Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18WA20 Fort Frederick
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
Fort Frederick is a stone-walled fortification built between 1756 and 1758 during the French and Indian War. The fort also served as a prison camp during the American Revolution and was briefly occupied in 1861 during the Civil War. The fort is situated near the town of Big Pool in Washington County, Maryland. While prehistoric artifacts have been recovered from the fort, the focus of most archeological work has been the historic component of the fort.
The fort has been the subject of numerous field investigations dating back to the early 1930s, when the first preparations were made to turn the fort into a tourist destination and historic landmark. Today it is a State Park with an interpretive center and numerous reconstructed 18th century buildings and features.
The earliest work performed at the site was under the auspices of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the United States, a Depression Era relief agency, which had a hand in construction projects at numerous state parks, conservation areas, and historic sites. The work at Fort Frederick involved restoration of the Fort Walls and Barracks, but prior to the onset of construction work, CCC district officers made an effort at archeological data recovery. The work performed (and particularly the reporting of it) was inadequate, but typical of the era in which it was undertaken. While evidence of the CCC trenches has been subsequently encountered through the site, little can be said about the excavation strategy or provenience of the objects that were recovered during these early excavations. A narrative report by the project coordinator relates that architectural items (glass, wrought iron nails, other nails, and glazed colonial brick) and “numerous other items” were scattered throughout the site. The only clothing remains mentioned are “numerous” metal buttons. Kitchen items consisted of antique fragments of “china”, a pewter spoon made in London, and “old forks”. Two coins (one from 1723 and one from 1756) are the only personal items mentioned. The collection of arms included “numerous” gunflints and a “great quantity” of musket balls. In addition, several prehistoric projectile points were found throughout the site. The disposition of much of this collection is unknown.
In 1970, Tyler Bastian, then State Archeologist of Maryland, proposed a general program for ongoing archeological research at Fort Frederick. This program was implemented to help ensure that archeological and historic resources were protected during construction projects and that reconstructed interpretive features would be an accurate reflection of all known archeological and historical facts.
As a result of Bastian’s work, in concert with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the program of archeological research was implemented over several years, hand-in-hand with reconstruction and interpretation efforts. The first major project undertaken was an investigation of the southwest and northeast bastions during the Fall of 1973 by William Liesenbein. Fieldwork involved the hand excavation of several square test units and small trenches (of various sizes) within the two bastions, coupled with mechanical excavation of the topsoil followed by hand trowelling in several large backhoe cuts.
The purpose of the work was to locate, if possible, any evidence relating to the presence of a mid 18th century powder magazine thought to have been located within one of the fort bastions. The project also sought to determine how the magazine or magazines were constructed if found and to discover any other 1756-1758 period construction details of the two bastions. In the southwest bastion, Liesenbein identified four major trash deposits dating to ca. 1756-1770. These deposits indicate that the bastion was not earth-filled and seemed to be compatible with the presence of an early structure such as a powder magazine. There were also deposits in both bastions dating from ca. 1756-1934, including a large pit-like disturbance in the southwest bastion and a brick feature in the northeast bastion with a gravel path leading to it. Again, both features seem compatible with a powder magazine, but on their own are not definitive evidence of such. The other major feature group encountered in 1973 was a number of post-1770 trenches, the remains of the CCC fieldwork.
Liesenbein’s excavation work in the southwest bastion recovered the following artifacts. Ten activity items were encountered, including a piece of barbed wire, 4 clay pigeon fragments, and 5 pieces of charcoal. There were 456 architectural objects most of which were pieces of brick and mortar (239) or nails (105). In the former group there were 134 pieces of unglazed brick, 48 pieces of glazed brick, and 3 bits of unspecified brick, and 54 fragments of mortar. In the latter group there were 10 handwrought iron nails, 57 rosehead nails, 5 T headed nails, 27 squared iron nails, 2 machine cut nails, and 4 wire nails. The other architectural items encountered in the southwest bastion were 13 pieces of architectural stone (some with mortar attached), 1 piece of plate window glass, 97 pieces of shale/slate, and a piece of charred wood. The only clothing items recovered were buttons (1 bone, 1 metal). The kitchen assemblage was quite large, consisting of 652 items total, most of which was animal bone (526 uncooked bone fragments and 39 cooked bone fragments. Fourteen of the uncooked bones bear evidence of butchering. Seventy-three ceramic sherds are part of the kitchen assemblage. The ceramics included 34 Delftware sherds, 1 piece of creamware, 1 sherd of unidentified refined earthenware, 7 fragments of Chinese export porcelain, 1 other piece of porcelain, 15 sherds of redware, and 14 pieces of stoneware. Of the stoneware sherds, 9 were white salt-glazed sherds, 1 was a domestic grey stoneware sherd, 1 is Westerwald, and 3 are miscellaneous stoneware sherds. Fourteen bottle fragments were also excavated (1 late 18th/early 19th c., 3 18th/early 19th c., and 3 19th/20th c.). Two personal items, a glass jewel and an 18th century pocketknife, and 26 tobacco-related items (bowls, stems, and mouthpieces) were excavated. The only arms items recovered were 2 French gunflints, 2 musket balls, and 1 iron firearm part. Finally, a few miscellaneous items were encountered, including 8 pieces of unidentified glass, 7 fragments of unidentified metal, 1 piece of slag, 3 straight pins, 3 lumps of lead, and 2 pieces of fossilized sponge.
Liesenbein’s excavation work in the northeast bastion recovered the following artifacts. Thirty-three activity items were encountered, including 15 clay pigeon fragments, 17 pieces of charcoal, and 1 iron glazier’s point. There were 378 architectural objects most of which were pieces of brick and mortar (272) or nails (75). In the former group there were 157 pieces of unglazed brick, 16 pieces of glazed brick, and 11 bits of unspecified brick, and 88 fragments of mortar or plaster. In the latter group there were 24 hand wrought iron nails, 23 rosehead nails, 4 T headed nails, 1 L headed nail, 8 squared iron nails, 8 machine cut nails, and 7 wire nails. The other architectural items encountered in the northeast bastion were 12 pieces of architectural stone (some with mortar attached), 3 pieces of plate window glass, 9 pieces of shale/slate, a machine-cut iron spike, 5 pieces of wood, and a hinge. Clothing items consisted of 2 buttons (1 metal and 1 bone) and 2 metal buckles. The kitchen assemblage from the northeast bastion was much smaller compared to the southwest bastion assemblage, consisting of 127 items total. Forty-seven pieces of uncooked and 9 pieces of cooked animal bone were encountered. Fifty-eight ceramic sherds are part of the kitchen assemblage. The ceramics included 8 Delftware sherds, 3 pieces of creamware, 1 sherd of unidentified refined earthenware, 1 fragment of Chinese export porcelain, 34 sherds of redware, and 11 pieces of stoneware. Of the stoneware sherds, 3 were white salt-glazed sherds, 2 are Westerwald, and 6 are miscellaneous stoneware sherds. Thirteen bottle fragments were also excavated (1 late 18th/early 19th c., 5 18th/early 19th c.). Three tobacco related items (1 stem and 2 bowls) and 3 arms-related items (1 reproduction musket ball, 1 firearm ramrod, and 1 18th/19th century bayonet) were recovered. And finally, 42 miscellaneous objects were excavated. Twenty-four were unidentified glass, 16 unidentified metal, 1 piece of stone w/ a fossil, and a piece of chert of uncertain age.
In 1974 Strandberg conducted a photoarcheological study of Fort Frederick as part of research leading to additional restoration of the fort. Strandberg obtained vertical color infrared aerial photography for the entire park. The photos picked up traces of CCC tent camps, old fence lines, undocumented buildings and features within the walls of the fort, 2 Indian fish weirs in the nearby waterways, and 3 possible Native American villages. No confirmation of these structures has been made.
In 1974 and 1975 Israel conducted archeological investigations of the east and west enlisted barracks. His research provided crucial information for the accurate reconstruction and interpretation of the barracks. Three trenches were opened by hand, across the width of the west barrack. Each trench extended 9.144 meters (30 feet) in length and 1.524 meters (5 feet) in width, but later were enlarged. Two backhoe trenches were dug along a north-south axis, one extending 44.196 meters (145 feet) through the east barrack and the other 43 meters (141 feet) through the west barrack. In addition, five more trenches were opened on the parade ground side of the west barrack area and four more in the east barrack. The backhoe trenches extended down to the undisturbed beige-tan sandy clay. Israel identified fill within the foundations from the CCC work and also the shallow remnants of an 18th century occupational lens within the parade ground and curtain walls of the west barrack. Evidence for the original builder’s trench and a possible root cellar were noted in the west barrack. Within the east barrack he identified a refuse pit with 18th century artifacts and a concentration of rocks and refuse. Quantities of artifacts recovered are provided below, divided into east and west barracks areas. Israel also monitored the digging of footer trenches for the new barracks reconstructions and electrical lines to support them. The items recovered during this monitoring are generally included in the counts below except for the objects encountered in digging the west barracks footers. Several 18th century pit features were encountered during the monitoring of that area, but artifact quantities are not enumerated.
During Israel’s controlled excavations and monitoring activities in the west barracks, the following objects were recovered. Thirteen activity items were recovered, including a pitted glass marble, a brass mouth harp, a brass saddle tack, 9 miscellaneous pieces of iron hardware, and a brass rope tent slide. The architectural assemblage consisted of 482 items (mostly nails). Fifty of the nails were wire nails, and 374 were iron square nails. Fifty-six of the architectural objects were brick and mortar fragments, and 2 of the items were hinge parts. Most of the clothing excavated was buttons. Five of the buttons were cloth-covered, 3 were brass, and 1 is pewter. A bone button was also found, but along with it were 15 bone “blanks” from which additional buttons had been pressed out. There were 433 kitchen objects in the west barracks region, much of it animal bone (237). Eighty-four of the kitchen objects were ceramics including 20 Delftware sherds, 20 pieces of refined earthenware, 1 sherd of pearlware, 1 of queensware, 3 sherds of early porcelain, 31 white salt-glazed stoneware, 4 miscellaneous stoneware sherds, and 2 ironstone pieces. Other kitchen items were a jar or lid fragment, 108 bottle fragments, 2 vial fragments, and a 2-pronged fork. The personal objects excavated in the west barracks were a bone comb, a bone brush and a 1723 half-penny. Tobacco-related objects included 9 kaolin pipe bowl and stem fragments. Sixteen arms-related objects were uncovered; 14 musket balls, 1 piece of lead grape shot, 1 iron cannonball, 2 lead strips (for forming musket balls), 1 ramrod guide, a brass butt plate, 2 knife fragments, three .22 caliber cartridge shells, and a 12 gauge shotgun shell. And finally, 41 miscellaneous items were recovered including 15 unidentifiable glass fragments, 19 iron fragments, 3 pieces of slag, 1 straight pin, a steel strap, part of a cultivator plow blade, and 1 fragment of brass.
The electrical lines to support the reconstructed barracks extended outside the fort walls. Israel also monitored the digging of the electrical line trench outside the walls. He reported the presence of 2 iron water pipes, 1 flat iron plow blade, 2 iron fragments, 1 clear glass fragment, 1 bone fragment, and 1 twisted iron rod.
A number of objects were recovered from the east barracks as well. Only three of these items were classified as activity objects; 3 pieces of iron wire. One-hundred and sixty-seven architectural items were excavated, the majority of which were fragments of brick. One-hundred brick fragments and 1 piece of mortar were recovered. There were also 2 wire nails, 63 squared iron nails, and 1 hinge fragment uncovered. Twenty-eight clothing objects were excavated, all but one of which were bone “blanks” for buttons. The remaining piece of clothing was a shoe buckle. There were 176 items in the kitchen assemblage, 134 of which were animal bones. The kitchen ceramics consisted of 2 Delftware sherds, 1 Jackfield sherd, 11 fragments of other earthenwares, 10 sherds of white salt-glazed stoneware, and 4 miscellaneous stoneware sherds. One piece of table glass, 12 bottle fragments, and 1 vial fragment complete the kitchen assemblage. The only personal item recovered was modern, a 1940s penny. Three tobacco-related objects (kaolin pipe bowls and stems) and 2 arms objects (1 lead strip and 1 escutcheon plate) were encountered. The only other items found were 2 unidentified glass fragments and 2 iron scraps.
In 1977, John Milner Associates conducted archeological investigations within the southwest bastion and in areas surrounding the fort. The project was undertaken to help with interpretive accuracy at the State Park with the goals of determining the historic activities that took place in the bastion, whether or not a powder magazine was present in the bastion, whether or not a parapet was present, and whether or not any fortifications were placed exterior to the fort near the bastion. Another major goal of the project was to establish a uniform grid system for all subsequent work at the site. Previous investigators had created a patchwork of very different surveying systems aligned rather randomly throughout the site and with different datums. The JMA survey established a permanent site datum and laid out a typical N0E0 grid system with 3.048 meter (10 foot) square units. The main north south transect of the grid was laid out relative to the interior of the north curtain wall. Eighteen excavation units of various sizes (but still oriented according to the new grid system) were opened up within the southwest bastion and 7 backhoe trenches (also properly aligned) were excavated outside the fort walls. The trenches were 0.9144 meters (3 feet) wide and varied considerably in length. JMA did not find evidence of specific activities or structures within the southwest bastion and it appears that it was primarily an area for kitchen refuse disposal, not a powder magazine. No evidence of a parapet or any external fortifications were encountered.
With the exception of one small 18th century occupational deposit from an exterior backhoe trench (identified as layer 6), only the artifacts recovered from within the southwest bastion could be safely attributed to an undisturbed provenience. Only these objects are enumerated below (and included in the overall site tallies above). There were only three activity items uncovered during the JMA excavations; 1 storage item and 2 mouth harps. Two hundred and eighty-eight architectural items, all but ten of which were hand wrought iron nails, were recovered. Six pieces of plate window glass, 2 machine-cut iron spikes, and 3 pieces of construction hardware were excavated. There were 20 clothing objects encountered; 16 metal buttons and 4 shoe buckles. There were 3578 kitchen objects uncovered, most of which were animal bones (3360). A detailed faunal study of the 2424 animal bones uncovered in the southwest bastion (those in layer 6 apparently not included) revealed the presence of 531 domestic cow bones (MNI 20), 37 bison or cow bones, 4 domestic sheep bones, 1 goat bone, 7 sheep or goat bones, 5 white-tailed deer bones, 2 bovid/cervid bones, 5 artiodactyl bone, 1 deer/pig bone, 310 domestic pig bones (MNI 24), 1 small carnivore bone, 2 fox squirrel bones, 2 gray squirrel bones, 2 squirrel bones, 3 turkey bones, 1 Canada goose bone, 1 medium-sized bird bone, 1 bird bone, 1 large fish bone, 1423 large mammal bones, 2 small mammal bones, 1 small mammal or bird bone, and 79 unidentified bones. The kitchen ceramics consisted of 155 sherds. Thirty-three were of Delftware, 8 were Chinese export porcelain, 16 were white salt-glazed stoneware, 3 were British brown stonewares, 1 is Westerwald stoneware, and 10 are sherds of redware. The only other kitchen items recovered were glass, 3 of which are table glass and 144 were bottle fragments. Two personal objects, both coins were excavated. They are English/Irish coins. One dates to 1728 and the other dates to 1732. Fifty-two clay tobacco pipe parts (mostly stems) and 8 arms objects were excavated. The arms objects consisted of 3 musket balls, 4 gunflints, and 1 firearm part.
The most recent course of fieldwork at Fort Frederick was conducted by Greenhorn and O’Mara in 1999 and 2000. Excavations were carried out throughout the fort and in two stages. The primary objective of Stage I was to determine the stratigraphic integrity of deposits within the fort in order to evaluate where to focus the Stage II investigations. Further investigations were then carried out during Stage II with the objective of determining how the fort was designed for defense, the location of the powder magazine, and the appearance and function of the Officers’ Quarters. The Greenhorn and O’Mara study made use of the JMA established grid. Test units were generally laid out in 3.048 X 3.048 meter (10 X 10 ft) or 1.524 X 1.524 meter (5 X 5 ft) squares. Balks were left between units that resulted in 2.4384 X 2.4384 meter (8 X 8 ft) or 1.2192 X 1.2192 (4 X 4 ft) actual excavation areas. In order to follow features more efficiently, odd sized units were occasionally used. During the field investigations 69 test units (approximately 14,021 square meters) were excavated and 216 features identified. The smaller test units were generally part of the Stage I work, while the larger units were opened up during Stage II.
The following items were recovered throughout the site during the 1999/2000 fieldwork. A total of 1252 activity items were excavated, most of which (958) are simply reported as non-hardware items. In contrast, 220 of these activity items were pieces of hardware. Sixty-nine ethnobotanical objects were uncovered, the apparent remnants of fire pits. Three stable-related objects and 2 mouth harps complete the list of activity items. The architectural remains included 1256 fragments of brick, 1023 pieces of mortar, 120 pieces of roofing slate, 1 fragment of plaster, 10 architectural stones, 111 shards of plate window glass, 426 wrought iron nails, 275 wire nails, 87 cut nails, 1408 unidentifiable nails, and 2 miscellaneous architectural objects. There was a total of 124 clothing items encountered. Twenty-four objects of leather may have been components of a shoe(s). One glass bead, a copper alloy straight pin, copper alloy cuff links, and 9 metal buckles were also recovered. The remaining clothing objects were buttons (67) or bone button blanks (21). Among the buttons were 3 made of bone, 1 made of shell, 51 made of copper alloys, 7 of glass, 1 made from lead, 1 of iron, and 3 made of uncertain materials. The kitchen assemblage is quite large, consisting of a total of 8355 items, including a large faunal collection of 5855 items. This faunal collection has not, apparently, been examined in detail. The Greenhorne and O’Mara report indicates that 5733 animal bones were recovered, along with 10 pieces of horn or antler, 109 pieces of eggshell, and 3 marine shells. The kitchen ceramics included 1 borderware sherd, 1 Astbury sherd, 4 Whieldon sherds, 1 sherd of North Devon Gravel-less pottery, 1 Jackfield, 16 slipware, 331 tin-glazed earthenware sherds, 24 creamware sherds, 15 pearlware sherds, and 1 refined earthenware sherd. Ninety-six porcelain sherds, 4 ironstone sherds, 207 white salt-glazed sherds, 28 sherds of Rhenish stoneware, 11 of English Brown stoneware, 16 gray paste and 7 brown paste stoneware sherds, 5 buff paste stonewares, 447 redware sherds, 2 course earthenwares, and 5 unidentified ceramic sherds. Most of the remaining kitchen objects are fragments of glass; 895 bottle fragments, 38 case bottle pieces, 317 unidentified kitchen glass fragments, 12 pieces of table glass, 3 pharmaceutical bottles, 3 wine glass fragments, 2 pieces of wine bottle, and 1 glass stopper. Part of a bowl, a jar lid part, a bone utensil handle, a knife blade, and a two-tined fork fragment were also found. Seven furniture items were recovered, including 6 pieces of furniture hardware and 1 lighting furniture part. Three historic coins, 2 pocketknives, and 1 compass or snuffbox parts were the only personal items excavated. A number of tobacco-related items were encountered, including 69 kaolin pipe bowls and 69 kaolin pipe stems. The collection of arms objects included 20 musket balls, 16 pieces of lead shot, 1 lead sprue, 2 cannonballs, 22 gunflints, 1 re-enactment gunflint, 1 iron musket part, a bayonet scabbard clip, and a silver sword scabbard part. A total of 204 prehistoric items were excavated throughout the site. Lithic debitage (195) was the most common prehistoric artifact form, but 2 projectile points, 2 unifaces, 2 cores, 1 biface, 1 scraper, and 1 drill were also found. And finally, a total of 349 modern objects (20th century or later) were excavated in the test units throughout the site.
In addition to all of the archeological work outlined here, a vast amount of historical archival investigation of the fort has been undertaken, often as background for excavation. Much of this is summarized in the Greenhorne and O’Mara 1999/2000 report and copies of many of the original source documents are provided in the extensive report appendices.
The extensive archeological work performed at Fort Frederick has revealed information that has aided in accurate reconstruction and interpretation of the fort for the general public. Of particular importance has been the excavation of the east and west barracks footprints (Israel’s work) which have now been reconstructed. A number of projects have attempted to ascertain the presence of unrecognized defensive works both inside and outside the fort, near the curtain walls and bastions. The archeological evidence suggests that curtain walls and the bastions were defended in different manners. The data suggests the possibility that catwalks ran along the curtain walls, while bastions may have contained earthen ramparts or firing platforms. No defensive works have been found outside the fort. Liesenbein’s work, the excavations by JMA, and the Greenhorne and O’Mara study have all attempted to locate the presence of the fort’s powder magazine (focusing primarily on the bastions). Definitive historical and archeological evidence of a powder magazine, however, has not been recovered. A brick feature in the northeast bastion and slate walkways adjacent to it provide some circumstantial evidence that the magazine may have been located there. The northeast bastion is also the most elevated, which makes sense militarily if it housed the powder magazine. Limited research has been performed in the area of the Officers’ Quarters (primarily by Greenhorne and O’Mara and the CCC). Unfortunately, the poorly controlled CCC work appears to have fully excavated the interior and backfilled with a reddish clay fill with cobbles. No intact historic deposits remain and, thus, archival research remains as the only venue for further investigation of the Officer’s Quarters.
Fort Frederick is clearly a valuable historic and archeological resource and one which will likely be the subject of ongoing inquiry for some time to come.
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