragments, and 1 copper tobacco box lid. There were 52 arms-related items including 1 octagonal iron lead-filled gun barrel fragment, 38 lead shot, 1 professionally made flint spall, 1 locally made flint spall, 1 strike-a-light, and 10 flint fragments.
A total of 311 prehistoric artifacts were collected during the 1981 and 1982 investigations. This included 276 pieces of quartz, quartzite, and chert debitage, 5 projectile points (1 Palmer corner-notched point, 1 Calvert point, and 3 non-diagnostic point fragments), 5 biface tools and 1 scraper tool. There was 1 groundstone item, a slate gorget with tally marks. There were 24 pottery sherds (5 Potomac Creek sherds, 17 Townsend series sherds, and 2 unidentified sherds). This inventory total varies with the stated prehistoric artifacts mentioned in the original 1981 study report text. These later totals, instead of the earlier ones, are used here because they likely reflect the results of a more detailed artifacts analysis and are in keeping with the source of the historic artifact inventory.
Work was again conducted at the site in 1993, 1994, and 1997 by archeologists from the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. No report of that work is available at MHT; however, a summary of that Phase II work was provided in 2000 as part of the original report on work completed in 1991 and 1995/1996. Test units (1.524 m²) were placed in the area that had been previously investigated, but most were placed in a portion of the site about 91.44 m (100 yards) to the west. Results of the testing indicated that what was previously thought to be a brick clamp was actually the site of the main provincial magazine or armory. The artifacts recovered from the site included a range of late 17th century items and a large number of military artifacts, especially musket balls. It was suggested that the building was the original 1660’s house of Sewall before being converted into an armory. The area west of the magazine proved to be the location of Lord Baltimore’s house (referring to the early 18th century dwelling?). Two 60.96 cm wide brick foundations were uncovered. The building represented by the foundations would have measured 7.62 m X 15.84 m (25’X52’). The structure had a full cellar, paved in part with red earthenware tiles. An outbuilding with a brick-floored cellar was identified to the south of the main house. There was evidence that a palisade fence connected the 2 structures. Artifacts recovered from the excavations indicated that the dwelling was occupied roughly from the 1660’s to the 1740’s after which time it was abandoned.
Phase I/II investigations at 18ST390 were conducted in 1991 and 1995/1996 as part of work to identify and inventory all archeological sites within the project boundary (inclusive of 18ST390) in accordance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended. The goals were to identify any archeological sites within the project area and to design a program to reveal cultural resources of the lowest visibility for both prehistoric and historic sites. A total of 258 STPs were dug at 15.24 m (50’) intervals on the site in 1991 and 1995/1996. Artifacts recovered from the STPs confirmed a late 17th to early-mid 18th century occupation. The artifacts were most densely concentrated about 30.48 m to 60.96 m west of the dwelling. The distribution indicated that the yard around the house was kept relatively clean (for the time). Based on the results of the 1991 and 1995/1996 investigations, the site boundaries were expanded.
A total of 1,174 historic period artifacts were recovered during the 1991 and 1995/1996 investigations. There were 65 activity items (terra cotta flower pot fragments). There were 993 architectural items (898 brick fragments, 2 wrought nails, 3 cut nails, 1 wire nail, 16 unidentified nails, 39 mortar fragments, 2 daub fragments, 13 pantile pieces, 11 window glass shards, 4 unidentified flat glass pieces (probably window glass), 1 cinder block piece, 1 iron staple fragment, 1 spike, and 1 iron nut bolt). There were 53 kitchen-related items (16 fragments of bottle glass, 1 piece of table glass, 3 North Devon gravel-tempered, 2 refined earthenware, 2 coarse earthenware, 1 Rhenish blue and gray, 2 white salt-glazed stoneware, 7 lead-glazed earthenware, 5 tin-glazed earthenware, 2 Staffordshire slipware, 1 buff-bodied earthenware, 1 Albany slipped, 1 Manganese Mottled, 2 pearlware, 1 creamware, 3 whiteware, and 1 unidentified ceramic sherd, 1 glass Mason jar lid liner fragment, and 1 bottle cap liner). There were 59 miscellaneous items (2 unidentified glass pieces, 3 unidentified iron fragments, 1 unidentified lead piece, 8 pieces of coal, 11 pieces of slag, 4 pieces of charcoal, 11 cinder fragments, 3 unidentified rubber tube fragments, 10 fragments of burnt rubber, 5 pieces of asphalt, and 1 unidentified miscellaneous object. There were 3 tobacco items (1 white clay pipe stem fragment and 2 white clay bowl fragments). There was 1 arms-related item (a European gunflint flake).
A total of 76 prehistoric period artifacts were recovered during the 1991 and 1995/1996 investigations. There were 59 pieces of debitage and 1 core. There were 2 biface fragments. There were 8 fire-cracked rocks. Quartz was the predominate raw material in the lithic assemblage followed by quartzite, with small amounts of chert and 1 rhyolite flake. There were 6 ceramic sherds (1 sand-tempered, 2 quartz-tempered, 1 shell and grit-tempered, and 2 Townsend series).
A total of 16 oyster shell fragments were collected during the 1991 and 1995/1996 investigations. However, because they could not be clearly assigned to the historic or prehistoric components at the site, they are not included in the counts in the table above.
The significance of the Mattapany-Sewall Site (18ST390) has been determined and it was listed on the national Register of Historic Places in 1985. The site represents one of the earliest historic occupations in St. Mary’s County and was the home of Charles Calvert, third Lord of Baltimore. It played an important role in the political history of the young Maryland colony. In addition to the historic component, there is a modest prehistoric component that is representative of, particularly, the Late Woodland period. It is recommended that the Navy should try to avoid any future disturbances within the site boundaries.
|
