Archaeologists are always finding remarkable features that provide new insight into the colonial world. One type of feature that shows up with some regularity, yet receives very little attention, is the lowly drain. Serving a strictly utilitarian, though very useful, purpose and intentionally buried upon completion, drains are rarely remembered and generally forgotten. On many […]
Fairfield’s History Mysteries: the elusive early cellar
Fairfield Plantation has no ghost stories (that we know of…), but we have plenty of mysteries. How was the west wing lost in 1839? Why was there a chicken tied to the front porch in 1897? Who relic hunted the top of the well adjacent the house in the mid-1980s? The most intriguing mystery? Where […]
My First Field Week Experience with Fairfield: Evelyn Ayala
The following is a guest blog written by Fairfield Foundation volunteer and Adventures in Preservation workshop participant Evelyn Ayala, detailing her adventures during her first week of archaeological excavation and preservation work. With the help of Adventures in Preservation, I spent a five-day week excavating and learning with the Fairfield Foundation. I’ll admit I was […]
Another Fairfield Adventure In Preservation!
When people first think about the Fairfield Foundation, they typically think about our archaeology programs, our public outreach, or perhaps our future home: the Center for Archaeology, Preservation and Education (CAPE). But there is something else you should know about us. We love architectural history, too! We love old gas stations (obviously), old houses, and […]
Go Out And Do: studying history beyond the documents
Just Do It: Reflections from Libby Cook. In this latest guest blog, Libby reflects on the powerful influences archaeology, material culture, and other fields and trades have on her study of history. Earlier this week, I participated in a reading group with the author of the book in attendance. That night’s reading selection dealt with […]
AiP Workshop Builds a Better Future for Fairfield’s Foundations
Our third year of working with Adventures in Preservation brought about our most successful workshop yet! The mix of archaeology, architecture, and architectural conservation resulted in new discoveries, new friends, and a new model for our work preserving the Fairfield manor house. Over five fast days (and a half day behind the scenes tour of Colonial Williamsburg), […]
Bricks and Mortar: Using archaeology and preservation to save the past
Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter and Chocolate. These are undeniably two great things that go great together. The same should be true of archaeology and architectural conservation. Excavations frequently uncover the material remains of long lost buildings and landscape features, while these same architectural elements often inform our understanding of the past through their […]
