The Fairfield Foundation

  • Home
  • The Blog
    • Education
    • Archaeology
    • Preservation
    • 3D Model
    • Events
    • Drone
    • All Categories
  • Get Involved
    • Membership & Donations
    • Archaeology and Preservation Workshops
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Internships and Fellowships
    • Fairfield Archaeology Summer Camp 2023
  • Archaeology
    • Fairfield Plantation Virtual Museum
  • Preservation
  • Education
    • Fairfield Plantation Virtual Museum
  • Visit Us
    • The Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education (C.A.P.E.)
    • Fairfield Archaeology Park
    • Rosewell Ruins and Visitor Center
    • Timberneck
    • Walter Reed Birthplace
You are here: Home / Archaeology / Archaeology at Timberneck House

December 1, 2021 By Fairfield Foundation

Archaeology at Timberneck House

If you’ve had a chance to visit the new Machicomoco State Park, then you’ve likely seen the historic Timberneck house near the Interpretive Area. Timberneck was built c. 1793 for the Catlett family, who owned and lived on the property until the early 2000s. Previously the land had been home to the Mann and Page families who had an earlier house nearby, and there is also evidence of a Native American occupation which predates the Mann, Page, or Catlett families’ presence. While we have dedicated volunteers working to restore the house itself, we are also exploring the landscape around the house through archaeology!

Staff and volunteers excavating around the house in early 2020.

We began with a shovel test survey that expanded on our previous work at the current Interpretive Area. The earliest artifacts relate to the Native American occupation of the peninsula, including lithic flakes and pottery sherds. The survey may have also found evidence of the Mann-Page house which predated the Timberneck house, in the form of imported ceramics such as white salt-glazed stoneware and North Midlands slipware. There is also ample evidence of activities related to the extant c.1793 Timberneck house, including ceramics, nails, faunal remains, and other artifacts. These are scattered widely to the north and east of the house, which could speak to workspaces and outbuildings (such as slave quarters) associated with a bustling 19th-century plantation. Finally, a late 19th- and early 20th-century artifact concentration was identified in the vicinity of the kitchen, likely created by disposing items from food preparation and dining activities.


Map showing the locations of shovel test pits (STPs) around the Timberneck house, excavated every 25 feet across the property.

Many of the shovel tests identified unusual stratigraphy or deep deposits, so larger test units were excavated to better understand the cultural layers/features. In the test units, features such as a possible building sill, postholes from building supports or fencelines, and brick rubble were identified. Several units were also excavated to investigate the kitchen midden identified in the STP survey. These units produced high quantities of ceramics, bottle glass, animal bone, oyster and clam shell, and many personal objects such as a part of a glass car (either a figurine or possibly a candy jar). These midden excavations are ongoing as we prepare for the installation of new infrastructure around the house, including an access road and parking area.

Test unit excavations from around the Timberneck House have revealed intriguing features and hundreds of artifacts including a possible building sill (top), a concentration of ceramics (center), and an early 20th-century glass car (bottom).

Finally, we excavated five test units around the foundations of the Timberneck house to better understand how the building itself evolved over time. One test unit found evidence of a possible porch on the north side of the house, further evidence of an original side passage layout that was popular in Federal-style houses of this period. Though the doorway was removed long ago, architectural and archaeological clues allow us to chart how the building changes. Another test unit investigated a closet addition on the east side of the building built in the second half of the 19th century. Surprisingly, substantial repair work to the foundation removed any evidence below grade of the original break in the foundation.


Test unit along the foundation, showing the two possible postholes or brick piers, potentially for a small porch on the north elevation.

Image of the foundation with the closet addition; note the break in the foundation above ground surface, but the lack of break below ground surface.

Excavations help us understand how the landscape changed over the last few thousand years, which we can then interpret to park visitors and share with the general public. However, like most archaeology, these excavations raised more questions than they answered. If you’re interested in archaeology or historic preservation opportunities at Timberneck, contact us using the information at the bottom of this page or check us out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for more updates!


Filed Under: Archaeology, Education, History, Preservation Tagged With: 18th Century, archaeology, Artifacts, Catlett, Machicomoco State Park, Page, Preservation, Restoration, Timberneck

Trackbacks

  1. Restoring the Timberneck House says:
    May 5, 2022 at 11:53 am

    […] Catlett family and their acquaintances, who shared stories about the property, and undertaking an archaeological survey and testing program around the house to help inform our research and restoration […]

Get on the list!

Sign up to receive email updates and to hear what's going on with us!

Upcoming Events

Oct
3
Tue
6:00 pm Volunteer Lab Night @ CAPE
Volunteer Lab Night @ CAPE
Oct 3 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Volunteer Lab Nights have returned to the CAPE! Join us from 6-9 pm on the first and third Tuesdays of each month to help wash artifacts, learn about archaeology, and more! Free and open to[...]
Oct
4
Wed
11:00 am CAPE Artifact Wash Day @ CAPE
CAPE Artifact Wash Day @ CAPE
Oct 4 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
CAPE artifact wash days are returning and open to the public! In an extension of our popular volunteer lab nights, we will now host a variety of artifact wash days at the CAPE. Any volunteers[...]
Oct
7
Sat
5:00 pm Historic House Party at Rosewell @ Rosewell
Historic House Party at Rosewell @ Rosewell
Oct 7 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
We are very excited to invite you to our 2023 Historic House Party at Rosewell in Gloucester County. This fundraising event will feature delicious food (catered by Shelly Williams), an open bar, a dramatic landscape,[...]
View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Blog Categories

  • 3D model (6)
  • Archaeology (98)
  • drone (6)
  • Education (102)
  • Events (44)
  • History (17)
  • Preservation (108)
  • Uncategorized (3)

From the blog

  • Archaeology Camp Year Two: The Rain Strikes Back September 26, 2023
  • Racing the Tides: Fellowship Update from Sean Restivo August 9, 2023
  • Apotropaic Symbols at Timberneck July 5, 2023
  • Lives from the Catlett Family Cemetery at Timberneck: Hettie Catlett (November 5, 1852-March 31, 1875) April 28, 2023
  • The Plant-Cutter Riots and Fairfield Plantation March 9, 2023

Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education (CAPE)

Opening Hours:

Grounds are always open to the public to view the building exterior and signage. The CAPE is open for tours on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at other times by appointment. Lab nights at the CAPE are on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6-9pm.
6783 Main Street
Gloucester, VA 23061

News From the Blog

  • Archaeology Camp Year Two: The Rain Strikes Back September 26, 2023
  • Racing the Tides: Fellowship Update from Sean Restivo August 9, 2023
  • Apotropaic Symbols at Timberneck July 5, 2023

Looking for Something?

Contact Us

For more information about Fairfield and other historic resources on the Middle Peninsula or to arrange presentations on a variety of topics related to local history and archaeology, please contact us. We open the Fairfield Archaeology Park, Rosewell Ruins, Walter Reed Birthplace, and Timbereck House to the public. Check out the calendar or contact us for more info.

The Fairfield Foundation
P.O. Box 157 White Marsh VA 23183
Phone:
(804) 815-4467
Email:
[email protected]
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright Fairfield Foundation © 2023 | Log in