Blog post written by Katie Brauckmann, staff archaeologist, Fairfield Foundation. In 2018 , I wrote this blog about our ongoing work at the Hall Site (44MT0173) in Mathews County. Three years later, I’m back again to give an update now that our work in the field and the lab has concluded! Ashley McCuistion excavates the […]
The Hall Site: A “Hallmark” of Mathews County
Guest Blog author Katie Brauckmann has worked with the Fairfield Foundation/DATA Investigations for three years, first as a volunteer and intern, and now as a part-time employee. Katie is a sophomore anthropology major at James Madison University. The Hall Site (44MT0173) is a predominately 18th-century site located in Mathews County, Virginia. Conrad Hall, former President […]
Mobjack: Starfish, Pickled Herring and Hidden Stories of Mathews County
One of the best parts of our work is the idea that you can discover something new and exciting every day. Most of you see this excitement from our archaeological excavations, and if you visit our facebook page you can see how frequent these discoveries occur. But there are other discoveries to be had, ranging from fascinating oral […]
Discovering history at Mathews Market Days
The Fairfield Foundation hosted a very successful public outreach excavation during Mathews County’s annual Market Days festival in September. More than 40 eager kids and adults helped us excavate four 5′ square units in two days. These units helped investigate the site of a former hotel located along Main Street, providing more clues about how this area was […]
Finding a 17th-century farmstead in Mathews County
The 17th century was a dynamic time in Virginia history. The arrival of English settlers at Jamestown in 1607 initiated a massive transformation of the landscape, both natural and cultural. The constant influx of European immigrants from the 1620s onwards resulted in large amounts of land opened for settlement. As the colonists pushed the local Virginia Indian tribes out […]
Locating North End Plantation
For several years the Fairfield Foundation and the Middle Peninsula Chapter of the Archeological Society of Virginia (MPCASV) have been slowly compiling research and initiating archaeology on one of the largest historic plantations in Mathews County. An advertisement for the property in 1830 states that it was “deemed unnecessary to describe this well known estate, […]
Archaeology in Mathews County: What do we know? Where do we go from here?
“You can’t set foot in Mathews County without tripping over a piece of history.” Many of you have heard this before, and you’d be hard pressed to argue against the sentiment. Mathews County, along with Gloucester, Middlesex, and perhaps the majority of the Old Dominion is so infused with history that it is an important part of how […]
Mathews County Oral History and Folklore: Old House Woods and More!
This week for the first time, University of Florida students, along with Fairfield intern alum Jessica Taylor, will record oral histories and folklore in Mathews and Middlesex Counties. Nine undergraduates, two graduate students, and one senior research staffer are all extremely excited to fall in love with Virginia history. If you see them, say “Hi”! […]
The Architecture of Mathews County: An Undiscovered Country
Few people who don’t live along the creeks or beneath the shaded canopy of Mathews County know its historic architecture. Like many who reside in this wonderfully out-of-the-way community, the building afficionados of this region relish its architectural gems, and appreciate the sometimes eclectic combination of agricultural and maritime landscapes, along with the occasional urban influences that arrived […]
Virginia Archaeologists converge on the Middle Peninsula
Last Friday, the Fairfield Foundation and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust (GMSPT) co-hosted the winter meeting of the Council of Virginia Archaeologists (COVA). COVA is Virginia’s professional archaeology organization, and is dedicated to the preservation and study of Virginia’s archaeological resources through fostering public awareness, advancing archaeological knowledge, and facilitating interaction between professional and avocational archaeologists and Virginia’s Department of […]
