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 […]
Come Help us Rebuild Fairfield, One Brick at a Time
One of the most frequent questions we hear about our research at Fairfield Plantation is “Are you going to rebuild the house?” This is an excellent question, and one that has us dreaming of the day that this magnificent brick manor house might stand yet again as a testament to both the Burwell family and […]
Genevieve’s Adventures in the Courthouse Archives
The following is a guest blog written by Fairfield Foundation intern and volunteer Genevieve Brei, detailing her adventures exploring some of Gloucester’s written records. As soon as I touched the Gloucester County Courthouse Minute Books, I knew that I was hooked. Fellow bibliophiles will confirm that there is nothing quite like handling old manuscripts, feeling […]
Rotten Eggs and Other Mischief: Halloween Traditions on Gloucester’s Main Street
The following is the third installment in a series of blog posts focused on the oral history project directed by University of Florida graduate student Jessica Taylor, aimed at recording oral histories about the Edge Hill Service Station and Gloucester’s Main Street community. Prior to conducting the interviews, Jessica outlined for us the importance of oral history. […]
