an a. ..L Ah. ‘Wurféss. : 2.. . ~ z . . flavh .. i'tli .._ Luv '39.. V ‘ I I 1: 'y .a Zia. w.» Ja‘nnwflm .. 444a... \ n» $er ... «v. 5.. ‘ wVQuafi. n .- § . 4,5,: .J. . ‘ \ .nuunwu Auk sung? V T . x. . I s . thin... . i... (hid “131-“ n J firth—f f. . 5.. r .357 r w... . fiffifi. “w.uq .“:. x . p punw .h.! 3.. Sud: «smodnfic .9 .961:‘ 1.35. ha. 1...} r a. 7 ,4... ‘35.. | \..J%& a. . t... x.m......23 ‘0': 5.35... debt; in .53»? .6. . . 1. 21'» c; 6&3? .UBRARY Michigan State University This is to certify that the thesis entitled PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SAINTS’ REST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT presented by HEATHER L. MUSTONEN has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the MA. degree in Anthropology Major rofessor’s Signature m 0:. 2007 Date MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record. TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due. MAY BE RECALLED with earlier due date if requested. DAIEDUE DAIEDUE DAIEDUE l‘ I bI , . 1.. :I 7.313 . . .— 1 i L 6/07 p:/ClRC/DateDue.indd-p.1 PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SAINTS’ REST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT BY HEATHER L. MUSTONEN A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Anthropology 2007 ABSTRACT PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SAINTS’ REST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT By Heather L. Mustonen In the summer of 2005, the Department at Anthropology at Michigan State University conducted a public archaeology project focused on the excavation of Saints’ Rest, the institution’s first boarding hall. As part of the University’s Sesquicentennial celebrations, the project was designed to investigate early student life through archaeological excavations while engaging members of the University community in the exploration of their shared past. The goal of this thesis is to present the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project as a case study in public archaeology by demonstrating the ways in which a university can engage a variety of community members in the shared history of the institution through archaeology. The results of archaeological and archival research will be presented along with a discussion of the ways in which the Community was able to participate in the project and the subsequent benefits of this interaction. This discussion will contribute to the growing literature on public archaeology, a topic that continues to draw increasing interest within the discipline of historic archaeology. For Dad iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support and guidance of numerous individuals. I would like to thank the members of my committee, Drs. Kenneth Lewis, Jodie O’Gorman, Lynne Goldstein, and Alison Rautman for their thoughtful comments and suggestions throughout the stages of this thesis. I would like to thank Dr. Goldstein, Dr. O’Gorman, and Dr. Lewis for the opportunity to work on the Saints’ Rest project and the variety of experiences that it has afforded me as well as their guidance and encouragement throughout all phases of the project. I greatly enjoyed working with them and appreciate their patience and helpful advice. I would also like to thank my family and fiiends for their support. Their kind words and laughter were invaluable to me as I completed my graduate program and this thesis. iv PREFACE The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project would not have been possible without the hard work and cooperation of numerous individuals throughout the Michigan State University community and beyond. Funding for the project came from numerous sources including: Sesquicentennial Funds from the Office of the President, the Department of Anthropology, the Registrar (Summer Sessions), the College of Social Science, and Quality Funds from the Provost’s Office. The success of the project rests on the participation of everyone involved and I would like to express my appreciation to all those who took interest and participated in the Saints’ Rest Project. Department of Anthropology Dr. Lynne Goldstein Dr. Jodie O’Gorman Dr. Kenneth Lewis Dr. William A. Lovis Megan McCullen Duane Quates Peggy Medler Gail Barricklow Roxanne Moran Nancy Smith Outside Contributors Dr. Lauren Sickels-Taves, Eastern Michigan University Susan Obert, Artifact Conservation Resources, LLC. Torn Mann, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Robert Pratt, East Lansing Fire Marshal] Saper Galleries Michigan State University Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon, President of MSU Dr. Kim Wilcox, Provost Board of Trustees Provost Office Dr. Sue Carter Dr. Alison Barber David Byelich Jeff Kacos Dr. Frank Telewski Dr. Linda Stanford Dean Marietta Baba University Relations -Terry Denbow -Sue Nichols -Michelle Strobe] -Kevin Epling -Kurt Stepnitz MSU Archives & Historical Collections -Dr. Frederick Honhart -Portia Vescio -Whitney Miller -Sara Roberts MSU Physical Plant Ron Flinn Deb Kinney Roger Thelen MSU Grounds Michian State UniversityCont’d MSU Museum C. Kurt Dewhurst Val Berryman Dr. Kris Morrissey Dr. Alvin Smucker Dan Beachnau, MSU Fire Marshall Denis Zietlow, MSU Fire Marshall ANP 492 Archgeological Field School -Terry Brock -Alex Heimann -Joe Morgan -Meagan Spyker Jennifer Romanoski -Rachael Mase -Erin Steinberg Jessica Seiler -J ill Selke -Christina Reiss -Charlie Austin -Dimity Palazzola -Veronica Joseph -Kate Thomsen -Leslie Pollard -Kathryn Chapman -Sarah Wigley -Lisa Bright -Helen (Anna)Delgiomo -Colleen Kron -Tasha Dalstra Arch_aeology for Educators Program -Dan Goatley, Instructor -Students - Peter Schneider - Lindsey Winchester - Oscar Vizcarra MSU Museum High School Program -Kris Morrissey, Instructor Jordan Ballard -Erin Bartlett -Deanna Domino -Kai Goldnia -Missy Houghton -Colin Mallory Jeanette Wilson vi Documentary—Telecommunications Students -Barbara Skelley -Renalto Perez Janelle Yamashiro ANP 491 Saints’ Rest Research and Conservation Archival Students -Veronica Joseph -Dimity Palazzola Janelle Schaeffer -Tasha Dalstra Conservation Students -Veronica Joseph -Dirnity Palazzola Janelle Schaeffer -Tasha Dalstra -Chris Valvano -Erica Beebe -Karin Rebnegger -Adrienne Daggett -Eastern Michigan University Students ANP 491 Saints’ Rest Research and Exhibition -Tasha Dalstra -Oscar Vizcarra -Tamika Edwards -Whitney (Laura) McDowel -Courtney Fountain Jennifer Hughey -Kevin Zayed -Bridget Ferrigan -Nathan Thomas -Erin Lapacinski Volunteers Field Excavations -Alex Anthony -Mike Hambacher -Maria Raviele -Jubin Cheruvelil -Ivan Blevins John Evanson -Don Gaff Volunteers (continued) Laboratory -Leslie Pollard -Dimity Palazzola -Veronica Joseph Jennifer Romanoski —Jane Wankmiller -Meghan McCune —Duane Quates -Michigan Archaeological Society Interns/Independent Study/Professorial Assistants -Sarah Nevins —Katie Chapman -Jared Natzke Curation —J eff Chivas Artifact Photographs -Kurt Stepnitz -Meg Mche Site Maps -Chris Valvano vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH DESIGN .............................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 3 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ...................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 4 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SAINTS’ REST ................................................... 46 CHAPTER S 19TH CENTURY STUDENT LIFE AT THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN .......................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER 6 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SAINTS’ REST ........................................................ 110 CHAPTER 7 PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY, PARTICIPANT PERCEPTIONS, AND THE SAINTS’ REST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT ...................................................... 126 CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 149 APPENDIX A PROJECT OVERVIEW AND SITE LOCATION ............................................ 156 APPENDD( B METHODOLOGY ................................................................................ 1 59 APPENDIX C SITE STRATIGRAPHY .......................................................................... 170 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) APPENDIX D FEATURES ........................................................................................ 175 APPENDD( E ARTIFACT CONSERVATION ................................................................ 204 APPENDIX F MATERIAL CULTURE ......................................................................... 209 APPENDD( G PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH ......................... 236 APPENDIX H PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS .................................................................. 242 REFERENCES CITED ........................................................................... 250 ix Table 2.1 Table 3.1. Table 5.1. Table 5.2. Table B. 1. Table B.2. Table D.1. Table E. 1. Table H. 1. LIST OF TABLES Categories of Archival Data ..................................................... 19 Sample admissions exams questions given to prospective students in February 1876. Students were required to achieve a score of 7 on a scale of 10in order to be admitted into the College. (Catalogue of the Michigan State Agricultural College, 1876, MSUAHC, pg.42—43) .................... 35 The daily schedule of Ernest H. Bradner, a Freshman in 1866, shows a typical day in the life of an Agricultural College student. The classes (recitations) and work would vary based on class. (E.H. Bradner to Sarah Fairman, March 7, 1866, EHBP, MSUAHC, UA 103.206) ............... 96 Student receipt for furniture from 1861, Agricultural College of Michigan (Student Receipts for Furniture, 1861, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107, Box 1142, Folder 81). ................................................................. 108 Excavation Unit Numbers, Grid Locations and Local Datum Elevations. (Based on USGS Benchmark NF0058 at 843.55ft above sea level) ...... 162 Soil Samples collected from Saints’ Rest (201Nl69) during the 2005 field season .............................................................................. 164 Features identified during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest (20IN169). ..................................................................................... 176 A list of conserved artifacts from Saints’ Rest (20IN 169) ................. 204 Breakdown of Interview Participants ......................................... 243 Figure 2.1 Figure 3.1 Figure 3.2. Figure 3.3. Figure 3.4. Figure 3.5. Figure 3.6. Figure 3.7. Figure 3.8. Figure 4.1. Figure 4.2. LIST OF FIGURES Map of Excavation Units (Map by Chris Valvano) ................................... 21 Campus buildings of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1874. Left to right they are Saints’ Rest (1856), Williams Hall (1869), and College Hall (1856). (Campus Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC) ....................................................................................... 27 A timeline depicting the development of the Agricultural College as a Stream with the length representing time and the width representing the number of students enrolled in the institution. This section of the timeline represents the years 1850-1863. Drawn by Dr. William J. Beal. (Beal 1915)... ...................................................................................................... 28 Section of map showing the Agricultural College in 1857.(Archives, MSU Museum) .................................................................................................... 30 The earliest known photograph of the Agricultural College of Michigan taken in 1858. Saints’ Rest lies in the foreground with College Hall visible in the background. (Photographs, Saints’ Rest, MSUAHC) ....................................................................................... 32 Advertisement for the State Agricultural College of Michigan, 1874. (Original Source Unknown, MSU Museum Archives) .............................. 34 View of Saints’ Rest from the north taken shortly before its destruction by fire. The College Barn is visible in the rear (Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC) ................................................................................................. 40 Dr. William J. Beal’s timeline of the Agricultural College depicting it as a stream. The years 1864-1876 are represented in the above portion. (Beal 1915) ................................... - -- - ............................................ 41 Program from the 1876 Commencement Ceremony of the Michigan State Agricultural College. (MSU Museum Archives) .................................................................................................... 43 Concrete marker commemorating the location of Saints’ Rest. The marker is extremely worn and the writing has been embossed in this photograph for easier reading .................................................................. 47 Students posed in front of Saints’ Rest in 1858. This photograph shows the east side of the building with College Hall is visible in the background to the right. (Saints’ Rest, College Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC)..51 xi Figure 4.3 Figure 4.4 Figure 4.5. Figure 4.6. Figure 4.7. Figure 4.8. Figure 4.9. Figure 4.10. Figure 4.11. Figure 4.12. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) Sketch map showing the relationship of the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest to the estimated footprint of the building. (Not to scale) ............. 54 Plan Map Showing the 2005 Excavations at Saints’ Rest. (Map by Christopher Valvano) ............................................................ 55 Excavation Unit 4 (N320 E325) west profile showing the natural stratigraphy surrounding the structure of Saints’ Rest. ..................... 56 West profile of excavation units 10 and 24 (N295-300 E310) showing the internal stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest. The rubble and ash layers varied in thickness across the site .......................................................... 58 Unit 18, N325 E280 showing the cobblestone flooring of the east room. The western edge of the intrusive backhoe trench is visible in this photograph, indicated by the lack of stratigraphy in the eastern unit profile ............................................................................... 60 An intrusive backhoe trench destroyed a three foot section of the east-west wall (Feature 103) in Unit 4, N320 E325 and is indicated by the sharp change in soil color and lack of stratigraphic layers in the western half of the unit .............................................................................. 64 The tan soil above represents the builder’s trench associated with the northern foundation wall visible in the south profile (Unit 3, N335 E 315). The mottled grey soil contained ash and charcoal inclusions ............... 65 The northern foundation wall looking west. The wall measured 2.5 feet in width and was composed of large granite field stones joined with a coarse mortar (Units 9, 13, 23, 15; N 335 E315-330) ................................. 66 The northern foundation wall of the building had been plastered on the interior of the building. Sections of plasterwork were also found on the eastern foundation wall ........................................................... 67 The east-west interior wall in Units 12 and 22 (N300 E275-280). The wall butts up against the western Stone foundation wall to the right and shows evidence of damage as several course of brick are missing on the eastern portion of the wall ........................................................ 68 xii Figure 4.13. Figure 4.14. Figure 4.15. Figure 4.16. Fgme4Ir Figure 4.18. Figure 4.19. Figure 4.20. Figure 4.21. Hym4fl. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) The westernmost interior wall demonstrating the use of cavity masonry and the plastered surface of the central hallway (Unit 21, N320 E290). In cooperation with stewardship of the University landscape, roots uncovered during excavation were kept in tact so as not to jeOpardize the health of nearby trees ........................................................................ 70 Photographs showing either side of the raised central hall of Saints’ Rest. The hallway measured approximately 8.5 feet in width. The discrepancies in wall construction can be seen in these two photographs with the west wall having a third course of bricks on the interior of the hallway. (West wall—Unit 21, N320 E290; East wall—Unit 27, N315 E300) .............. 71 Unit 18, N325 E280 showing the cobblestone floor (Feature 116) of the eastern room. The photo board is resting on the intrusive backhoe trench that extends across the site that is also evident in the lack of stratigraphy in the east wall of this unit .......................................................... 73 The above photograph Shows the mottled sand floor of the east room in the basement of Saints’ Rest. The striping of the soil suggests that there may have been boards laid down as flooring at some point, leading to the differential soil coloration ........................................................ 74 Reconstructed plan view of the basement of Saints’ Rest showing the hallway and east and west rooms (Map by Christopher Valvano) ......... 76 Two wood saws and the blade of a grub hoe can be seen stacked on one another above. The red soil just to the left of the grub hoe is the sand floor of the basement exhibiting heat alteration. The excavation area was constrained by the foundation wall to the north and the sidewalk to the southeast ............................................................................ 80 A claw head hammer and conglomeration of cut nails were located in the northeast corner of the basement of Saints’ Rest. ........................... 81 Plan view of unit 20, N295 E305 showing the remains of the wooden tub and associated ash. It is possible that ash was collected for use in making soap for the dormitory ............................................................ 83 A staging area for the mixing of mortar and plaster from lime, sand and water ................................................................................. 85 The two northernmost barrels, Features 122 and 123, were constructed of oak and their bases remained remarkably intact after the fire .............. 86 xiii Figure 5.1. HymiZ Figure 5.3. Figure 5.4. Figure 13.1. Figure B.2. Figure B.3. Figure C.1. HymC2 Figure D]. Figure D.2. Figure D.3. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) Students studying in their Williams Hall dorm room circa 1891. Students shared their dormitory rooms and decorated them with personal belongings in order to create a comfortable living environment (Williams Hall Room, 1891, Dormitories, Photographs, MSUAHC) .................. 98 Artifacts recovered from Saints’ Rest related to the academic study including a conical glass inkwell, brass and steel pen nibs, slate pencil, compass, and scissors ............................................................. 99 A copper kerosene oil lamp used to light student rooms within Saints’ Rest ................................................................................ 100 An advertisement for J .J . Butler ink based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rounded shoulders and base of the inkwell to the right date the bottle to 1868 ................................................................................. 101 Map showing unit numbers and grid locations for all 29 excavated units in 2005 at the site of Saints’ Rest. (Map by Christopher Valvano) ......... 160 The catalog number includes the MSU Museum accession number and site provenience information ........................................................ 166 Catalog numbers for features include the MSU Museum accession number, feature and feature level, and unit provenience information. . ..166 South profile of Unit 4 (N320 E325) showing the A, B, and buried A horizon of the natural stratigraphy of the site ................................ 171 The internal stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest. The variable rubble and ash layers are visible in the western profile of units 10 and 24 (N295-300 E310) .............................................................................. 172 An excavated portion of the builder’s trench (Feature 100, Unit 3, N335 E315) showing the northern foundation wall on the left and the mottled grey buried A horizon on the right .................................. 177 The eastern foundation wall (Unit 11, N 320 E320) demonstrating the fieldstone construction .......................................................... 178 Unit 6, N 300 E 255 showing the circular stain of Feature 101. .......... 180 xiv Figure D.4. Figure D.5. Figure D.6. Figure D.7. Hymns Figure D.9. HymDfll Figure D.11. Figure D.12. Figure D.13. meDM. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) The east-west interior brick wall (Feature 103, Units 12 and 22, N300 E275-280) intersected with the western foundation wall (far right) ...... 181 Unit 14, N300 E285 showing evidence of disturbance. The east-west brick wall (Feature 103) has been disturbed by the trench on the left. . ..182 Both the western (Feature 105) and eastern (Feature 115) walls of the hallway demonstrate cavity construction but only the western wall shows evidence of a third course of bricks on the interior of the hallway as the building specifications called for. The black plaster floor of the hallway is visible between the two walls .................................................. 184 Unit 18, N 325 E280 showing the cobblestone flooring of the western half of the basement of Saints’ Rest. The intrusive backhoe trench is visible in the east profile of this unit ...................................................... 186 Plan map of Saints’ Rest (201N 169) showing the results of 2005 excavations at the site ........................................................... 187 North profile of unit 22 (N 300 E280) showing Feature 119. The dark black layer just beneath the thin brick rubble layer is a concentration of charred floor boards ............................................................. 189 Four of the five barrels excavated during 2005. From north to south they are Features 123, 122, 106, and 107. Feature 108 partially extends into the southern wall of units 10 and 16 (N295 E310-315) ......................... 192 The wooden boards of the crate exhibited evidence of charring from exposure to the fire. The crate is partially filled with a coarse lime (grey substance to the right) and lies directly south of a pile of coarse sand used in the production of mortar and plaster ....................................... 193 A mortar production area was located in the eastern Side of the basement of Saints’ Rest. The barrel features rest directly west of wooden crate filled with lime and loose sand ................................................ 195 The remnants of a wooden tub (Feature 117) measuring 1.7 feet in diameter can be seen in the northeast comer of unit 20, N295 E305. The grayish white substance surrounding the bin is a very hard, dense compressed ash substance. A second tub (Feature 124) was located directly south of this tub ........................................................ 197 A claw hammer and collection of finishing nails ........................... 199 XV Figure D.15. Figure D.16. Figure D.17. HymEL Figure F2. Figure F3. Figure F4 Figure F5. Figure F6. Figure F.7. Figure F8. Figure F9. Figure F. 10. Figure F.11. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) Unit 24, N 300 E310 showing a concentration of box stoves. These particular stoves are from the Newberry, Filley & Company of Troy, New York and would have been used to heat student rooms within Saints’ Rest. ...................................................................................... 200 The front panel of a Newberry, Filley & Company, based in Troy, NY, box stove discovered in the rubble of Saints’ Rest. The door reads “TROY, N.Y., No 3, PATENTED 1850” and has undergone conservation treatments ......................................................................... 201 Iron ash pail filled with debris. This artifact was unable to undergo conservation methods due to the fragile nature of the material ............ 203 A large fragment of melted window glass ................................... 210 An advertisement for J .J . Butler ink based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rounded shoulders and base of the inkwell to the right date the bottle to 1868 (Odell 2003) ............................................................... 212 Ironstone toiletry set including pitcher, small bowl, shaving cup, soap dish, chamber pot lid, and toothbrush holder. The dark blue color is the result of burning ................................................................. 214 An example of blue on grey stoneware from Saints’ Rest showing a floral design .............................................................................. 216 Transfer-printed whiteware ..................................................... 217 Smoking Pipes recovered from Saints’ Rest ................................. 219 Mineral Doorknobs .............................................................. 220 Architectural artifacts recovered from Saints’ Rest including cut, annealed nails, plaster, and brick, all of which were abundant in the archaeological record of the site ................................................................. 222 Door hardware including mortise lock, butt hinges, keyhole escutcheon, and key ........................................................................... 224 Window Hardware .............................................................. 225 Furniture Caster .................................................................. 226 xvi Figure F.12. Figure F.13. Figure F.14. Figure F.15. Figure F.16. Figure F.17. LIST OF FIGURES (CONTINUED) Wood Saw. Brass screw indicates it is an “XLCR” saw manufactured by Wheeler, Madden, & Clemson of Middletown, NY. ...................... 227 Black Giant Stove ............................................................... 228 Newberry, Filley & Sons Stove manufactured in Troy, New York ...... 229 Buttons recovered from excavations at Saints’ Rest including iron, brass, bone, and porcelain .............................................................. 230 Iron buckle ........................................................................ 231 School related artifacts recovered from Saints’ Rest ........................ 232 xvii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In the summer of 2005, the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University (MSU) undertook a community archaeology project focusing on the excavation of the University’s first boarding hall, nicknamed Saints’ Rest, after a popular 17th Century devotional used at the University’. As the first major archaeological excavations conducted on the campus of MSU, the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project serves as an example of the way in which archaeologists can successfully engage the members of a University community, {Tom the president to the students and surrounding community, in the history of the institution through archaeology. The success of the project demonstrates the potential for archaeologists to make their research relevant to a community by incorporating research into commemorative events such as anniversaries to the benefit of all involved. Carried out as part of the University’s Sesquicentennial celebrations, the project was designed to bring together members of the University community to explore their shared past through archaeology. The project offered a unique opportunity for archaeological research that both served the University community as well as explored the potential of cultural resources on campus. MSU’S history dates back to 1855 when the legislature of the State of Michigan approved funds for the establishment of an ' Agricultural College. This Agricultural College was the first in the United States dedicated to the study of agriculture. As the first land-grant institution, the Agricultural ' College was dedicated to providing students with a practical, well rounded education. ’ “Saints’ Everlasting Rest” is a Christian devotional written by Puritan theologian Richard Baxter in 1652 (Baxter 1642). Students were required to work on the college farm daily, in addition to more traditional coursework (Widder 2005). The history of Michigan State University is grounded in these principles of practical education and the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project represented a tangible way for the University to celebrate and learn about its past through archaeological research while at the same time demonstrating that these original principals are still utilized in education at MSU. The archaeology was performed by students of the University enrolled in an archaeological field methods course and who were engaged in a form of practical education just as the first students of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan had done. The archaeology of Saints’ Rest not only allowed members of the MSU community to explore their past, it also helped to increase awareness of the potential of archaeological research in learning about the past and served to build connections among diverse fields and sections of the University community through their shared exploration of history. The goal of this thesis is to explore the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project as a case study in public archaeology within a university community. Archaeological research into Michigan State University’s past offered members of the community a new way to engage in their shared past and relate to the institutions history, while at the same time fostering an understanding of archaeology as a discipline and the potential for research. Public archaeology projects such as Saints’ Rest also demonstrate the challenge to archaeologists in balancing the interests of archaeological research with those of public outreach. This thesis will present the archaeological research of Saints’ Rest as well as offering an evaluation of the public outreach and community engagement of the project, both of which were crucial to its success. As the field of public archaeology develops and community engagement in archaeology projects increases, an examination of the contributing elements of a successful project will further the discussion and development of this type of work. Public Archaeology The archaeological literature of the past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of attention and discussion given to public archaeology and community based archaeological projects. In part, this increased attention to can be seen as an attempt by archaeologists to make their work relevant and accessible to more than just those within their discipline (Franklin 2005). The general public often has a strong interest in archaeology but rarely gets the opportunity to view it firsthand, let alone participate in actual archaeological research. Archaeologists now recognize the benefits of public engagement in their research; the more the public understands their research and the potential for learning what archaeology holds, the more they will be supportive of this type of work, including preservation (McGimsey 1973, McManamon 1991, Merriman 2004, Little 2002). There are many well established public archaeology programs that focus on prehistoric sites such as Crow Canyon Archaeological Center (Heath 1997, www.crowcanvon.org) and the Center for American Archaeology in Kampsville, Illinois (www.caa-archeology.com), along with a variety of programs such as the National Forest Service’s Passport in Time (www.passportintime.com) and the National Park Service’s Volunteer in Parks (www.nps.gov/volunteer) that allow interested members of the public the opportunity to participate in archaeological research. While these projects are extremely important and public archaeology is gaining popularity across the discipline, a large portion of the literature regarding the topic is coming from the area of historical archaeology. Historic archaeologists often find themselves working in areas and on sites where the community becomes invested in their work because of their direct link to the area and a sense of the more recent past (Franklin 2005, McDavid 1997, 2002). Archaeologists have differed in their approach to public archaeology over the years. Merriman (2004) has identified two models for the way in which public archaeology has been viewed by archaeologists, the deficit and multiple perspective models. The deficit model incorporates the idea that by raising awareness of archaeology among the public, it will increase understanding of these resources and foster a greater sense of stewardship. This deficit model has roots in the work of Charles McGimsey (1972) and his claims that archaeology is for the public good and by sharing research with them, it is possible to generate understanding and therefore support for cultural resources. The multiple perspectives model is a more recent development. Archaeologists working under this model attempt to incorporate the community into their research, leading to a broader, more inclusive, interpretation of archaeological results. Archaeologists argue that their research can be greatly enriched by recognizing and accounting for the different perspectives held by members of a community regarding their research. The Saints’ Rest project offers an example of the successful incorporation of both the deficit and multiple perspective approaches to public archaeology. Archaeologists were able to successfully engage the public into their research of the history of Michigan State University and in the process raised awareness of cultural resources and fostered a sense of stewardship among members of the campus community. The inclusion of the community into archaeological research raises many important issues that must be addressed in order to best serve the goals of any project. The first of these issues involves the individual goals of project participants. Archaeologists are taught to pursue projects with a set of scholarly research questions and a strong research design that will enable them to answer these questions using the archaeological record (Society for American Archaeology 1999, Principles of Archaeological Ethics). The public, on the other hand, are interested in both the process of archaeological research—the way in which archaeologists learn from material remains—as well as simply learning about the past. The public may not understand or be interested in the details of archaeological research and this poses a challenge to the archaeologists. There is a need to strike a balance between the goal of involving the public and the importance of conducting sound archaeological research (Little 2002, Lipe 2002, McGimsey 2006). It is critically important that public archaeology programs do not neglect a strong research design in favor of community interests or vice versa. Both of these aspects must be taken into account when public archaeology programs are undertaken, from the initial planning stages of the project throughout its completion. It is important for archaeologists to demonstrate to the members of the public that they are attempting to engage the strengths of their discipline through sound research so that the public comes away from their experience with an understanding of what archaeological research involves and how archaeologists are able to make the claims about that past that they do (Lipe 2002). It is important that the public is exposed to an accurate representation of archaeological research to ensure that they come away from their experience with an appropriate understanding of the potential that archaeology holds for learning about the past. The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project The following discussion identifies the participant groups and their expectations for the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project in order to outline factors that contributed to the overall success of the project. Participants The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project provides a case study in which to examine the balance of interests involved in performing community archaeology projects.- Conducted within a large university, the project involved a variety of different groups within the campus community, each with their own set of expectations for the project. It was important for the leaders of the project to consider these differing interests and to include them in the design and execution of the project, while maintaining a balance between these interests and the archaeological research to be conducted. The primary participants in the Saints’ Rest project were a group of archaeologists from the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University. The Department entered into the project with several goals. It was interested in participating in the University’s sesquicentennial celebrations that were to be carried out throughout the year and saw this as an opportunity to explore the history of the MSU archaeologically. The Department also saw the archaeological exploration of the University’s past as a way to raise awareness of its strong program in archaeology. Because archaeology is housed within the Department of Anthropology, undergraduate students are often unaware that MSU has an archaeology program. By conducting archaeological excavations in the heart of campus, the Department would receive increased attention and recognition. The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project also represented a way in which the Department of Anthropology could showcase its strong emphasis on teaching and research. Each year the Department offers a course in archaeological field methods and by holding the course on campus during the summer of 2005, it was able to showcase to the University community the way in which it incorporates undergraduate education with academic research. Further, offering the course on campus allowed a number of students who could not participate in off-campus excavations a way to receive field training. An emphasis on conducting archaeological research while engaging the University community in its work was a major goal of the Department of Anthropology. Another key player in the Saints’ Rest project was the Michigan State University administration. The president of the University, Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon, was instrumental in providing the permission and support for the project from the outset. The administration supported the inclusion of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project in the University’s sesquicentennial celebration as it felt it represented a way in which to involve the campus community with the exploration of their history in a different, more tangible way than many other University planned events. The Saints’ Rest project also represented an avenue in which to bring positive publicity to the University as well as showcase a tradition of practical education, a foundation on which the institution was built. While members of the administration may not have had experience with archaeological research, the excavation of Saints’ Rest was a way in which MSU could highlight the history of the University as well as showcase the strengths of current MSU programs. In addition to members of the administration, the faculty and staff of Michigan State University reflect a similar set of interests. Because no archaeology had ever been previously conducted on the main campus, few individuals were aware of the potential of archaeological research and Saints’ Rest represented a way for them to engage in the process. Expectations varied depending on the role of each individual or department on campus and each would engage with the project in a different manner, showcasing the broad applicability and interest of archaeology. Many faculty members from across disciplines took a strong interest in the project and visited the site regularly, often offering their expertise. Perhaps the largest group to engage in the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project is composed of the many students who took part in all stages of the project. A variety of students participated in many different forms, each bringing their own set of expectations and experiences to the project, and taking away an understanding of the various stages of archaeological research as well as the early history of Michigan State University. The majority of the students involved with the Saints’ Rest project were students at MSU, with a few coming from outside universities and high schools. Undergraduate, graduate, and high school students participated in the many phases of the project with several goals in mind. Students were interested in learning field and laboratory methods associated with archaeological research as well as learning about the history of MSU. Most of the students participating in the excavation portion of the project were anthropology undergraduates and were attempting to fulfill credits towards their degree programs, and the Saints’ Rest Project represented an alternative, hands-on approach with which to accomplish this. After the excavation portion of the project was complete, many students from the summer field school continued to volunteer in the laboratory phase along with volunteers, interns, and professorial assistants that were new to the project at this phase. An increased number of students beyond those involved in the excavation of Saints’ Rest were able to participate in the project by enrolling in several courses designed to involve students in the archival research, artifact conservation, and development of an online exhibit. Overall, the interests of the students lay in earning credits toward their degree, participating in hands-on forms of learning, being trained in field and laboratory methods of archaeology, and learning about the history of their University. These interests guided them in their participation in the project on a variety of levels. The Saints’ Rest Project also became a way in which the University’s alumni could interact with their alma mater’s history and participate in the sesquicentennial celebrations. Alumni had the opportunity to explore the history of their alma mater by remembering their days at the University and comparing that to the lives of MSU’s first students. The archaeology of Saints’ Rest also exposed alumni to the methods and potential of archaeological research. Many alumni are active in the University long past their graduation and this project gave them a new way to experience the institution. The final group to participate in the Saints’ Rest Archaeological are individuals and groups outside of the MSU community. Members from the local communities surrounding the University engaged in the project on many levels, including attending open houses at the excavation site, soliciting and attending presentations on the project for their community groups, and lending their own expertise to the project, such as the Michigan Department of Environment Quality which volunteered their services for a remote sensing survey of the site. Interactions with the Saints’ Rest project enabled these groups to gain exposure to archaeological research and to learn about the history of MSU. The outside community demonstrated a curiosity about archaeology that they looked to the Saints’ Rest project to fulfill. They were interested in what archaeology looked like and what it could tell them about history in general, and specifically about MSU. Expectations Several themes emerge when examining the participation and interests of the various groups involved in the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. The Saints’ Rest project was used by participants to celebrate the University’s sesquicentennial, learn about archaeology and the history of MSU and explore the possibilities of archaeological research while at the same time raising awareness and visibility for archaeology and the University. An examination of these expectations will demonstrate the successfulness of this public archaeology project and the benefits derived from participation in it. A major goal of the project, and one in which all groups participated, was to participate in the celebration of Michigan State University’s sesquicentennial year. The project represented a unique way to celebrate the history of the institution and provided a different perspective on the past for those associated with the University. The archaeological exploration of the University’s first boarding hall represented a tangible link to the institution’s history and a way in which the public could interact with the past. Other sesquicentennial celebrations planned by the University included a parade, lO museum exhibit, a convocation, and the reviving of past traditions such as an annual water carnival held on the river running through campus. Combined with a celebration of the University’s history, participants were interested in learning about archaeology and its potential as well as the history of the institution. Participants gained first hand experience in archaeological research and learned information from the archaeological record that was previously unknown. Participants were able to witness excavations taking place in the heart of campus and gain an appreciation for the techniques that archaeologists use to excavate and carefully document their work. This exposure to archaeological research also allowed the public to better understand how archaeologists learn about the past and interpret their results. Exposure to the research process, and not just a presentation of results, can aid in a deeper understanding of how we know about the past. This set of expectations for the Saints’ Rest project came from numerous sources and the results and success of this project rest on the ability of those involved to engage with the project and take away many of the perceived benefits that derived from participation in the archaeology of Saints’ Rest. Conclusion The success of the Saints’ Rest project lies, in part, in a balance of interests among participants. It was essential to the project that both archaeological research and public engagement interests were taken seriously and a balance struck between the pursuit of each. Because the Department of Anthropology was able to conduct sound 11 archaeological research, the public was able to benefit from seeing this performed as well as participating in the outreach aspects of the project. The goal of this thesis is twofold. It will first present the results of archaeological research conducted by faculty, staff, and students at Saints’ Rest during the summer of 2005 and continuing through summer 2006. This research is the result of the collaboration and hard work of many individuals and groups both internal and external to Michigan State University and aims to address a set of research questions developed for the project. The second goal of this thesis is to explore the elements of community participation in the project. As a result of community engagement in the Saints’ Rest project, additional research questions concerning its effect on the project and the participants themselves will be explored. Successful components of the project and the benefits derived from it will be identified and discussed in order to demonstrate the value of community engagement in public archaeology projects while maintaining a strong focus on sound archaeological research (McGimsey 2006, Lipe 2002). 12 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH DESIGN Archaeological excavations at Saints’ Rest were conducted according to a research design developed to answer a set of research questions as well as teach students archaeological field and laboratory methods. An additional set of research questions arose from the project regarding the public participation and community engagement with the archaeology of Saints’ Rest. These questions, resulting from public interaction with the project, will attempt to assess the effect of this type of community involvement on the Saints’ Rest project and on the participants themselves. This thesis is designed to address the results of research into both the archaeology of Saints’ Rest and the community involvement with the project. This chapter will present the archaeology related research questions and methodology, as well as the community related research questions and methodology specific to this thesis. Archaeological Research Design The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project was undertaken in an attempt to address the following research questions: 1. What is the archaeological potential of Saints’ Rest; what is left of the dormitory structure and what is its condition? What does this tell us about the status of cultural resources on campus? 2. What were the architectural features of Saints’ Rest? How was it constructed? What was the organizational layout of the building? 3. What can be learned about 19th Century student life at the Agricultural College of Michigan? How was the building used by those living within it? What can the remains of Saints’ Rest tell us about student life at the first agricultural college in the United States? 13 These research goals guided the excavations, and as information regarding each was uncovered throughout the project, staff and students attempted to relay this information to the public in the form of open houses, artifact displays, and informal on-site presentations. An examination of the rationale behind each research question will demonstrate the interest of archaeologists in the site as well as the value of Saints’ Rest within the broader archaeological literature. Resegrch Question 1: What is the archaeological potential of Saints ’ Rest; what is left of the dormitory structure and what is its condition? What does this tell us about the status of cultural resources on campus? The absence of prior archaeological excavations on the main campus of Michigan State University required exploration of the natural stratigraphy of the soil in this area of campus and determination of its condition and degree of disturbance. The continuous growth of the University over its 150 year history was sure to have affected the soil on campus, with construction and unknown filling episodes. It was also necessary to determine the internal stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest in order to understand how the building had been treated after its destruction as well as how it existed during use. It is known that Saints’ Rest was destroyed by fire on December 9, 1876, but little else is known about how the building was handled after it was destroyed. Information regarding the fire at Saints’ Rest is limited to newspaper articles from the time and from very vague accounts of the fire in archival material. 14 Reports of the foundation of the building being visible in the grass during times of drought indicated that portions of the building remained underneath the grass cover. What was unknown was the nature and condition of these remains. One of the primary goals of the Saints’ Rest project was to determine how much of the building still existed underground. In order to answer this question, the stratigraphic and structural evidence uncovered during the 2005 excavations will be examined along with archival documents and photographs relating to Saints’ Rest. Information about the substance and integrity of Saints’ Rest as an archaeological site can be used to make an argument for the testing and exploration of other buried cultural resources located on campus in an attempt to explore and preserve such sites. Reseaich Question 2: What were the architectural features of Saints' Rest? How was it constructed? What was the organization of the building? Very little information about the structure of Saints’ Rest was known prior to the 2005 excavations. There are only three existing pictures of the building and no available blueprints. The approximate size of the building was known, but exact layout of the building was unavailable. It was therefore a goal of the project to learn as much as possible about the construction of Saints’ Rest, including the structural features and interior layout of the building. Architectural information would also provide insight into the use of Saints’ Rest as a boarding hall in terms of what types of activities were taking place, and where within the building they were occurring. Archival information regarding the architecture of Saints’ Rest in the form of official college documents, student accounts, and photographs provides limited data. The 15 information gained from the 2005 excavation of the building provides a better understanding of how it was constructed and used. Archaeological data collected during excavations provides a tangible look at the boarding hall and clues as to how it was being used when it was destroyed by fire in 1876. While the upper floors were largely destroyed during the fire and cleanup, information regarding the layout and organization of the basement was uncovered during the excavations. The majority of archival information pertaining to the architecture and use of Saints’ Rest represents the earliest years of the building’s occupation. A comparison of the archival information and the archaeological data may show evidence of changes in the use of the building over its twenty years of occupation. The excavation of Saints’ Rest also represented a unique Opportunity to explore the physical manifestations of an educational experiment. Because of the pioneering nature of the Agricultural College of Michigan as the first institution dedicated to the practical education of agriculture in the United States, Saints’ Rest represents a place where students were living during a unique place and time. Because of its destruction by fire in 1876, Saints’ Rest provides a glimpse into the early years of the institution without added layers of change that would have occurred had the building been in use for a longer period of time. Research into the structure and use of the building can offer information for comparison of this boarding hall under these circumstances with other boarding halls at other institutions in order to identify any unique characteristics. Research Question 3: What can be learned about 19:}: Century student life at the Agricultural College of Michigan? How was the building used by 16 those living within it? What can the remains of Saints ’ Rest tell us about student life at the first agricultural college in the United States? At a time when MSU was celebrating its’ Sesquicentennial year, the possibility of learning about what life was like for the first students to attend the institution was appealing to many. While the MSU Archives and Historical Collections (MSUAHC) contain a large amount of material dating to the first twenty years of the institution, ’ including the letters and diaries of students, much can be learned from the material remains left by those students. The combination of archival material and archaeological remains can provide a glimpse into what everyday student life was like in the first decades of the Agricultural College of Michigan. By examining the archival references of student life and comparing them to the archaeological remains of life within Saints’ Rest, it is possible to gain a more complete picture of student life. Information regarding dorm life, academic study, and recreational activities is available in archival material as well as archaeological remains. It is possible to compare the two sources of information and identify similarities and differences in the perceptions and reality of what life was like within the boarding hall. An exploration of the archaeology of mid-19’“ century student life at the Agricultural College will add to a sparse body of literature on the archaeology of educational institutions and their boarding halls. It provides a source for future comparative research on the topic. Methodology 17 The following section examines the methods used to conduct the various aspects of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Archival Research Archival research was conducted at the Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections, the State of Michigan Archives, and the MSU Museum Archives, and revealed information regarding the early years of the Agricultural College of Michigan with the majority of information coming from the MSUAHC. Preliminary research was conducted by faculty and graduate students prior to the start of excavations and further research was completed by undergraduate students enrolled in project related courses offered by the Department of Anthropology. Materials relating to Saints’ Rest (then referred to as the Boarding Hall) were examined for information about the construction and layout of the building itself as well as about life within the building. Accounts of student life at Saints’ Rest were available in the form of numerous student diaries, reminiscences, and correspondence maintained by the archives. Information about the Operation of the boarding hall was located within annual reports to the State Board of Education pertaining to the activities of the institution for each year of operation. Valuable information surrounding the formation of the institution located within these reports, as well as diaries and correspondence, provided valuable insight into the ideology on which the Agricultural College was founded, as well as the struggles encountered during the initial years of the institution. All of the information found within the archival material relating to Saints’ Rest and the Agricultural College during 1856-1876 helped set the stage for excavation of the building as well as for the interpretation of results. 18 Once information was collected from the various archives, sources were mined for specific references and information considered important in understanding Saints’ Rest. A set of research categories was generated by project directors to help organize the information located in the archival sources and students enrolled in the “Saints’ Rest Research and Conservation” course read through each source and extracted information pertaining to these categories (Table 2.1). Categories were designated based on their ability to provide information about the construction and operation of Saints’ Rest, student life, and the early history of the Agricultural College. Table 2.1. Categories used by student researchers for the collection of information from archival sources. Categories of Archival Data Architecture Classroom activities Communities outside of the College Construction on Campus Food acquisition, preparation, or storage Furnishings and Contents Health and Illness Social Activities Student backgrounds Women Work Other In order to make the information accessible for research, a form was created on which information pertaining to a specific category was recorded along with reference information for each source. For example, a letter from a student that describes their room in the boarding hall, talks of their roommate’s illness that week, and discusses a trip to visit the women’s seminary in Lansing, would generate three separate forms. A form would be completed for “Furnishing and Contents”, “Health and Illness” and “Women” 19 describing the information pertaining to each category. This process allowed for a large amount of information from numerous archival sources to be easily sorted and referenced during research. Archaeological Research The excavation of Saints’ Rest was conducted using standard archaeological techniques. A total of 29 units were excavated during the 2005 field season, each unit measuring 5ft by 5ft square, with measurements conducted using an engineer’s scale of feet and tenths of feetz. Initial excavations were carried out in arbitrary levels of 0.3fi until stratigraphy was determined, then excavations proceeded strati graphically. Information regarding each excavated level was recorded and mapped on field forms with additional notes recorded in student, faculty, and staff notebooks. In addition to general unit levels, zones and features were also identified during excavations. Zones were defined as distinct soil or sediments that did not necessarily encompass the entire area of an excavation unit, such as soil on either side of an interior wall within on unit. Features were identified as non-sedimentary layers such as architectural remains or concentrations of certain material such as cast iron stoves. Each was given a feature number and treated separately from other level fill. 2 For this project, an engineer’s scale of feet and tenths of feet was used for measurements to more closely match the measurements of the original building, as opposed to the metric scale more commonly used by archaeologists. 20 Ao§>fi> 6398320 3 ans: .3ch Bougmoxm no 932 ._.N 059m m ommw m mNNm H omww mmmw “ oomz ” oomz H oomz oomz ” a n 2 .5»: a oxmm momz --a--. ONNw mmmm ormz owmz a F A. 8:25 558 “$3538 3 86:9me SE: 68 9:9 mmmz #2 .2on i d O 2 23 m 38 082 " Caz 2 n a .umF m o -----—u -—---— 596.. :5 eeem>uexm meow Seem .358 =on _mtoEmE n m m €22.95 EmuoE 21 Excavated soil was screened through 1%: inch mesh hardware cloth screens and artifacts were collected in paper bags labeled with provenience information including the excavation unit number, coordinates, level, date, excavator initials and field specimen ntunber. Artifacts collected from features were bagged and labeled with feature number and feature level in addition to the unit provenience information. Recovered artifacts were transported to the laboratory at the Michigan State University Consortium for Archaeological Research at the end of each workday where they were later processed. As part of the student’s field school instruction, they were rotated into the lab for one day each week where they processed the artifacts they had excavated. Artifacts were washed and rough sorted by material type, making sure to maintain proper control over provenience information. Artifacts were then cataloged by provenience, with artifacts sorted, counted, weighed and bagged separately. Each artifact and bag also received an archival tag containing all provenience information along with an MSU Museum catalog number’, which was also written on the outside of the bag. Diagnostic materials were labeled with the museum catalog number and stored in cabinets awaiting permanent storage in the MSU Museum Repository. All non-diagnostic artifacts were stored in clearly labeled archival boxes by material type. *A more detailed description of field, laboratory, and conservation methods is available in Appendix A. 3 The Department of Anthropology does not permanently curate collections and therefore assigns each artifact an MSU Museum catalog number as they are ultimately responsible for long term curation. 22 Community Engagement Research Design The community engagement of the Saints’ Rest project led to the development of an additional set of research questions. The following research questions and associated methods were designed to explore the community involvement aspect of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Research Question 4: How did community engagement in the archaeology of Saints ' Rest affect the project and its participants? How was the project viewed by the diflerent groups that were engaged in the project? How did this affect the archaeological research? The final research question focuses not on archival or archaeological results, but on the community involvement with the project, and was developed for exploration in this thesis. Excavations at Saints’ Rest were undertaken as part of a public archaeology project developed by the MSU Department of Anthropology and sought to include a variety of groups from within the University community, as well as outside. The goal of the public archaeology was to engage the MSU community with the exploration of its’ past, as was being done in a variety of ways in honor of the University’s Sesquicentennial year. An exploration of the public archaeology program at Saints’ Rest will demonstrate the perceptions and attitudes of participants in the project and identify different themes found within the media attention garnered by the project. An examination of the public archaeology component of the Saints’ Rest project is valuable on a variety of levels. Efforts to present archaeological findings to the general public and engage them in research are a way for archaeologists to make their research accessible to a greater audience than just their professional colleagues. There is ofien a 23 great amount of interest by the general public in archaeology and by making research more accessible, the benefits of archaeological research can be communicated. The Saints’ Rest project also serves to demonstrate how engaging an interested public in their past can foster a greater understanding of archaeological research and its potential to learn about the past. The MSU Department of Anthropology was successful in its engagement of the university community, and an examination of the elements of the project will help to understand why the project had such wide appeal and positive OUICOIIICS . Methodology In order to gain an understanding of the attitudes towards and perceptions of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project and its success, semi-structured interviews were conducted with those members of the MSU and surrounding community that were involved in the project. Interviews were conducted with administrators, including the president of the University, deans, staff, professors, teaching assistants, and students. Participants were asked about their role in the project and their perceptions of the archaeology of Saints’ Rest as it relates to the history of MSU. Interviews were recorded and data was transcribed and compared in order to examine differing perspectives and opinions on the project and the factors that led to its success. This examination was helpful in determining the effectiveness and results of the public programming, by providing information about how the project was received and viewed. Prior to any interviews, a proposal was submitted to the University Council on Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS) at Michigan State University for 24 approval. The proposal was analyzed for potential risks to participants in this phase of research and approval was granted. UCRIHS-approved consent forms were presented to subjects prior to their interview and they were informed of their rights as a project participant. In addition to interview data, an examination of the content of media coverage was undertaken to add a further dimension to the discussion of the public archaeology at Saints’ Rest. Publicity surrounding the excavations at Saints’ Rest was organized and solicited by the University, the Department of Anthropology, and outside media sources. By examining the different forms of media coverage the project garnered, various aspects of public interests and opinion can be highlighted. 25 CHAPTER 3 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW In 2005, Michigan State University celebrated the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the institution with a variety of events looking back on its long history. The Saints' Rest Archaeological Project offered the University community a tangible look at the institution's history through the archaeological exploration of the first boarding hall on campus, Saints' Rest. In order to understand the importance of these excavations, as well as the value of the research questions outlined in the previous chapter, within the overall history of the University, one needs to place the boarding hall within the context of the early years of the Agricultural College of Michigan. As the first land-grant institution dedicated to the practical education of agriculture, the history of Michigan State University offers a unique perspective on the struggles involved in the creation of a new kind of educational institution. By placing Saints' Rest within the context of the development and growth of the Agricultural College of Michigan, the importance of information gained from archaeological research at the site of Saints' Rest in understanding the history of the University becomes apparent. 26 The Creation of an Agricultural College Figure 3.1. Campus buildings of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1874. Left to right they are Saints’ Rest (1856), Williams Hall (1869), and College Hall (1856). (Campus Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC) Long before the creation of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, discussions surrounding the need for agricultural education were occurring throughout the state. As early as 1837 when the University of Michigan was established, there was discussion as to whether the institution should include an agricultural department, as there was a need in the state for agricultural education (Beal 1915). Michigan heavily relied on agriculture, and members gathered at local agricultural society meetings and discussed the need for educational opportunities for the sons of farmers. Michigan agriculturalists gained inspiration from Europe, where agricultural education was widespread by the mid- nineteenth century. Agricultural institutions in Europe had been educating farmers in agricultural sciences, including chemistry, and were creating more productive farms as a result. Those in favor of agricultural education in the United States felt that American 27 farmers should have the same opportunities to gain knowledge and wisdom as their European counterparts (Widder 2005). 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This section of the timeline represents the years 1850-1863. Drawn by Dr. William J. Beal. (Beal 1915) The push for agricultural education within Michigan became serious with the creation of the Michigan State Agricultural Society in 1849. This statewide group centralized the interest in agricultural education and was used as a platform for pursuing the cause within the state. The Agricultural Society held one of the very first state fairs in 1849 at which E.H. Lothorp called attention to the lack of education in the Agricultural Sciences within the state and spoke of a need for educated farmers. This sentiment was 28 also put forth by Joseph R. Williams at an 1849 meeting of the Kalamazoo Agricultural Society. Williams would later go on to be the first president of the Agricultural College. This increased public attention led to a series of memorials, or public statements, written for the state legislature. The first memorial, written by Bela Hubbard in 1850, called for an “enlightened liberal education” because agricultural success did not just entail successful farming, but an understanding of the science behind it. Hubbard asked the legislature for 350,000 acres of federal land to be set aside for the development of agricultural education within the state, but was rejected (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005) It was not until the 1850 revision of the state constitution that the first legislative action towards agricultural education took place within Michigan. Article 13, Section 11 of the 1850 Michigan constitution states that “The Legislature shall encourage the promotion of intellectual, scientific and agricultural improvement, and shall as soon as practicable, provide for the establishment of an Agricultural School”(Beal 1915). The provision went on to appropriate the sale of 22 sections of Salt Spring lands to fund the support and maintenance of such a school. Discussion arose as to whether this agricultural education should be incorporated into the University of Michigan or the State Normal School or if it should exist within an independent institution. John C. Holmes, secretary of the State Agricultural Society from 1849-1850, was a strong proponent for the creation of a separate institution and would be instrumental in the development of the Agricultural College (Beal 1915:401). Debate surrounding both options continued until 1855, when the formation of a separate agricultural institution was set into motion. On February 12, 1855, the Michigan State Legislature approved Act No. 30 providing for the 29 establishment of a State Agricultural School and placing responsibility in the hands of the State Board of Education. The act stated that “Upon purchase of such location and site, there shall be established on site, under direction and supervision of the State Board of Education, an Agricultural School, by the name and style of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, and chief purpose and design of which shall be to improve and teach the science and practice of agriculture (Beal 1915).” TaLaus ;" . 1' ‘1‘ "Low » _J' . .‘ {Me ’ in 4‘ ' , . 7 ‘1‘"; r- . . . 1:10}. 5. Hefi‘S‘k; Figure 3. 3. Section of map showing the Agricultural College In 1857. (Archives, MSU Museum) With legislation finally in place for the creation of an Agricultural College, the State Board of Education chose a 676.57 acre tract of land three miles east of the state capital in Lansing. Because the sale of the Salt Spring lands only received fifteen dollars per acre, the Board was forced to purchase land that was heavily forested with only two small clearings. While a large amount of energy would be required to clear the land, the 30 tract did have a large range of soils that would allow for various experiments once the college was up and running (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). Discussion by the State Board of Agriculture as to the proper type of buildings that would be necessary for an Agricultural College led them to consult with John C. Holmes because of his deep interest in the institution. Having no precedent for such a college, Holmes designed two buildings based on his idea of what the curriculum for the college should look like. Holmes’ designs were approved by the Board and Royce and Copeland of New York were contracted for the low bid of $26,500 to build both buildings. Original plans for College Hall included a central building with two wings on either side, although only the west wing was constructed due to budgetary constraints. The three story brick structure measuring 100 feet by 55 feet contained laboratory and lecture space on the first floor while the upper floors housed a library, agricultural museum, classrooms, and office space for professors (Kuhn 1955). 31 . -- J... - M . :h...fl'u_r ‘ -~.- $127.. E... .a -.':’-.:“~._....:.si. . . ”.3"; Figure 3.4. The earliest known photograph of the Agricultural College of Michigan taken in 1858. Saints’ Rest lies in the foreground with College Hall visible in the background. (Campus Buildings, Photographs, Saints’ Rest, MSUAHC) The second of the original two buildings on campus was the boarding hall, later known as Saints’ Rest. Holmes justified the construction of a boarding hall for the college by citing a lack of nearby homes for students to live in, a need for students to be on location to care for livestock day and night, and the ability of dorm life to build morale among students. Holmes felt that students living on campus were likely to develop a deeper loyalty to the college especially during the beginning years of the institution when the particulars were still being sorted out (Kuhn 1955). With this in mind, Holmes designed a three story brick structure measuring 46 by 50 feet with a rear extension of 36 by 40 feet ,(Royce and Copeland Contract, Feb 16, 1856. University Architects, 32 MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48). Taking into account a curriculum that would include work on the farm, Holmes designed the building to include a washroom and dressing room in the basement of the building so that students would be able to change out of muddy clothes into clean clothes to attend their classes. The boarding hall also contained a laundry, kitchen, dining room, steward’s apartment, and parlor, along with two floors of student rooms (Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). The opening of the Agricultural College was delayed due to problems with the construction of both buildings. Shortly after the buildings were completed, the roofs needed replacing, doors would not open or close, and the soft pine floors were extremely uneven. The College reported leaky cisterns and roofs that caused the plaster to weaken and crumble. The unforeseen expense of repairing these damages placed an unexpected financial strain on the college in its early years. By May 1857, the repairs had been completed and the professors had begun to collect materials and supplies to firmish their laboratories and classrooms in preparation for the opening of the Agricultural College in November 1857 (Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). The Early Years of Practical Education The success in establishing an Agicultural College in Michigan was just the beginning for the institution. While the infrastructure for the College was being prepared to accept its first class, it was necessary to spread word about the institution throughout the state to attract potential students. A December 10, 1856, announcement for the indicated that the College was to open on the first Wednesday of April 1857. This opening was delayed a month due to the construction issues with the dormitory and 33 College Hall. The announcement stated that applications would be evaluated on a first come, first serve basis from students 14 years old and up with a good primary school education. The notice informed prospective students that manual labor would be required and that the curriculum would include English literature, mathematics and natural sciences with attention to the “theory and practice of Agriculture” (Beal 1915). anvzrrrsznaurs. 8r lllll Illllllllllllll lllllll. i v r The following are some of the features of the State Agricultural College: I. It furnishes a lull four year‘s course of study in Science, Literature and Language. 2. Science and its application to .-\3rieultural and other arts oiliie take the time given in most Colleges to Creel: and Latin. 3. It has a Cheruiiil lnl‘iorutory for students to work in, a Farm, Stock, Gardens, Orchards, Green-house, Work shops; all of which are used for the instruction of students. 4. Board and washing are furnished at tout, and the charges are low in every particular. l 5. Three hours’labor is required of students, live after- noons of each week, and is paid for; the labor promoting skill health, good habits, and aiding to pay College hills. 6. Vacation is in winter, affording Opportunity to teach. 7. With proper care, preparation to enter can ‘re made in the common schools. The next term commences February 24, 1875. Send for information or Catrlogue to T. C. A. B B O T , President. LANSING, MICHIGAN. Figure 3.5. Advertisement for the State Agricultural College of Michigan, 1874. (Original Source Unknown, Michigan History Room, Capital Area District Library, Lansing, MI) 34 The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan welcomed its first students in May of 1857. Seventy-three students arrived at the college two days early with the hopes of joining the first entering class and were given an admissions test designed to ensure they had the proper foundations in geography, grammar, reading, mathematics, spelling and penmanship (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). Table 3.1. Sample admissions exams questions given to prospective students in February 1876. Students were required to achieve a score of 7 on a scale of 10 in order to be admitted into the College. (Catalogue of the Michigan State Agricultural College, 1876, MSUAHC, pg.42-43) The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan Admissions Exam Sample Questions, 1876 Arithmetic o If one pipe will fill a cistern in 4 hours, and another will empty it in 6 hours, in what time will the cistern be filled, by both pipes? o A ladder rests against the caves of a house 21 feet high, with its foot 32 feet horizontally from the house: Required length of ladder? Geography 0 Bound the State of Kentucky, name its capital, metropolis, three principal rivers, and the chief occupation of the people? 0 Name the bodies of water through which a vessel would sail in taking the most direct route from Liverpool to Calcutta? Grammar 0 What is a regular verb? Give the principal parts of lay, lie, sit, and set. Analyze and parse: “Every student needs good habits, that he may prosper in his studies.” Sixty-one students passed the exams and were admitted to the college on May 13, 1876. The 1858 Report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction states that no students from states other than Michigan would be accepted into the college as accommodations were only available for 80 students at the time. The schedule for the institution consisted of a summer term beginning on the first Wednesday of April and ending on the last 35 Wednesday in October and a winter term beginning on the first Wednesday of December and ending on the last Wednesday of February. The dedication of the Agricultural College drew a crowd that included the Governor, state legislators, members of the Board of Education, professors, students and interested individuals from throughout the state who came together to celebrate the opening of the institution. In his dedication speech, president of the College Joseph R. Williams expressed his belief in the philosophy of the institution and its success. According to Williams, the College “established on no precedent, it is alike a pioneer in the march of men and the march of mind” and “the elements of the Institution around us are rough and crude, but even in the embryo, we recognize an enlightened forecast (Mayhew 1858:26).” There was great hope and support for the College by those that had struggled for many years to see its development. Opposition to the College was addressed by President Williams throughout his dedication speech. Claims that an experimental Agricultural College would be too costly is refuted by Williams as he points to the importance of agriculture to the United States and provides examples of how practical agricultural education would help the state of farmers throughout the nation. He urged critics to be patient as the benefits of the education the College was offering may not be immediately visible during the first few years. Friends and enemies will demand too much, and that too early. The acorn we bury to-day, will not branch into a majestic oak to- morrow. The orchard we plant this year, will not afford a harvest of fruit the next. The Institution itself, like the seeds, the plants, the trees, the breeds, the very implements which come under its ordeal requires patience, wisdom, time, for trial and development (Mayhew 18582289). 36 The opening of the Agricultural College represented an opportunity for a large portion of the population to gain higher education that previously may not have had access to it. This, along with the combination of manual labor and classroom instruction, would, the founders thought, provide a well rounded education for students and prepare them for life in the rapidly changing world of the late nineteenth century (Widder 2005). The creation of a curriculum for the Agricultural College was surrounded by much debate and faced restructuring throughout the early years of the institution. At the opening of the College in 1857, the curriculum consisted of a combination of manual labor and classroom studies that lay at the core of the institution’s philosophy, the “harmonizing [of] a System of Labor with a System of Study (Mayhew 1858:320).” Students were required to work on the farm for three hours per day in the summer and two and a half hours in the winter, while the rest of their time was devoted to attending classes and studying in their rooms. Because the College was located on a heavily forested tract of land, students attending in the first few years of operation spent the majority of their manual labor hours working to chop wood and clear stumps from the area, as opposed to performing agricultural experiments (Kuhn 1955, Mayhew 1858, Widder 2005). The course work for students at the Agricultural College centered on the idea that “Morally, physically, intellectually, he must be a man, before he can be a farmer” (Mayhew 18581295). While manual labor challenged the students physically, a set of courses was designed to challenge students intellectually. According to the 1858 Report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the four year course of study focused heavily on agricultural chemistry with a new chemical laboratory “inferior to few in the country” 37 in which to learn. Courses were also offered in the natural sciences, mathematics, rhetoric, history, moral and intellectual philosophy, political economy and constitutional law. The early curriculum was loosely defined in this way and left room for President Williams and the College’s first professors, including John C. Holmes, to develop a solid curriculum for the College. It would take them several years to develop a curriculum that they would then need to defend to the increasing group of skeptics surrounding the institution. The Struggle to Keep the College Open The Agricultural College faced many struggles during its first few years of operation including the resignation of President Williams in 1859 and the subsequent battle over establishing a defined curriculum. President Williams was a strong proponent of a four year curriculum that would provide students with a broad range of knowledge and Skills. After his resignation, a push was made to shift the College to a two year curriculum that focused on farm management as opposed to a more general scientific agriculture background. The students and faculty opposed this new curriculum as it went against the philosophy of the College and their reasons for involvement with the institution; they were not attending the school to simply become better farmers (W idder 2005). Lewis Ransom Fisk, professor of chemistry for the College took over as interim president alter Williams’ resignation and fought to keep the four year course of study in tact. Along with the proposed changes in curriculum, the College also faced the threat of inclusion within the University of Michigan. Because the initial years of operation for the College were not profitable and were proving to be more costly than expected, many 38 skeptics were arguing for the inclusion of the Agricultural College within the University of Michigan (Kuhn 2005, Widder 2005). The debate over a merger between the Agricultural College and the University of Michigan ended in 1860 when the state legislature passed an act reorganizing the College and establishing the State Board of Agriculture to govern it. The act also put an end to the debate over curriculum as it called for a four year program for the institution (Widder 2005). The future of the Agricultural College was further solidified with the passage of the Monill Act of 1862. This legislation created a federal land grant program for the support of higher education across the nation. It called for federal lands to be sold for the creation of institutions dedicated to teaching subjects “related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. . .in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life”(Widder 2005:48). The Monill Act served to validate the efforts made by the founders of the Agricultural College of Michigan and provide further support for the institution, allowing it to prosper and provide the education to its students that it had envisioned. 39 A Glimpse of the College in 1876 \ Figure 3.6. View of Saints’ Rest from the north shortly before its destruction by fire. The College Barn is visible in the rear (Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC). Dramatic changes occurred within the Agricultural College during the first twenty years of operation. In order to accommodate the growing number of students showing interest in the College, a second boarding hall was built and opened its doors to students in 1870, adding accommodations for 86 more students. The original boarding hall, Saints’ Rest, had been built to house 56 students but was made to house 80 students by doubling the occupancy of the rooms. The original boarding hall was no longer able to accommodate the growing needs of the school and appropriations were obtained to build Williams Hall (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). By the time of the destruction of Saints’ Rest by fire in 1876, enrollment at the Agricultural College had increased to 166, 40 including ten women listed as “for special studies” in the catalog (Briggs 1877). Women were allowed to take courses at the College starting in 1870, with a formal program developed in 1896. Four of these female students lived in Williams Hall while the rest stayed with families in the surrounding town (Widder 2005). Additional buildings built between 1870 and 1876 included a farm house, piggery, horse barn, greenhouse and a new chemical laboratory. According to the 1874 Report to the Superintendent, the “College Park, in which all the buildings are, comprises more than 80 acres, and was laid out by an experienced landscape gardener”(Briggs 1875:172). By the time that Saints’ Rest burned to the ground in 1876, discussions had already taken place about the need to build another dormitory for students, Wells Hall, which would be built in 1877 (Beal 1915, Widder 2005). NRC hensesm‘teh log 3\ Sheen: 3 t 'Ltwh s‘tx'\M\\u \0 \‘ae gem Sco\¢{ Ww‘da 99"“5 stuhm‘“ to the "melt him.“ use uwo’mtch. —— o m ' ‘N! “\KVCt35‘3— . i . .' . I . F - ‘3' ,4 \‘° 3 i N: .u “I \P 5 - I; ‘H :1 ' ' . -‘ \ ’ ‘ 14‘ Q- 61 O o r I- it ‘, 5 , $§ "‘ ‘ \F‘s’ 3*Sja‘gc‘$§~ 9“ $'. §\‘P\"‘;fi ¢~‘~‘w F \o‘§}i$" kaé"twf.hrg;;f ' ‘3’ ‘0' Q g“ ‘9 e ‘6, .1) G9 Q) is" a. {N , 43 ¢ ‘9: é. ‘ n " e e are "e e e . A? use... ';.J ire-er. «9 “ ‘. q; ‘3‘ ’3’, 0‘ 3b ‘3’» §\'. é‘ .3‘Q 'i: o‘. ‘ ~k' " - ‘6‘ r “0 Q'V. “a ,6“ U 1“ 9‘. Ha“ JF'L‘: A‘ \‘6'22. _qr ": 4 .z e 58‘ ~ \, {y 3 gas “w ‘. 3, 4;- L “I. “f 3 r’iv‘sa'f "'7 v") 9"") " $.3‘bdts“. v" "j " a? 4. '¢ W Figure 3.7. Dr. Wi-llTam J. Beal’s timeline of the Agricultural College depicting it as a stream. The years 1864-1876 are represented in the above portion. (Beal 1915) 41 The curriculum of the College around the time of Saints’ Rest ‘s destruction in 1876 was well defined and consisted of distinct set of courses for each term. The 1874 Report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction reports the course of study for each class, including algebra and book-keeping for Freshman; horticulture, chemical analysis, and surveying for Sophomores; agricultural chemistry, entomology and mechanics for Juniors; and mental philosophy, political economy, and civil engineering for Seniors (Briggs 1875). The diversity in courses represents the effort to provide a broad education to students got which the early supporters of the College had struggled. The presence of mechanics and civil engineering courses demonstrates the influence of the Morrill Act and its call for education of the “agricultural and mechanic arts (Widder 2005).” 42 38. Program fromthe l6 Cocmmenment Cerernonyof the Michigan State Agricultural College. (MSU Museum Archives) In the face of so much skepticism about the success of the Agricultural College in its early years, the occupations of alumni were reported to demonstrate the success of the institution. At the time of Saints’ Rest’s destruction, the College reported the occupation of 124 alumni, including 42 farmers, 7 hit culturists, 4 engineers, 7 law students, and 13 teachers. The report also states that 11 former students now held positions as professors or instructors at the Agricultural College itself (Briggs 1877). A large group of alumni were involved in education or farming, demonstrating the agricultural goals of the 43 College, while at the same time showcasing the diversity of occupations available as a result of the broad education students received. A Land Grant Legacy The development and struggles of the Agricultural College in its early years have had a lasting effect on the institution that is now Michigan State University. The 2005 Sesquicentennial celebration of the University caused many members of campus to reflect on the history of the institution. Old traditions were revived such as the annual water carnival on the Red Cedar River and an exhibit by the MSU Museum showcased the 150 year history of the University. The Michigan State University Press published the first in a series of three books on the history of the institution with Keith Widder’s 2005 Michigan Agricultural College: The Evolution of a Land-Grant Philosophy, [855-1925. These activities and publications, along with the archaeological exploration of the original boarding hall, Saints’ Rest, served to remind the campus community of the roots of the University as they also looked forward to the future. The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan opened its doors to 61 students in 1857 and has grown into Michigan State University with over 41,000 students. The 667 acre wooded campus with two buildings has grown into a 5,200 acre campus containing 660 buildings and an additional 15,000 acres of land throughout the state used for research (MSU Facts at a Glance 2005 ~2006, http://newsroom.msu.edu/snav/184/page.htm). As the University looked back on its history, it also looked to the future, launching its “Boldness by Design” initiative, a strategic plan whose goal is to have Michigan State University “recognized as the United 44 States’ leading land-grant university for the 21St century (Boldness by Design Initiative, http://boldnessbydesign.msu.edu/).” The University’s goal is to achieve this status by 2012 in order to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act of 1862. This illustrates the continuing influence that the founding principles and early years of the institution have on the current actions and goals of the University. The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project represented a unique avenue for the University community to explore its earliest history at a time when the history of the institution was in the forefiont of many peoples minds. The history of the Agricultural College’s early years provides a context in which to understand the importance of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project, both for understanding the importance of the first boarding hall as well as the project’s role in helping the University celebrate its Sesquicentennial anniversary. Community members, particularly students and alumni, were able to connect and relate to early student life in comparison to their own experience and Michigan State University. 45 CHAPTER 4 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SAINTS’ REST The excavation of Saints’ Rest represented the first archaeological excavations conducted on the main campus of Michigan State University. Saints’ Rest is located in the heart of MSU’S north campus, the oldest section of the University. It was unknown to the archaeologists what sort of activity, such as construction, had taken place in this area of campus over the past 130 years and in what condition the site would be found. One of the main project goals was to determine what was left of the building and the condition of the building's remains. This, along with information regarding the architecture of the building as determined by the 2005 excavations, will be explored in this chapter. Archaeological Potential In order to determine the archaeological potential of Saints’ Rest, one of the initial steps in preparing for the project was to conduct archival research in the Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections (MSUAHC). Archival material regarding the founding of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, and its initial construction would help set the stage for the excavations in terms of the size and construction of the building, as well as clues as to what was done with the remains of Saints’ Rest after it was destroyed by fire (Lansing Republican [LR], 12 December 1876). It was known that the building was destroyed by fire, but it was not clear what was done with the building and its contents afterwards. Were materials salvaged from the debris for use elsewhere? Were there any later structures built on the site of Saints’ Rest that no longer exist? What was used to fill in the foundation of the building after it 46 was destroyed? Any information in the archives that would complete the history of the building, in terms of architecture and its destruction would be useful to the archaeologists as they set out to explore the site. The location of Saints’ Rest is commemorated by a concrete marker measuring approximately two feet by two feet designating the northeast comer of the building. The marker, partially set into a sidewalk that cross cuts the site, reads “N.E. CORNER SAINTS’ REST BUILT 1856 BURNED DEC 9 1876” (Stanford and Dewhurst 2002). was laid by Addison Makepeace Brown, then Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, at the urging of Professor William J. Beal sometime between the years of 1903 and 1915 (Kuhn 1955). Figure 4.1. Concrete marker commemorating the location of Saints’ Rest. The marker is extremely worn and the writing has been embossed in this photograph for easier reading. 47 The marker is extremely worn and often goes unnoticed by faculty and students who walk past it on the sidewalk regularly. The location of Saints’ Rest is also marked through oral tradition on the campus of Michigan State University. Employees working in the MSU Museum, located directly to the west of the location of Saints’ Rest, note that when drought conditions occur on campus, the faint outline of building foundations are visible in the grass (Lovis 2006, pers. comm). This gave researchers an indication that some form of the foundations of Saints’ Rest existed underground but it was unclear what condition they were in and what else of the building remained. Archiggl Information Archival research, in the form of written documents and photographs, served to inform the archaeologists about the size and architecture of Saints’ Rest. While no blueprints are available for the structure, an 1860 inventory of college property lists “1 Boarding House, built of brick. The Main building is 46 x 50 feet with an extension in the rear 36 x 40 feet and three stories high”(Holmes Inventory, MSUAHC, UA 17.107). Saints’ Rest and College Hall, the main instructional building, were built by contractors Royce and Copeland of Rochester, New York for a bid of $26,000. Building specifications provided by Royce and Copeland state plans for a stone foundation wall for the building made of: hammer dressed stone laid in grout mortar and double faced: the outer face sloping upward to the grade line where it is to be [22 inches]. Above the grade line the basement walls are to be of brick two feet thick faced with the best quality of hard burned weather pressed brick. The top of the water table is to be 3 '/2 feet above the grade line on the North, East, and South sides. The projection of the basement walls beyond the plumb line of the walls above is be to be (sic) 4 inches, on this projection a water table or belt is to be carried round the entire basement three courses of brick thick and covered with cast iron plate set one inch into 48 the walls with a dish bead on outer & lower edge (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48). The specifications also call for “three rooms in the basement. . .dressing room, washing rooms, hall kitchens are to be furnished in a style appropriate to their respective uses” and “brick walls in the basement to be 20 inches thick” with the height of the basement to clear 8 feet (University Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1). As far as the upper floors of the building are concerned, there are no records indicating a specific layout of the building. Archival records make mention of a parlor, dining room and quarters for the Steward and his family on the first floor of the building with the student rooms located on the upper two floors (R.F Johnstone to J .M. Gregory, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107; Gunnison Essay, MSUAHC, UA 17.107 ; Kuhn 1955). Built to house approximately 60 students, two to a room, there were 28 rooms on the upper two floors, or 14 rooms per floor, dedicated to students. The student’s rooms were numbered sequentially, as indicated by student letters and diaries in which they discuss their rooms (E.H. Bradner to S. Fairrnan, 1866, MSUAHC, UA 103.206; J .S. Tibbitts to T.C. Abbot, 1863, TCAP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.3; R.B. Hayes to RP. Hayes, 1875, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107). The exact layout of rooms within the building is unknown but the potential to locate specific rooms such as the washroom and kitchen within the basement would be considered by researchers as they conducted their excavations. While archival material provides information concerning the structure of Saints’ Rest and its function as a boarding hall, there is little information available regarding how the building was treated after it was destroyed by fire. There are several newspaper articles covering the story of the fire at Saints’ Rest but none of them address how the Agricultural College dealt with the structure’s ruins. According to The Lansing 49 Republican (December 12, 1876) the fire at Saints’ Rest was discovered around 6:45pm by the farm’s herdsman, Mr. Hamilton, and was confined to a room in the northeast corner of the building. The Lansing Fire Department was notified and a steam engine arrived on the scene about an hour later to find a collapsed roof and the building engulfed in flames. Articles in The Detroit Daily Post, Detroit Free Press and The Detroit Advertiser &. Tribune all discuss the fire as being reported by the herdsman and the estimated cost of damage at $8000. A defective flue is reported as the cause for the fire, although The Detroit Daily Post originally blamed workmen, who were repairing the basement walls, for causing the fire. Records kept by the Agricultural College do not include a discussion of what happened to debris after Saints’ Rest was destroyed. The annual report to the Superintendent of the Board of Education for 1876 simply states that the building bumed down and that no new students would be admitted to the College for that year, until more dormitory space could be provided. The Lansing Republican (December 12, 1876) reported that 60 students that had been living in the East Boarding Hall (Saints’ Rest) since the new boarding hall had been built (Williams Hall in 1870) would need to be housed elsewhere upon their return to the College. Plans for the construction of the first Wells Hall were already being discussed at the time of the fire at Saints’ Rest and this would serve to alleviate the need for student living space once construction was completed in 1877 (Widder 2005246). The president of the College in 1876 was Theophilus Abbot and all that was noted in his private journal regarding the fire is a simple one line sentence stating that the east hall had burned down (TCAP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.3). 50 Only three photographs of Saints’ Rest were located during archival research but they provide valuable clues as to its general construction (Saints’ Rest, Campus Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC). The building was three stories with a basement partially above ground, including windows. The building contained a minimum of three first floor entrances, with a main entrance on the North side of the building and two additional entrances on either side of the rear extension. A fourth entrance is likely in the south end of the building, although no photographs of the south end of the building are available. All entrances were accessed via a set of stairs with a small first floor landing. The north entrance to the building consisted of a double staircase of six stairs on each side of a small landing. The cast and west entrances were accessed via a single set of stairs. Figure .2 Students posed in frnt of Sain’ Rest in 1858. photograph shows the east side of the building with College Hall is visible in the background to the right. (Saints’ Rest, College Buildings, Photographs, MSUAHC) 51 A photograph of Saints’ Rest in 1858 shows the east face of the building containing six windows on the second and third floors, five in the basement, and five windows and a door on the first floor for a total of twenty two windows. The west side of the building is ascertained to be the same. An additional photo from just before its destruction shows the north face of the building containing eight windows and the main entrance to the structure. There are no photographs showing the south face of the building and it unclear how many windows were located on that side of the building. The building therefore contained at least 52 windows, excluding those on the south face of the building. The construction specifications call for “basement windows on the east side 10 by 14 glass, 12 light, all others 6 light of sawn glass, all windows above 12 light 10 by 16 glass (Architects UA 4.9. 1).” The measurement “10 by 14” refers to the dimensions of individual panes of glass while “12 light” refers to the number of panes per window (www.nuair.com/Info/Glossary.html). Building specifications also call for exterior brick walls two feet thick and a roof made of slate with copper down piping. Annual reports from 1858 note that the slate roof had to be repaired shortly after its construction. A large number of repairs to both Saints’ Rest and College Hall were noted during the first years of the institution, indicating that neither building was well constructed. (Williams 1958, Kuhn 1955). Although the architecture of Saints’ Rest was relatively simple, it was a large building that would have left a large amount of debris upon its destruction, debris that would have filled the basement of the building. It was therefore likely that, depending on how the building was treated after the fire, that a large amount of material still existed under ground. For archaeologists, it signified the potential for the site to yield 52 archaeological data that could provide new information about the building and early student life at the Agricultural College of Michigan. Archaeolggical Excavations With the information collected from the archives about Saints’ Rest, archaeologists set out to determine what remained of the building and its’ contents through archaeological excavations. The excavation of Saints’ Rest was conducted by students enrolled in an archaeological field methods course offered each year by the MSU Department of Anthropology, as well as two additional courses, an “Archaeology for Educators” program and a one week high school program offered by the MSU Museum. Prior to excavations, archaeologists were able to locate, using a soil probe and the documented dimensions of the building, the outline of Saints’ Rest. Using the concrete marker for orientation, the area was probed and the foundations located. This probing also provided clues as to the depth at which the remains of Saints’ Rest would appear, in some places only an inch or two below surface. A 5 feet by 5 feet grid was laid out over the portion of the site to be excavated and was oriented along the north-south line of the building. The site datum was given the arbitrary coordinates of N300 E300 from which the location of all excavation units were determined. 53 ’igure 4.3. Sketch map showing the relationship of the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest to the estimated footprint of the building. (Not to Scale) Excavations were focused on the northernmost section of the building due to the location of many large trees surrounding the site (Figure 4.3). Because the excavations were being conducted as part of a field school and students were learning proper excavation techniques as the project progressed, the first excavation units were opened outside of the structure. This would serve several purposes; the first being to determine the natural soil stratigraphy. It also served to give students an opportunity to practice their excavation skills on soil that presumably had a less complex stratigraphy than the interior of the building. Knowing that Saints’ Rest was destroyed by fire and collapsed onto itself led archaeologists to suspect that the internal stratigraphy of the building would be relatively complex. Providing the students with experience outside the structure would better prepare them to excavate the interior of the building. 54 .Hmom .fifiam “a maongeoxm moom 2t 9:395 32 .85 .v.v oSwE \ /\ 5:2. @5259 \_ \ \mcofi / \ (\ _acoEmE \ / \ =95 cgmucze EtcE tam 82w 298538 w. ..m 290 :8 .\ W» i . .e. \r/ “we...“ 0E: :88; 83238 . M . \ . \ ..u . . w . ..\ \ , a ., \ F \ /. i . 8cm: . ._., 8mm \.x .. Mayan /\ 53563 . oomz \\ 4 \c e . .\\ / \\.\ \\ / \ k 1,,\ . I \\ . a / \7 e ..... 32.8 . \ N e. \ _ 6x03 :88; .. cc \. /\ __ /7/ :88; \Z« \ . \/-/\ Emotfia ./ . \ I. __ \ . . _ . 5:2. 2 \ / wam afloN _ \ . W \ . .. ._ Gonxomn \ . 1.... __ ., rCRooz 55:2 _ .. .. m \ ES mm H. . a. comma 82m. 2 ._ U//\.\ >23 ... N . . , N I, . .. — w. Wu K _ _. .. . . . 5 _ we...” =§s x05 .. _. 8:ch .. 3......N/ \ 5 _ a . 8.5222 .1 .. H a...” s _ 58 “a. ._ \ zap/Gone \ mum/52:8 sow u w... cubes/BE 52 u I z ”EEG: u I — mzoew u I a 2 m o :31 mum 8:983 meow 6mm .wE_mm Natural Stratigraphy SAINTS' REST 30lNln‘3 gocutznz SQUARE 4 mm E125 PROHLF OF SOUTH WALL ‘ “’6‘" J-waw... _ JUNl I1 2605 Figure 4.5. Exctin nit 4 (N2 south profile structure of Saints’ Rest. _, s _, shnow1g the natural stratigraph y surrounding the The natural stratigraphy of the area surrounding Saints’ Rest is relatively simple (Figure 4.6). Because of its location in the center of campus, the area is covered with grass and cross cut by several sidewalks. There is a relatively thick (0.1-0.5ft) A horizon composed of a dark grey topsoil followed by a thicker (0.4-1.2ft) B Horizon of mottled light brown sandy soil. A buried A horizon was discovered beneath the B horizon and consists of a mottled gray loam with charcoal inclusions. This layer likely represents the level of the ground surface in 1856, as the builder’s trench for the building is sharply distinguished from the gray layer in units surrounding the foundation wall. 56 The Internal Stratigraphy of Saints ' Rest Excavations within the structure of Saints’ Rest revealed that a large amount of material from the building, including in situ remains from the building's occupation, remain below the present day ground surface. A large amount of debris was uncovered during excavations, and the basement floor of the building was identified. The general stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest can be broken down into four general layers. The thickness of each stratigraphic layer varied across the site but each was distinguishable. The stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest consisted of a layer of topsoil (A Horizon), a shallow B Horizon of tan sandy soil, a rubble layer consisting of brick and mortar rubble, ash, and charcoal, followed by an ash layer containing a large amount of charcoal and charred wood. The ash layer rests upon the basement floor of the building, which varied in its composition. 57 u-v~ ‘ l . l minim t ti.‘ Figure 4.6. West profle of excavation units 10 a d 24 (200 E0) shong te netmal stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest. The rubble and ash layers varied in thickness across the site. It is clear from the internal stratigraphy of Saints’ Rest that debris and rubble from the building itself was used to fill in the foundations of the structure after it was destroyed by fire. The presence of the B horizon represents a small layer of fill that may have been used to level out the soil which would enable grass to grow and the area to blend into the landscape of the campus. In general, the thickest layer was the rubble layer, at some points over two feet thick. In terms of artifact density, the rubble and ash layer contained a high proportion of the artifacts recovered during the excavations. The rubble layer would have consisted of debris from the upper floors and walls that would have collapsed into the structure during and after the fire. The majority of charred wood remains, including joists and floorboards, were found within the ash layer just beneath the rubble. This represents 58 evidence for the collapse of the internal structure with the external brick walls then collapsing on top of the ash debris. The final layer encountered during excavations was the basement floor of the building. Excavations on the eastern side of Saints’ Rest revealed a packed sand basement floor with signs of soil reddening from the fire. A series of in situ features were discovered resting on the sand surface and no evidence for another type of flooring was discovered in this section of the basement, leading the archaeologists to believe that it was in fact the original basement floor. The western half of the basement revealed cobblestone flooring, a possible indication for differential use of this section of the basement. 59 F iure 4.7 . Unit8, 3258 shovnng the cobbletone floogrin of the east room. The western edge of the intrusive backhoe trench is visible in this photograph, indicated by the lack of stratigraphy in the eastern unit profile. Evidence of Disturbance Excavations at Saints’ Rest did not indicate any attempts at salvage afier the foundations were filled in. There would clearly have been a large amount of debris and rubble from the three story structure, and material may have been salvaged from the upper layers of debris. There are no archaeological indications of salvage pits in the debris filling the foundation of the building. It appears that afier the fire, debris was pushed into the foundations of the buildings and leveled off. While there is no mention 6O in written records of this process, it is presumed that excess debris not used to fill in the foundation of the building would have been removed from the site and disposed of elsewhere. A large amount of brick was recovered from the site but did not represent the number of bricks that would have been needed for the construction of the entire northern half of the building. This suggests that material from the building was removed after its destruction. Archival information does not directly address the issue of salvaging material from Saints’ Rest for use elsewhere on campus but it is possible that it did occur. In an April 1877 call for proposals from contractors for the construction of a new dormitory, Abbot Hall, the contractors were instructed to “state in their proposals the amount they will allow on the contract price for the brick and rubble stone on the ground now (TCAP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.3).” It is unclear whether this may refer to the use of brick and stone from Saints’ Rest, which was destroyed just four months prior to this notice, or if these materials are from other projects on campus. There was a brickyard located on the campus that furnished a large amount of bricks used in the construction of campus buildings, and it is not hard to imagine that available bricks would come from this source. While there was not physical evidence for the salvage of material from within the foundations of Saints’ Rest, excavations did reveal evidence for modern disturbance at the site. A backhoe trench measuring approximately three feet in width was discovered running in a north-south direction through the site. 61 _ . «J -h- Figure 4.8. An intrusive backhoe trench destroyed a three foot section of the cast-west wall (Feature 103) in Unit 4, N320 E325 and is indicated by the sharp change in soil color and lack of stratigraphic layers in the western half of the unit. The trench was first observed 0.5 feet below ground surface and extends at least three feet in depth and 30 feet in length, based on its presence in excavation units in the northern and southern extent of the site. The trench appears to extend further in length 62 based on its’ appearance in the unit walls. It is unclear when, or for what purpose, this trench was excavated through the site but it appears that the soil removed from the trench was then used to fill it back in. Teeth marks from the bucket of a backhoe were observed in the trench fill during excavations. The soil contained both modern and historic artifacts and was dispersed with bricks and cobblestones found in the intact stratigraphy of the site were dispersed throughout. The profile of excavation units where this backhoe trench was located demonstrates the lack of stratigraphy, indicating the disturbance. During excavation of this disturbance, the teeth marks of a backhoe bucket were visible in the soil. The Architecture of Saints’ Rest Excavations at Saints’ Rest provided valuable information about the architecture and construction of the building. With very little archival information available regarding the layout and construction, archaeological exploration of the building during 2005 was able to provide clues as to how it was constructed, as well as how it was being used at the time of its destruction by fire in 1876. The location of units chosen to be excavated was determined based on their potential to provide information about the architecture of the building. The following will present the archaeological findings related to the architecture and construction of Saints’ Rest by first looking at the architectural features uncovered during excavations as well as examining the organization of the building in terms of how it was laid out and used by those that lived and worked there. 63 Architectural Remains The building was substantial in size, measuring 50 ft wide by 46 ft in length with an extension in the rear 40 ft wide by 36 ft in length and constructed of brick (Holmes Inventory, MSUAHC, UA 17.107). While it was destroyed by fire, a large number of architectural features remained intact beneath the surface, primarily relating to the foundation and basement of the building. The upper floors were destroyed during the fire and subsequent collapse of the building but some remains were discovered within the rubble that provided a limited amount of information about this portion of the building. As was discussed earlier, it appears as though some rubble from the building was used to fill in the foundation of the structure after it was destroyed, with the rest of the material being discarded elsewhere. This process served to seal the remains of the lower portion of the building as well as preserve remnants of the upper floors in the rubble. Foundation Wall Excavations revealed the remains of a stone foundation. Forty five feet of foundation wall were uncovered, exposing portions of the north, east, and western walls. The tapered foundation consists of large granite field stones joined with a coarse lime mortar and measured 2.5 feet wide at the top. An associated builder’s trench of light tan sand and measuring approximately 2.5 feet was identified on the exterior along the wall. 64 _._.~ 4...,— 7 SAINTS' FESI sow? ‘l. sOw‘flE 3 BOTH)” (2F Figure 4..9 The tan soil above represents the builder‘s trench associated visible in the south profile (Unit 3, N335 E 315). The mottled grey soil contained ash and charcoal inclusions. Excavation of the builder’s trench produced numerous chippings of granite and mortar, presumably trash from the fitting of stones during construction of the wall. A large amount of amorphous course mortar was located at the base of the builder’s trench for the west foundation wall. This mortar appears to have been excess material from construction that was discarded in the trench before it was filled in. Other artifacts found within the builder’s trench included a small amount of window glass and cut nails (Appendix D). 65 Figure 4.10. The northern foundation wall looking west. The wall measured 2.5 feet in width and was composed of large granite field stones joined with a coarse mortar (Units 9, 13, 23, 15; N 335 E315-330). The interior of the foundation wall was coated in a thick coarse plaster composed of an orangish red sand with a thin top coat of pure lime plaster. Portions of the interior north and west foundation wall had remnants of the plaster coating intact with evidence of chairing and smoldering from the fire. The quality of the plaster work within the building was problematic before the building opened its doors to students. Early reports from the College discuss the need for repairs to the plaster due to damage from leaky roofs, causing the plaster to crumble and adding to the financial strains experienced in the early years of the institution (Kuhn 1955, Mayhew 1859). Repair work was being carried out on the plaster walls of the building at the time of the fire, with the workmen making 66 those repairs originally being accused of causing the fire (The Lansing Republican, December 12, 1876). SO l3 TO“ BASIMEN; FLOOR ' JUNE )8 2005 Plastered \anl Surface Figure 4.11. The northern foundation wall of the building had been plastered on the interior of the building. Sections of plasterwork were also found on the eastern foundation wall. The substantial remains of the stone foundation uncovered during excavations had a strong visual impact on visitors to the site. The intact remains of the foundation demonstrated to visitors the possibility for undisturbed cultural resources on campus and value of archaeology in discovering such resources. As a result of its strong visual impact and the subsequent interest of community members, a small portion of the foundation wall was removed by a University mason and stored for future exhibition by the University. An 11 stone section of the western foundation wall (Unit 11, N320 E320) 67 was carefully photographed, documented and labeled prior to the removal and storage of these stones. Interior Walls Three interior walls composed of brick were identified during excavations at Saints’ Rest, each exhibiting a different form of construction. A wall running in an east- west direction was located in the southernmost portion of the excavation area. The wall was two courses wide (0.7 feet) and twelve courses high, with a brick sill along the bottom edge. The height of the wall measured 1.9 feet and was bonded, with two rows of headers spaced eight courses apart. The walls served to break up the basement of the building into separate rooms, as was indicated in archival information. Figure 4.12. The east-west interior wall in Units 12 and 22 (N300 13275-280). The wall butts up against 7 the western stone foundation wall to the right and shows evidence of damage as several course of brick are missing on the eastern portion of the wall. 68 The specifications for construction of the building of the Boarding House included “three rooms in the basement. . .dressing room, washing rooms, hall kitchens are to be furnish’d in a style appropriate to their respective uses (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48).” The presence of interior walls within the basement is therefore consistent with what was known about the general use of this area of Saints’ Rest. Two additional interior brick walls were located in a north-south direction in the center of the building. These walls composed either side of a central hallway that will be discussed separately. The general construction of these walls was similar to the east-west wall, twelve courses high with a sill at the base of the wall, although they also contained an airspace of three inches that, when probed, continued down the entire height of the wall. This construction technique, referred to as cavity masonry, came into use during the 19th century and quickly became commonplace. The air cavity served as a form of moisture control, with moisture condensing when it entered the airspace and prevented it from permeating the rest of the Wall (Mulligan 1942). Contractors Royce and Copeland laid out their plans for this form of construction in their College Hall specifications, citing “walls above ground to be of brick laid hollow, span 1 ‘/2 inches” while the “walls will be faced with hard bum’d press’d brick, laid in plumb joint or bond and tuck’d (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48).” 69 Basement Floor Figure 4.13. The westernmost interior wall demonstrating the use of cavity masonry and the plastered surface of the central hallway (Unit 21, N320 E290). In cooperation with stewardship of the University landscape, roots uncovered during excavation were kept in tact so as not to jeopardize the health of nearby trees. There is a discrepancy in the construction of the two north-south walls. While both walls contain airspace measuring approximately three inches in width, only the western wall has been faced with an additional course of bricks as called for in the construction plans. This third course is located on the interior of the hallway and has been finished with a thin coat of lime plaster. The eastern wall does not contain a third course of brick, but the interior has also been plastered. Because only a five foot section of each wall was exposed during the 2005 excavations, it is unclear if there was a structural reason for the differential construction. 70 Hallway A hallway was discovered running through the center of the building, composed of the two north-south brick walls on either side of a raised plaster floor. Preliminary results of a ground penetrating radar survey conducted on the southern, unexcavated portion of the site showed evidence for the hallway continuing throughout the entire length of the building (Mann 2005, pers. comm). The floor of the hallway, which measured 8.6 feet in width, was dark black in color, presumably the result of foot traffic and use during the building’s occupation in addition to any discoloration from the fire and resulting ash deposit found directly above the floor. Central Hallway “—t I’rri—v—Ti’ “WT—W West Wall East Wall Figure 4.14. Photographs showing either side of the raised central hall of Saints’ Rest. The hallway measured approximately 8.5 feet in width. The discrepancies in wall construction can be seen in these two photographs with the west wall having a third course of bricks on the interior of the hallway. (West wall—— Unit 21, N320 E290; East wall~Unit 27, N315 E300) 71 Because of the location of washrooms and changing rooms in the basement, traffic from students would have included trips in and out of the field with their soiled clothes from working on the farm. The floor of the hallway measured one foot higher than the flooring of the basement rooms on either side of it, resting at 2.8 feet below the ground surface while the basement floor lay approximately four feet below surface. This raised floor would have meant that students would have stepped down into the rooms of the basement, although no entryways into these rooms were excavated during the 2005 excavations. The location of the original boarding hall kitchen in the basement may also have explained the raised plaster hallway in the basement. The hard and even plaster flooring of the hallway would have made it easier for students and employees of the school to bring in supplies to the kitchen using wheelbarrows. There are no direct archival references to this activity. Basement Flooring As indicated by the interior walls, two rooms were identified within the basement of Saints’ Rest during the 2005 excavation of the site, each with a distinctive flooring type. Excavations revealed a cobblestone floor in the northwest corner of the building composed of relatively uneven cobblestones. Due to a limited number of excavation units opened in the northwest portion of the building, only a small area of cobblestone flooring was uncovered. 72 Figure 4.15. Unit 18, N325 E280 showing the cobblestone floor(Feature 1 16) of the eastern room. The I photo board is resting on the intrusive backhoe trench that extends across the site that is also evident in the lack of stratigraphy in the east wall of this unit. Intact flooring was located in the northernmost section of the room (unit 18, N325 E280), while the cobblestones in the southernmost section of the room appear to have been disturbed, with large sections of cobble missing (Units 12 and 22, N 300 E275-280). A major disturbance to the cobblestone flooring of the west room occurred as a result of the intrusive backhoe trench that spanned a three feet wide and at least 30 feet in length across the site. The stratigraphy was disturbed in this area and cobbles were found 73 scattered throughout the trench fill. Some of the cobbles showed evidence of soot from the fire and the layer of ash debris found resting directly on top of it. The eastern half of the basement revealed a packed sand floor. Composed of a light tan sand, the floor showed evidence of heat alteration, in the form of reddening, from the fire in several areas including along the northern foundation wall as well as patches in the southern extent of the excavations. Large areas of sand floor were exposed showing differential mottling, likely the result of use over the twenty years of Saints’ Rest existence. A section of flooring exposed in unit 17 (N 305 E310) exhibited a striped pattern of light tan and brown sand. The pattern suggested that there may have been boards covering this section of the floor at one time, leading to soil discoloration, although no such boards were found during the excavations. Figure 4.16. The above photograph shows he mottled sand floor of the east room in the basement of Saints’ Rest. The striping of the soil suggests that there may have been boards laid down as flooring at some point, leading to the differential soil coloration. 74 The Internal Construction and Organization of Saints’ Rest Because of its destruction by fire, the majority of evidence relating to the organization and layout of Saints’ Rest pertains to the basement of the building. Remains of floor boards and joists from the upper floors were recovered from the rubble during excavations but they were few in number and provided little information regarding the layout of rooms within the upper floors. Much of the structure of the basement, however, remains relatively in tact and many items were found in situ, providing clues as to how the space was used at the time of Saints’ Rest’s destruction. The 2005 excavations revealed a minimum of three rooms within the northem half of the basement. The presence of the hallway running through the center of the basement split the northernmost portion of the building into two rooms, with the third east-west running brick wall indicating there was at least one more room in the southwest comer of the building. The absence of a similar east-west dividing wall on the eastern half of the basement suggests that the eastern room was somewhat larger and may have run the length of the building. The artifacts and features associated with each of these rooms provide further information regarding their use and the function that they served for the residents of Saints’ Rest. 75 Ao§>~a> 553650 .3 936 388 “83 use 88 new .323: 05 wagon,“ “mom .3qu mo E0883 2: mo 32> ea:— eoaoabmeooom .5 fl .9. vii mm as. 5? Be my . E J.M..“ . ... Eu :88; 1 .... .w u . .. g . 2mm 5.3 BE K 3 39,86 8: ".3 a a ,, 23:80”; T... ..f 807. _muoEoE m w.-.) E as e. k4 as. 5? Be ’9‘ .963 sauce; .8: 28 =9, grunge 5:06 9:... 88m :rtzi . M:Lj 3 ea; 5; 8:... mafia :38; J rr y—L i-Ll'uL ' '0 ".."II $325 A”; a .. . {US$55 “r1".1 ,ta - Lt Lg: 38 gun he... 822 gxxr Lcr 14L .55m 1 x11.- ./ _azfia 8: 22.: 2% / , . . 1' Elwin? 12333-14“ He"! ,—.:i -i ..1 tzrdakl" '- v .. . ' ?- “v":f' 5.. gr r133: a u #2 $3.10.)— ”I J u szkm N. Emu—0355,5000”.— cozmeoxm meow 5mm scam 76 West Room The northwest room in the basement of Saints’ Rest appears to have served a very different function than the northeast room. Due to the presence of a large pine tree, as well as the gated entrance to the site, excavations were limited. Eleven excavation units were opened in the western portion of the site, two of which were outside the boundary of the building with another three revealing the western foundation wall and associated builder’s trench. The other six excavation units revealed glimpse of the west room and provided clues as to its use. Based on the known location of the foundation wall and the southern brick interior wall, the west room is approximately 17.5 feet wide by 30 feet long. The distinguishing feature of the west room is the cobblestone floor. Cobblestone flooring (Feature 116) was found in tact in the northernmost excavation unit (Unit 18 N325 E280) but appears to have been disturbed in the southernmost portion of the room, where numerous cobbles are missing. The southern portion of the room also showed more damage from the fire, as the cobbles were blackened from the ash and showed signs of heat fracture. The easternmost section of the room also showed a disturbance in the cobblestone flooring. A patch of sand floor was discovered in unit 21 (N 320 E290) adjacent to the west dividing wall with two cobbles located in the northernmost portion of the excavation unit. It is unclear whether this sand floor area served a function within the room or was simply the result of damage to the cobblestones. The intact floor on the north is relatively uneven but would have provided a solid walking surface as well as drainage. The building specifications for Saints’ Rest indicate a plan for “three rooms in the basement. . .dressing room, washing rooms, hall kitchens 77 are to be furnish’d in a style appropriate to their respective uses (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48).” It is also well documented that when John C. Holmes was designing the buildings for the new Agricultural College, he took into account the goals of the institution. Seeing as practical education was a major component of the new College and students would be required to work on the farm for three hours daily, Holmes saw it necessary to include rooms within the dormitory where students would be able to change from their dirty farm clothes into their study clothes (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). With this information in mind, it is likely that the room in the northwest basement of Saints’ Rest may have been used as a changing room by students, or as a wash room. The cobblestone flooring would have withstood the heavy traffic that a changing room would have seen, with multiple shifts of students going to and from their farm work each day. Few artifacts or features were found in situ on the surface of the cobblestone flooring, with the exception of a small keg filled with putty. The putty is off white in color and contains impressions of cobblestones on the surface of the keg. This suggests that the putty was moist and tumbled onto the cobblestone floor, perhaps during the destruction of the building. Fragments of a stoneware storage vessel were also recovered from the top of the cobblestone floor, although the vessel had been shattered (Appendix F). The entrance into the west room from the central hallway was not located in any of the excavated units. Probing along the line of the west wall revealed that it extends from the northern foundation wall to approximately ten feet north of where it would intersect with the east-west wall. This is likely the location of the entranceway into the 78 room, although the intersection of the two walls could not be located due to the presence of sidewalks. East Room The eastern room of the basement differed in both size and composition from the western room. A southern divider wall was not uncovered for this western room, making the exact size of the room unknown, although it measures approximately 18 feet wide and extends a minimum of 40 feet in length. The flooring on this side of the basement was composed of hard packed sand rather than cobblestones. The sand was dark yellow in color with areas of orangish—red sand, the result of heat alteration from the fire. The sand floor in the northeastern most corner of the building exhibited the most reddening which may be explained because this area of the building is where the fire originated on the third floor (The Lansing Republican, December 12, 1876). Three distinct areas were located within the east room of the basement leading to the conclusion that the room was used as a storage room and work area. These areas included a storage area for tools and spare building materials, ash collection, and a workstation containing materials for re-plastering the walls. Each of these areas will be discussed below. Tool Storage The very northeast comer of the basement appears to have been used as a storage area for tools and materials needed for upkeep within the building. A carpenter’s toolkit was uncovered in the extreme northeast comer, resting on the sand floor. Several tools 79 were found directly on top of one another in a very confined space near the northeast corner of the foundation. It is believed that the tools were being stored in this area, perhaps on a shelf or in a chest that collapsed and burnt away as the building was destroyed. mm; --., "tog” 4"“-.s'Aw BLADES "JUNE 23 2005 . d; A o . Figure 4.18. Two wood saws and the blade of a grub hoe can be seen stacked on one another above. The red soil just to the left of the grub hoe is the sand floor of the basement exhibiting heat alteration. The excavation area was constrained by the foundation wall to the north and the sidewalk to the southeast. The kit included two wood saws, the head of a grub hoe, a carpenter’s square, a claw hammer, a chisel, two wood plane blades, a mason’s trowel, and a collection of nails. The nails were corroded together into a rectangular shape, suggesting that they had been stored in a container of some form, possibly a wooden box. This is further supported by the presence of charred wood on the underside of the nail conglomerate. 80 The majority of the box would have burned during the fire, with the bottom wood being preserved between the nails and the sand floor. Figure 4.19. A claw head hammer and conglomeration of cut nails were located in the northeast comer of the basement of Saints’ Rest. The majority of the tools were located in unit 9 (N330 E315), a unit that was only partially excavated due to the presence of concrete sidewalks and the northern foundation wall that ran through the unit. Due to the large number of tools found, as well as their location so close to the northeast comer of the foundation, it is likely that there are more tools located in the unexcavated portion of the unit. While the saws, grub hoe, wood planes, chisel, and hammer were found in unit 9 (N330 E315), the trowel and nails were found slightly to the west in unit 13 (N330 E310). This may have been due to the scattering of material during the building’s collapse. The northwest comer of the east room also appears to have been used as a storage area for extra building materials within the basement. Located just above the basement 81 floor in this area was a series of copper piping, most likely used as down spouts for drainage of water from the roof. This is confirmed by the building specifications, calling for “the spout to be of 25# copper lock’d and revitted of 4 inch drainwater. . .There are to be 4 conduction pipes of copper as in the college to be carried down at such point in such manner as the Board may direct (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48).” A collection of four copper pipes were found piled on one another surrounded by ash and charred debris. The pipes were flattened and based on their orientation; they were most likely stacked on top of one another and not articulated. This, along with the fact that no other c0pper piping was uncovered elsewhere on the site, suggests that they were being stored within the basement, most likely as extra material for repairs. These materials were located adjacent to the brick dividing wall of the hallway amidst ash and rubble, resting upon the sand floor of the basement. Ash Collection Two wooden tubs containing ash were located in the southwest comer of the exposed portion of the east room. The wooden tubs, positioned right next to one another, were found underneath a large deposit of very hard, dense ash and measured 1.7 feet in diameter. The tubs appear to have been used to store ash and had been filled well beyond their capacity, to the point that ash was also surrounding the tubs on the basement floor. Because of the hard nature of the ash, it was necessary to use a chisel in order to reveal the wooden tubs, both of which showed evidence of damage. The ash stored in these tubs was markedly different and easily distinguished from the ash deposits associated with the 82 fire at Saints’ Rest. The ash layer from the building was loose mixture of ash, crumbled plaster, and charcoal that appeared grey in color while the ash stored in the buckets was brighter, almost white in color and contained few inclusions. It is likely that the heat from the fire and destruction of the building served to harden the ash into the very dense, hard substance that was encountered during excavations. s 14 Figure4.20. Plan view of unit 20,N295 E305 bowing the remains of the wooden tub and associated ash. It is possible that ash was collected for use in making soap for the dormitory. These ash filled tubs have been interpreted as collection bins for the making of soap for use by the College. There are no direct archival references discussing the location and process for making soap but there is reference to soap making occurring within Saints’ Rest. A letter from 1857 discussing the employees hired to work within 83 the boarding hall states that “two girls are employed to do the whole of the washing, ironing, & soap making (R.F. Johnstone to J .M Gregory, Oct 27, 1857, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107, Box 1141 , Folder 66).” This suggests that soap making may have been a regular task within the operation of Saints’ Rest and it is therefore not unlikely that the ash stored in these tubs was used in the creation of soap. Plaster Workstation The third and largest area within the east room of the basement consists of the materials needed to create mortar and plaster. The Lansing Republican (December 12, 1876) reported that repairs were being made to the plaster walls of Saints’ Rest at the time that it was destroyed by fire. Workmen were reportedly performing repairs in the basement while the students were away for winter break. After they had left for the day, a fire in the third story of the northeast corner of the building was reported around 6:30pm by the herdsman of the farm. Excavations in the southeast corner of our exposed area of the east room revealed the area where these workmen had likely been storing their materials, including a wooden crate filled with lime, a pile of coarse sand and barrels of water. These three materials are the key ingredients for mixing mortar and plaster (Mulligan 1942, McKee 1973). 84 .... Frigue 4.21. staging area for the mgixinomfimd plaster from lime, sand and Water. The wooden crate measures 3.5 feet wide by 6 feet in length and was resting plumb against the western foundation wall. Approximately one third of the crate still contained lime, concentrated near the foundation wall, while the rest of the crate remained empty, exposing the bottom boards. Directly next to the crate lay a pile of coarse, loose sand. This sand stretched the entire length of the crate and measured approximately two feet wide. An orangish-red color, the sand matched the color of the mortar found plastered to the northern and western foundation walls. This was in contrast to the remnants of plaster and mortar recovered from the general debris of the building which was a light gray color and applied in a much thinner coat. The final ingredient needed when mixing mortar is water, which is believed to have been stored in a series of five oak barrels lined up at the foot of the crate, parallel to 85 the foundation wall. Consultation with local fire marshals and a University botanist revealed that the barrels were made of oak and that they most likely held water and not some other form of liquid or material (Quates et. al. 2006). No substance other than building debris was found within the barrels, indicating that they were not used for food storage, and the barrels could not have been holding any sort of flammable substance that would have combusted during the fire. The barrels were first identified by their iron hoops during excavation of the rubble and ash layers in this section of the site. Iron hoops were found stacked on top of one another, while the wooden staves were destroyed during the fire. Once excavations had reached the basement floor and revealed that the entire barrels were in situ, the hoops Figure 4.22. The two northernmost barrels, Features 122 and 123, were constructed of oak and their bases remained remarkably intact after the fire. were removed in order to reveal their wooden bases. Four barrels were completely excavated while the filth continued into the southernmost wall of the excavations and 86 was unable to be fully excavated. The water that the barrels had been holding at the time of the fire served to protect and preserve their wood bottoms, as it kept the bases moist as they burned from the top down. It appears that not all of the barrels were full at the time of the fire, as the bases of two of the barrels exhibited some charring, indicating that they may have been exposed to direct fire for a longer period of time. Summary Much of the information gained from the 2005 exploration of Saints’ Rest was associated with the building’s architecture as well as the layout and use of the basement at the time of the fire in 18764. Excavations revealed three interior brick walls that served to divide the northern half of the building into three rooms, two of which were partially excavated revealing inconsistent construction methods. A central hallway with a raised plaster floor served as a dividing line between the west room, with a cobblestone floor, and the east room with its sand floor. An examination of the features associated with each room reveals different functions for each. The west room most likely served as a wash room or changing room for the students. The cobblestone flooring, while disturbed, would have provided a more durable surface to withstand the heavy foot traffic from students using the room several times a day to change out of and into their field clothes. The cast room was used as a storage and workroom for the boarding ball. A carpenter’s toolkit and copper pipes for roof drainage were found along the north foundation wall, suggesting that they were being stored in the basement at the time of the 87 fire. Wooden tubs filled with ash were also being stored in the west room, likely for use in making soap. The largest feature of the east room is dedicated to the storage of materials for mixing mortar. A crate of lime, coarse sand and five oak barrels were uncovered in the southernmost extent of the excavations. These ingredients were most likely being used by workmen at the time of the building’s destruction to create mortar to repair the plaster work within the basement. While some material from the upper floors was recovered from within the ash layer, such as joists and floorboards, they were extremely charred and provided little information about the layout of rest of the building. The joists and floorboards that were preserved within the site were most likely from the first floor of the building, having collapsed into the basement and then sealed by the subsequent collapse of the rest of the building. There is still a large amount of information that is unknown about the building, particularly in regards to the southern half of the building. The kitchen was not located during the 2005 excavations and it is unknown whether the kitchen was still used at the time of the fire or if its use had been discontinued after the construction of Williams Hall. An examination of the artifacts recovered during excavations will also provide information about what life was like for the early students of the Agricultural College of Michigan. 4 This Chapter has focused on the architectural remains of Saints’ Rest. Artifacts will be discussed in Chapter 5 and Appendix F. A complete artifact database is on file at the Michigan State University Department of Anthropology. 88 Conclusion The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project has provided valuable insight into the archaeological potential and architecture of the site and opened the eyes of many to the state of cultural resources on the campus of Michigan State University. The large amount of intact structural and artifactual remains recovered during the excavation of Saints’ Rest demonstrates the potential of the site to provide information about student life during the early years of the institution. It also demonstrates the potential for additional cultural resources on campus to shed light on other aspects of the University’s history. The archaeological record, in combination with the archival record, can provide a more comprehensive picture of what life was like for the earliest faculty and students of the Agricultural College of Michigan. Archaeologically, the discovery of intact foundations and the remains of the buildings contents demonstrate a relatively undisturbed stratigraphy that can yield information about life within the dormitory. Unlike the archival information, archaeological remains are not consciously created and they can provide glimpses into everyday lives that are not recorded in letters and reports. The study of archaeological remains provides a tangible look at history that can inform and educate us about the past. The excavations at Saints’ Rest showcased to the University community that there are valuable cultural resources related to the history of the institution located beneath the ground surface. Traditionally these resources are known about by a handful of individuals, if they are known at all. The location of Saints’ Rest, and the amount of the structure still extant, in the heart of campus amidst a heavily traversed set of sidewalks opened the eyes of many people to the possibilities of subsurface resources. People 89 began to think about what other buildings or parts of the University’s history may still be located underneath the ground. The backhoe disturbance found at Saints’ Rest is a tangible example of the destruction and damage that construction activities can have on cultural resources. 90 CHAPTER S 19TH CENTURY STUDENT LIFE AT THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN One of the major goals of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project was to learn about student life during the first twenty years of the Agricultural College of Michigan. Archaeological explorations provide an additional set of data about the early history of the institution that are not available in the archival record. Combined with archival information in the form of student diaries, letters, and documentation of College operations, the archaeological record provides a more complex picture of what life was like for the students of the first agricultural college in the nation. Community involvement in the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project offered members of the Michigan State University community the opportunity to learn about early student life as well as archival and archaeological research. A tremendous amount of interest in the daily lives of students was expressed by project participants, and the archaeology of Saints’ Rest offered them a new way in which to connect with the institution. Archaeological research offered members of the University community a new way to connect with the institution and its history by offering a unique venue in which to look at the past. The lives of early students at the Agricultural College of Michigan can be viewed in terms of three essential components that together created a new and dynamic experience for men who enrolled at the college. The academic, physical labor, and social lives of students were combined to create their college experience. The goal of the College to provide students with a well rounded, practical education led to a unique experience. Their academic studies in the classroom were combined with manual labor 91 on the College farm to educate and prepare them for careers in the ever changing world around them (Widder 2005). While they studied and worked hard on the farm, the students also found time to entertain themselves in the boarding hall as well as around campus and the greater Lansing community. These students, such as Francis Hodgman of the class of 1862, developed a deep fondness for their alma mater. Hodgman (1892) expressed his fondness for his days at the Agricultural College in a collection of poems “The Wandering Singer and His Songs.” The title work was written for the 1891 meeting of the Agricultural College alumni and recounts Hodgrnan’s experiences from the time he was a little boy, through his days at the College, to his life out west. The following chapter will address the academic, agricultural and social life of 19th Century students at the Agricultural College of Michigan through an analysis of relevant archival and archaeological data. ‘ tgor of body gives vigor to the brain ’5: The Fusion of Academic Study and Manual Labor The daily lives of students at the Agricultural College of Michigan consisted of a combination of academic study and manual labor on the College farm. They enrolled in a curriculum developed to provide a solid academic background in the sciences as well as literature, rhetoric, and philosophy, while at the same time allowing students to gain hands-on practical experience performing agricultural experiments. As the first Agricultural College in the nation, it was a new experience for students as well as the faculty. 5 This quote is from President Joseph R. Williams’ dedication speech presented at the opening of the Michigan Agricultural College in 1857 (Mayhew 1858). It embodies the spirit of the institution as a place where academic study and practical experience met to form well-rounded students. 92 “Bidding loving friends good-bye, Brushing tear-drops on the sly; Riding on the Jackson stage (Every minute seems an age); Walking up the muddy road (every footstep takes a load); Resting at the half-way stone, (A cherry in the cleft had grown); Straggling up the college green, Settled down in 17;” -Excerpt from The Wandering Singer and His Songs by Francis Hodgman, 1892 The potential to gain an agricultural education was attractive to many young men who may not have had the opportunity to attend more traditional universities. As word of the Agricultural College began to spread, letters began to arrive at the College inquiring about the institution and demonstrating the wide and diverse interest it was attracting. Letters received by President Williams and John Holmes ranged from requests for the college catalog that had been advertised in local newspapers to specific questions about age and education requirements for enrollment, the entrance examinations, cost, course of study including the rumored three hours of manual labor, and whether or not the College would admit students from states other than Michigan (Admissions Letters, J RWP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.7, Box 871). Women and Native Americans wrote to President Williams to inquire if members of either group would be granted admission to the College. A]. Blackbird of Ypsilanti wrote to Williams to inquire whether “an Indian of Michigan [may] be permitted to enter” as he was “very much interested in the enlightenment and education of the Indians (A.J. Blackbird to J .C. Holmes, Dec 25, 1857, JRWP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.7, Box 871, Folder 26).” Word was spreading about the Agricultural College and people were interested in gathering more information about the rumors they were hearing, with letters from as far away as Atlanta, Georgia. A father 93 desiring to educate his son in a free state where it would be possible to “plant in his mind principles of freedom and an understanding of its blessing (L.W. Smith to Pres. Williams, Oct 23, 1857, JRWP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.7, Box 87], Folder 29)” sought information on the specifics of the Agricultural College. The following is an example of the numerous letters the College received (M.J. Atkinson to Pres. Williams, Oct 10, 1857, JRWP, MSUAHC, UA 2.1.7, Box 871, Folder 26): Oct. 10"'1857 Padden, Grant C 0. Indiana Dear Sir, Having heard of your institution and being pleased with the plan I write a few lines for further information. The objects which I wish to know is 1'" whether you are prepared to accommodate any more students or not and if so are both sexes admited [sic] 2"d whether the three hours labor will defray all expenses or not 3” all information concerning this subject. Yours truly, M.J. Atkinson As potential students lefi their families and traveled with their belongings to the College grounds by coach, they were not guaranteed admission to the College. Individuals were subjected to an entrance examination designed to test their educational foundations in geography, grammar, reading, mathematics, spelling and penmanship before they were admitted (Beal 1915, Kuhn 1955, Widder 2005). Exams were not administered until just prior to the start of classes; therefore students had to travel to the College with their belongings in tow without knowing if they would be accepted. This was a risk for individuals to make but showed their interest and desires to gain the education offered by the Agricultural College. At the grand opening in May 1857, 61 of 94 the 73 men who showed up to take the examination were admitted, the others had to take their trunks and return to their homes. As Charles Monroe, a member of the first class of students, recalls the process that students went through on that first day: “They were required, as I remember to register their names, ages, residence, and occupation, and state the occupation they expected to follow after leaving college. Then rooms were designated where they could go for examinations. Fortunately for many of us, the questions were easy. The next day we again assembled, and all who had passed were assigned rooms (Blaisdell 1907:63).” Once admitted to the Agricultural College, students were exposed to a new lifestyle of academic study, practical education and dormitory living. Students were assigned a room in the boarding hall along with three other students where they would live while attending the College. It was in these rooms that students would study their coursework, write letters home and develop fiiendships with their fellow students. The daily routine of students is documented in many of the letters and diaries of Agricultural College students. In a letter dated March 7, 1866, from Ernest Bradner outlines his daily schedule: 95 Daily Schedule of Ernest H. Bradner March 7, 1866 5:00 am Wake Up Bell 6:00 am Chapel 6:30 am Breakfast 7:00-8:00 am Study 8:00-1 1 :00 am Recitations 12:00 pm Dinner 1:15 pm Change “Into our working suit” 1:30-4:30 pm Work on the farm or in the garden 6:00 pm Supper 7:00-Bedtime Study and Free time Table 5.1. The daily schedule of Ernest H. Bradner, a Freshman in 1866, shows a typical day in the life of an Agricultural College student. The classes (recitations) and work would vary based on class. (E.H. Bradner to Sarah Fairrnan, March 7, 1866, EHBP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.206) This schedule was typical and was also described by E.G. Granger in his personal diary from 1858. Students woke up to the ringing of the College Bell that rang throughout the day to keep students on schedule. Granger’s schedule from 1859 included literature at 9:30am, geometry at 10:30am, and chemistry at 11:30am Monday through Friday, with Saturdays filled with three hours of farm work and time to study and make trips into town. The following is an excerpt from Granger’s diary that typifies the daily routine of life at the Agricultural College. December 2"" 1 85 8 Rose before the bell rung and made arrangements about the division of labor among the roommates. Went to chapel and heard a lecture or rather a “talk " from Prof. Tracy. After breakfast I looked over my Geometry a little. At half past nine went over to see about Prof Abbot 's recitation. We are to study the “History of English Literature. ” Our three classes come from half past nine to half past twelve. We are to study Geometry of Prof Tracy and Chemistry of Prof. Fisk. This afternoon worked two hours and a half husking corn. After we quit work we had a fine time snowballing. Charly Monroe and I were opposed to each other and we each got some hard blows. After supper studied on my Geometry. (E. G. Granger diary, Dec 2 1858, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56) 96 The majority of studying took place within the student’s rooms, where they would have stored their books and study materials. This form of study was new to many of the students as one student wrote; it was not always an easy adjustment. “1 am in the Freshman class and find it hard to keep my end up, as the style is new to me. It is to repete (sic) my lesson fiom end to end without questions. I guess I do as well as half of them do” (E.H. Bradner to Sarah Fairman, March 7, 1866, EHBP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.206). Archaeological evidence for the activities related to academic study was recovered from the remains of Saints’ Rest. Due to the collapse of the building and destruction by fire, the only remains of the student rooms within Saints’ Rest were included in the general rubble fill from the building. As the interior of the building burned and collapsed, items from student rooms were mingled in the resulting rubble. Students were not living in Saints’ Rest at the time of the fire because the College was on winter break and students had returned to their home towns, taking the majority of their belongings with them. While this limited the amount of personal loss from the fire, it also affected what was left in the archaeological record. The removal of rubble from the site of the building before it was permanently covered over would also have removed material from the site. Due to a combination of these factors, as well as limited excavation at the site, a small amount of material related to academic study at the College was recovered during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest. While few in number, the items recovered can help provide a picture of what life was like for students living and studying within the boarding hall. 97 _ ,, -M Figure 5.1. Students studying in their Williams Hall dorm room circa 1891. Students shared their dormitory rooms and decorated them with personal belongings in order to create a comfortable living environment (Williams Hall Room, 1891, Dormitories, Photographs, MSUAHC). Perishable items such as books and notebooks were unlikely to survive the fire and no such items were identified in 2005. What was recovered from the rubble of Saints’ Rest was a series of items that would have been used by students at their desks to take notes, complete their homework and write essays, as well as write in their diaries and letters home. 98 Figure 5.2. Artifacts recovered from Saints' Rest related to the academic study including a conical glass inkwell, brass and steel pen nibs, slate pencil, compass, and scissors. Students living in the boarding hall used kerosene oil lamps to provide light with which to study. E.G. Granger recalls in his journal a box of Christmas gifis he received fiom his family on December 26, 1868: “As soon as the box was safely up in N0 2 we proceeded to open it. There was a very handsome silk handkerchief from mother, a very nice game from Mary, a gold dollar from Uncle Charles and a lamp for burning kerosene oil and some peaches from Helen, besides various other good things of this world” (E.G. Granger diary, Dec 26 1858, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56). The remains ofa copper kerosene lamp, as well as fragments of two additional lamps, were uncovered in the rubble of Saints’ Rest along with a moderate amount of clear lamp glass fragments. A complete copper lamp was found within the ash and charcoal deposits in the southwest portion of excavations (Feature 104, Unit 12, N300 E275) and underwent artifact conservation. 99 Figure 5.3. A copper kerosene oil lamp used to light student rooms within Saints‘ Rest. The light of kerosene lamps such as these would have enabled students to study late into the night, as they often did until a usual bedtime of eleven o’clock in the evening (E.G. Granger diary, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56). An assortment of materials associated with studying was recovered during the excavations at Saints’ Rest including inkwells, pen nibs, slate pencils, and paper fasteners. Portions of several inkwells (a minimum of ten) were found within the rubble and ash layers of the site, among them four complete inkwells. A high proportion of the inkwells and inkwell fragments, including three of the four complete specimens, were made of a generic conical aqua glass, while fragments of two stoneware inkwells were also recovered. There was no identifying information regarding manufacturers of these bottles. The most distinctive of the inkwells was a round glass bottle embossed with the name “J .J . BUTLER, 100 CINNCINNATI.” Based on the round base, rounded shoulders and embossed design encircling the bottle, this particular inkwell can be dated to 1868 (Odell 2003). Oil-'52:? 5'32. CHIC. .. lll‘llCl\Tll.l II’RITHG I’LIID, ntacturcd by JAIES 1.3m No 39 ”NH STREET, CUPVEII OF (‘UlllilhltCtL Cl.\Cl.‘i\.\Tl 0. 1r Ilia all aim Heart-d Iill Ir partly «mitt. “ :11me (km than 1min \\ H01 .ESALL Uli ltlu l‘-\ll,. ’IhP: Figure 5.4. An advertisement for J .J . Butler ink based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rounded shoulders and base of the inkwell to the right date the bottle to 1868. Several fragments of a clear glass inkwell recovered from Saints’ Rest can be associated with the Higgins Ink company from Brooklyn, NY based on an identifying mark on base fragments. Insufficient portions of this particular inkwell prevented the determination of its shape and manufacture. In addition to these inkwells, numerous fountain pen nibs and slate pencils were recovered from Saints’ Rest. Overall, 58 pen nibs or pen nib fragments were found, all but one made of steel. The steel pen nibs varied in size and shape with the majority being a plain straight edged nib. A single brass nib with the mark “J.B. EVERETT’S EUREKA PEN” was among those found during excavations although information on this particular manufacturer could not be located. While numerous pen nibs were found, fragments of only two pens were recovered. Two fragments of a steel pen were found as well as multiple fragments of a copper pen. Both were extremely corroded and no identifying characteristics were visible. 101 In addition to fountain ink pens, archaeological evidence points to the use of slate pencils by the students of Saints’ Rest. Twenty-five slate pencil fragments, along with one complete slate pencil were found during the 2005 excavations. One archival reference to the use of slate was discovered in material relating to Saints’ Rest. In a list of E.G. Granger’s expenses for the winter term of 1858, there is an entry for “Suspender’s and Slate” at the cost of $0.50 on November 29, 1858, the day he arrived in Lansing from Detroit for the start of the term. The next day Granger spent $0.12 on “Pencils and cement” in preparation for the start of classes (E.G. Granger Account of Expenses, 1858-59, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56). Although no archaeological evidence directly indicating slate tablets was found, the presence of slate pencils suggests that students may have had a slate writing surface on which to use them. An additional set of artifacts relating to the academic study of students at the Agricultural College includes a brass compass, iron scissors, and brass paper fasteners. These items would have been used by the students as they studied for their course work and completed assignments. E.G. Granger chronicles his struggles with geometry in his daily diary entries; a subject in which a brass compass such as the one recovered from Saints’ Rest would have been used. In his entry from Wednesday January 26, 1859, he describes “Did not get my Geometry lesson till Abbott showed me one point this morning. In Geometry class Prof. thought that I had not studied much in the fourth book lately and so he gave me a pretty hard proposition in that book” (E.G. Granger diary, Dec 2 1858, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56). One half of a pair of scissors was also found in the rubble of Saints’ Rest. The scissor blade is made of steel with a small brass rivet used to join the two blades. A small portion of charred wood from the handle of the scissors 102 was still attached surrounding the rivet but was removed fiom the object in order to conserve the rest of the artifact. ' Another interesting set of study related artifacts is series of paper fasteners. The small clips were made of brass and were very fragile. A total of five (four complete and one fragment) fasteners were found at Saints’ Rest, three of them with bent prongs indicating that they had been used, and two of them with straight, or unused, prongs. Research into the manufacture of brass paper fasteners shows that they were not patented until 1866 by George McGill, and would therefore have been introduced to students during the early years of the Agricultural College (Early Office Museum 2006, www.officemuseum.com/staplers). While the archaeological evidence and archival references indicate that students were studying and composing letters home in their boarding hall rooms, they were receiving their lectures, reading lessons and performing experiments in the laboratories and classrooms of College Hall. Tuesday Jan. 18, I 85 9 This morning in Chemistry class, we had some beautiful experiments. First we had Phosphoretted Hydrogen rings rising through water. Prof Fisk said that this was one of the most beautiful experiments in Chemistry. The second experiment was the bringing out some pictures that the class had drawn with sugar of lead, by exposing them to the fumes of Sulphidric acid. This evening I have brought out some writing of this kind by heating the paper. ( E.G. Granger diary, January 18 1858, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56) While chemistry experiments were taking place in the laboratories of College Hall, the agricultural experiments at the core of the College’s educational philosophy would not begin to take place until several years after the institutions opening. The founders of the 103 College did not anticipate the large amount of time and labor that clearing the College grounds would require. Charles Monroe, a member of the first class of students, recalls: ...One large oak stump with a large tap root and a mass of others needed to sustain the tall sturdy tree, cut from it. It was only a few feet from the front door of the boarding-hall. Digging away the dirt and cutting off the roots required about ten days’ work. Then it took the stump machine to roll it out and two yoke of oxen and four span of horses a half-day to draw it to the river back near the president’s house, costing about $20 (Blaisdell 1908269). It was clearly a very labor intensive and long process to clear the land and begin to create the grounds of the College. “The first work. . .in which nearly all took part , was cleaning up the carpenters’, painters’, masons’, and plumbers’ rubbish and cleaning away the logs and brush near buildings. . .there was not an acre fully cleared on the farm—that is, with stumps out as well as logs and brush removed (Blaisdell 1908163).” Because of this early work clearing the land, agricultural experiments did not begin to take place at the College until administrators contracted with an outside company to finish removing stumps, freeing students from the task and providing them with more educational tasks and experiments (Baird 1876). Life on the Farm As the above schedules and diary excerpts demonstrate, students split their days between study and work on the farm. The organization and division of labor among students was the responsibility of the farm superintendent, who would assign students into different divisions to specific tasks each day such as chopping fire wood or clearing stumps. The labor schedule for the farm was organized by class and in 1859 was as follows (Blaisdell 1908:63): 104 7:30-10:00 am ‘/2 Freshman Class 10:00-12:30 pm 1/2 Freshman and Junior Classes 2:30-5:30 pm Sophomores Students were required to work two and a half hours during the winter term and three hours during the summer term, and were paid for the hours they put in. The pay wage was variable based on performance, ranging from five to ten cents per hour (Mayhew 1858). In a speech at the semi-centennial celebration of the College in 1907, Charles (Charly) Monroe recalled that “we worked in three divisions. . .The second was expected to be out in time to take the tools of the first, the rule being that the same boys should follow each other in the use of the same ax (Blaisdell 1908:64).” He later describes a scene that provides a glimpse of their daily labor routine: As division No. 2 was leaving the dressing-room (where clothes were changed or overalls put on over the ordinary suit) word was received that a bee tree had been found and that the boys of No. l division were having a treat of honey. The boys of No. 2 abandoned the usual custom of marching Indian style of single file and struck a double quick for the scene of feasting (Blaisdell 1908:64). E.G. Granger, a friend of Charles Monroe, wrote of this in his February 2, 1859 entry: “The morning division chopped down a bee tree this morning, and the boys got all the honey they could eat (E.G. Granger diary, February 2 1859, EGGP, MSUAHC, UA 10.3.56).” Students kept track of their hours in a labor roll and their pay was deducted from the price of board, which was around two dollars. The 1866 labor roll of James Satterlee identified a variety of tasks that he performed throughout the year, including cutting, chopping, and burning wood as well as preparing the fields, planting, weeding, and preparing produce. Students were also required to help with the farm’s cattle including 105 feeding and milking (James Satterlee, MAC Farm Labor Record, 1866, MKC, MSUAHC, UA17.107, Box 1141, Folder 49). In a speech given by President T.C. Abbott in 1876 entitled “Manual Labor at the MAC”, he outlines the structure of work on the farm. Students were split into divisions and given tasks based on the number of years they had been at the College. Freshman and sophomores worked in the farm department and juniors in horticulture. Seniors could choose between the farm and horticulture as they related to their career plans and sometimes took on the role of foreman for the student labor groups (Abbott 1876). Learning lessons, playing ball, Rolling barrels down the hall; Piling logs and pulling stumps; Raising turnips in the swamp; Harrowing with the great State drag, Never lets the oxen lag; Laying tile and digging wells; Raising mischief with the bells; Mounting birds and pickling snakes; Pinched and blue with ague shakes; Pitching hay and cradling wheat; Gathering bugs for mice to eat; Dissecting cats and playing rigs; Cooning melons; feeding pigs; -Excerpt from The Wandering Singer and His Songs by Francis Hodgeman, 1892 Due to the nature of the labor system and its place on the College farm, little to no archaeological evidence related to it was revealed during the excavations at Saints’ Rest. Farm implements and associated material items to the maintenance of the farm were not recovered from the excavation of the boarding hall. Although tools were found within the basement (Chapter 4), they comprised a carpenter’s toolkit that was most likely used 106 for repairs around the boarding hall and not for work on the farm. The only archaeological feature that can be attributed to the labor system at the Agricultural College is the presence of a possible changing room located in the basement (Chapter 5) where students would have changed in and out of their field clothes. Further research and excavations elsewhere on the campus of Michigan State University may provide the possibility of collecting archaeological information pertaining to the students’ labor on the farm if remains of barns and other related buildings have been preserved and are located. Personal and Social Lives within the Boarding Hall While students at the Agricultural College were focused on their studies and worked hard on the farm, they were also adjusting to life within the boarding hall and developing friendships with their fellow classmates. Their daily routines (Figure 5.1) were filled with work and study but students still found time and ways in which to have fun and break up their studying. An examination of the daily lives and social interactions of students at Saints’ Rest will shed light on what these young men were experiencing as they lived away from home for the first time and took part in this experimental institution during its formative years. The 28 student rooms within Saints’ Rest were built to house 56 students, with the capacity immediately surpassed by the first incoming class. In order to accommodate more students, the occupancy of rooms was doubled fiom two to four students, with students sharing beds (Mayhew 1858). In his essay “The Dawn of the Michigan Agricultural College”, former student James Gunnison describes the layout of rooms within the boarding hall: 107 Altho the rooms were small and four boys lived in each room, they did not seem crowded. Each room contained two beds, a table and a little wood stove. We did our own room-work and kept our fires going. There was a large woodbox on each floor which furnished material for each individual stove (Gunnison 1857:8-9). Students rented materials such as mattresses and other furniture from the College with the cost charged to their student accounts. In a letter from his father, President Rutherford B. Hayes, student Rudolph (Ruddy) P. Hayes is instructed to rent “a good substantial carpet—perhaps rug is best—probably a few good strong new chairs—rig rocking chair. If you get an arm chair, or the like, get t_w_o_, so your churn can have one. Deal generously with him—as you do with yourself“ (R.B.Hayes to R.P.Hayes, February 26, 1875, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107 , Box 1140, Folder 12). These items were typical in the rooms of students. Table 5.2 shows a student bill charged to “Allen Dickey & Co., Room No. 12” and provides a picture of what students had in their boarding hall rooms. Allen Dickey & Co. Room No. 12 Rented of State Agrl. College April 24‘“, 1861 2 Mattresses 34# Each $17.00 2 Woolen Blankets @ 12/- 3.00 2 White Spreads 12/- 3.00 2 Comfortables 1 2/- 3 .00 2 Bed Ticks 12/- 1.00 1 Mirror 8/- 1.00 2 Bowls & Pitchers 8/- 2.00 1 Center Table 5.00 2 Cherry Do (sic) 2 drawers 12/- 3.00 1 Bureau Stand 3.00 4 Cain Seat Chairs 4/- 2.00 2 Pr Pillows (5 % # Each) 4/- 5.75 25 yds of carpet @ 10c $2.50 Table 5.2. Student receipt for furniture from 1861, Agricultural College of Michigan (Student Receipts for Furniture, 1861, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17 .107, Box 1142, Folder 81). 108 Conclusion The preceding chapter has presented the results of archival and archaeological research into early student life during the early years of the Agricultural College of Michigan. This research offers a glimpse into the daily lives of students and the structure of the College during its formative years, with archaeological data offering a tangible set of evidence for the lives of students within the boarding hall. Interaction of the community with the archaeological research of Michigan State University’s past demonstrated an interest in early student life. Members of the University community including administration, faculty, students, and alumni showed great interest in the potential for archaeology to provide information about the details of early student life and allowing for a comparison of different experiences. While the results of archaeological research at Saints’ Rest provided more information regarding the structure of Saints’ Rest as a dormitory than it did the particulars of student life within the building, the research questions and methods for addressing them were successful in sparking discussion of early student life and spreading information regarding the early years of the institution. Many present day members of the Michigan State University community found themselves thinking often of the lives of the first students on campus. 109 CHAPTER 6 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SAINTS’ REST The preceding chapters have presented the results of archival and archaeological research at the site of Saints’ Rest on the campus of Michigan State University. In addition to this archaeological research, the project attempted to incorporate community involvement into the exploration of the University’s past through public relations and organized events. As a result, interest in the interaction of community members with the project and its effect on both the project and the members themselves developed as an additional research question. The following chapters will present a discussion of the forms of public involvement in the project and the benefits derived from this interaction, including a discussion of participant perceptions. Community Engagement and Public Programming The involvement of MSU and the surrounding community in the archaeology of Saints’ Rest occurred in many different forms. A public relations campaign was launched by the University and the College of Social Science that aimed at keeping Saints’ Rest in the minds of community members through the use of various media outlets. The Department of Anthropology sponsored a series of open houses and public presentations that were designed to expose community members to the process and results of the archaeological excavations. This engagement was extended to the students of Michigan State University through the development of a series of project related courses designed to especially include undergraduate students in various stages of 110 research using the archival and archaeological materials relating to the project. These efforts resulted in the successful inclusion of the campus community in the exploration and celebration of its shared history and development of a sense of heritage, at a time when the University as a whole was looking back to its historical roots. Public Relations The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project combined the efforts of the Department of Anthropology and University Relations staff to create an effective campaign to spread awareness and knowledge of the project. Efforts were made to bring attention to the project through print, television, and web-based media that would allow the public to learn about the project and to track its progress throughout the six week excavation and beyond. Media coverage was the result of collaboration between University and College of Social Science public relations staff, and University Relations staff worked closely with the Department of Anthropology in developing a strategy to effectively market the project. The University’s goals of celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the institution and showcasing undergraduate hands-on education, and the Department goals of increased visibility, particularly of archaeology, within the university community were taken into account as media outlets were contacted about the story. The media coverage of the Saints’ Rest project can be divided into coverage internal and external to the University. The University Relations staff focused their initial efforts on spreading word of the project throughout the MSU community through the creation of a “Special Report” on their newsroom website dedicated to the Saints’ Rest project. These websites are designed to provide information to a broad audience, 111 including reporters, about special events and projects related to the University. The Saints’ Rest page provided a brief background to the project and the history of Saints’ Rest, as well as project photos and video clips that were updated throughout the project. The site also provided contact information for those interested in knowing more about the project and contained links to other websites such as those of the Department of Anthropology, the University’s Sesquicentennial website, the MSU Museum, and the College of Social Science. This “Special Report” website was updated as University Relations photographers and videographers visited the excavations regularly to document the project. Throughout the project, public relations staff contacted media outlets to spread the word and spark interest in the story of Saints’ Rest and archaeology at MSU. Once a foundation had been built amongst the MSU community, the goal of the staff was to garner local, regional, and national attention for the project, which they were successfiil in achieving (Nichols 2006, pers.comm.). The university newspaper The State News featured the project several times throughout the summer, as did the local Lansing State Journal. These newspapers covered the story from start to finish and also served to disseminate information on scheduled open houses to the greater community. In addition to local papers, regional papers such as The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, The Jackson Citizen Patriot, and The Chicago Tribune ran articles about the excavations at Saints’ Rest. The Detroit Free Press also ran a story on its weekly page “The Yak Comer” that is specifically aimed at children, using the Saints’ Rest project as a way to speak to children about history and archaeology. 112 The inclusion of Saints’ Rest in two national publications, The Chronicle of Higher Education (July 29, 2005) and Science (vol 309, August 12, 2005, p.1011) served to spread the story of the project to a much wider audience. While Science’s coverage of the project was a photograph and extended caption in its Science News section, The Chronicle of Higher Education included a full page story about the Saints’ Rest project in its “Notes From Academe” backpage. The article “The Pickaxe is as Mighty as the Pen” (Ruark 2005) follows the experience of students as they explore the history of Saints’ Rest through archaeology. The reporter, Jennifer K. Ruark, spent the day at the site speaking with students and interacting with them. The story chronicles the interaction of students with each other and with the archaeology as they perform their excavations and interpret what they are uncovering, and this article served to showcase the hands on educational experience that the field school students received, while at the same time exploring a part of the University’s, as well as their own, past. The overall direction the story took was in part suggested by initial conversations with Sue Nichols of University Relations and subsequent discussions with Department of Anthropology Chair Lynne Goldstein, before Ruark arrived at MSU. When the excavation of Saints’ Rest ended in July 2005, the media coverage did not. The University Special Report website is still available on the intemet for interested parties (http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/digMSU). Numerous articles have been written about the project in University publications such as the faculty and staff paper MSU News Bulletin, the alumni magazine MS U Today, and the MSU Museum newsletter. These brief articles serve to inform the MSU community about the project and, in the case of the MSU Museum newsletter, provide updates on the progress of the project throughout the 113 laboratory and curation process. Publications outside of the University included an article in Michigan History magazine and .ED U, a magazine published by furniture maker Sander used to advertise their line of fumiture for educational institutions. Overall, approximately 31 newspaper articles and various other publications were written about the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project, serving to expose a wide variety of audiences to the goals and progress of the project and bring attention to archaeological research at Michigan State University. The University Relations publicity campaign was extremely successful in fulfilling the goals of increased departmental visibility for anthropology and archaeology as well as showcasing the University’s strengths in undergraduate teaching and research. University Relations staff were awarded a 2006 Circle of Excellence Silver Medal for a Year Long Special Event from the Council for the Advance and Support of Education (CASE), the major professional organization for educational advancement staff, for their coverage of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. According to the CASE website, Michigan State’s Saints’ Rest coverage “impressed the judges on the creativity scale. Judges call it unique and said it was a great way to pull a lot of media attention on campus inexpensively (CASE 2006, www.case.org/Content/COE).” This professional achievement and recognition on the part of University Relations staff demonstrates the quality of work and success of the public relations campaign executed for the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Opening Ceremony In addition to disseminating information about the Saints’ Rest project among the campus community, University Relations organized an Opening Ceremony and 114 Groundbreaking for the start of excavations at the site. Local newspapers and television stations were invited to the site on the first day of the field school for a short presentation that included speeches by the president of the University Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon, Dean of the College of Social Science Dr. Marietta Baba, Chair of the Department of Anthropology Dr. Lynne Goldstein, and two of the graduate student teaching assistants on the project who read excerpts from archival material relating to the site. Once the short speeches had been delivered, there was a ceremonial groundbreaking in which the President and the Dean turned the first soil from the site. Members of the media were then able to mingle with field school students and staff, taking photographs and video footage of them working. This ceremonial start to the excavations at Saints’ Rest served as a way in which the University could showcase the project and its exploration of the past as part of the year-long Sesquicentennial celebration, as well as demonstrate the hands-on experience that students would be experiencing as part of their Michigan State University education. The groundbreaking ceremony also served to set up future media attention as it was a story that could be followed and updated as the summer progressed. The University and the Department of Anthropology used this opening ceremony as a way of announcing the project and developing future interest in it, meeting the goals of increased exposure and the showcasing of University and Departmental strengths. The initial media buzz surrounding the project presented an interesting experience for the students enrolled in the field school. While students were made aware of the public nature of the project during an informational meeting prior to the start of the project, the opening ceremony took place during their first morning at the site. Students 115 were provided with a background to the site and the goals of the project prior to the ceremony and were advised that they would be expected by the media to be performing excavations and working when they were only just being exposed to it themselves. This put the students in a unique situation that demonstrated to them the public nature of the project and the interest that it would elicit from the community. Open Houses Several open houses were held at the site of the , in addition to other forms of community outreach for the project. The first, a two-day event, was held prior to the end of the field school. Students took time to clean their excavation units as well as the site for the event and were on hand throughout the open houses to answer questions and show visitors around the site. The open houses offered many of the students an opportunity to show their families and friends the project they had been working on all summer and the results of their hard work. Artifact displays were created to showcase what excavations had revealed thus far in terms of the material culture of the site, including the carpenter’s tools, cast iron stoves, and personal objects such as buttons, buckles, and a toothbrush. One of the more popular displays was that containing “recreational” artifacts such as wine bottle fragments, kaolin smoking pipes, and bullets. Visitors ofien commented that student life may not have been as different then as it is now and that students were always prone to breaking rules (Simon 2006 pers. comm, Kacos 2006, pers. comm.) The open houses were well publicized on campus as well as in the local newspapers, and as a result, were extremely well attended. Several hundred visitors toured the site over the course of both days. 116 The second series of open houses were tied in with larger University-wide events, the University Sesquicentennial Convocation and the first home football game of the season. Held within the first weeks of the Fall 2005 semester, these open houses were organized by the Department of Anthropology in conjunction with the College of Social Science. The president of the University, Lou Anna K. Simon was impressed with Saints’ Rest project and decided to include it in the University’s Sesquicentennial year Convocation. The open house was listed in the program for the convocation and attendees of the ceremony were encouraged to visit the site. hi anticipation of these additional open houses, several of the excavation units were kept open and secured for the remainder of the summer while the rest of the units were backfilled and covered with wood chips. This allowed visitors to the fall open houses to view the excavation units and features that were discovered over the summer. In addition to the excavation units, artifact displays and several posters explaining the project and history of Saints’ Rest were positioned around the site to give visitors an understanding of the research conducted and its importance within the larger history of Michigan State University. The College of Social Science provided refreshments as well as a pamphlet containing a brief overview of the site and the project, along with a list of media coverage. This was to encourage visitors to the site to explore the project further by providing them with access to articles and websites containing more information. The convocation open house was held on a Friday aftemoon and saw a modest amount of visitors including the Michigan State UniversityProvost and several members of the Board of Trustees. The final open house was held in conjunction with the first home football game of the 2005 season. The site of Saints’ Rest lay not far from the MSU football stadium and 117 is in a prime location for tailgaters. By holding an additional open house on a football Saturday, it provided an opportunity for members of the MSU community who may not otherwise have been exposed to the project the opportunity to tour excavations and gain exposure to the early history of MSU, as well as the practice of archaeology in general. Overall, the open houses held at the site were extremely successful in bringing in visitors and allowing them to witness archaeological research and its results first hand. They also served to expose a wide variety of community members to the project and to the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University. The role of students in explaining the process and results of their excavations to open house visitors allowed them to share with others the knowledge and skills they had acquired over the summer, an opportunity that is not often available with traditional field school experiences. Public Presentations As members of the community became aware of the Saints’ Rest project, numerous community groups began to solicit presentations about the project for their monthly meetings. PowerPoint presentations and artifact displays were presented to groups such as the Lansing Engineers Club, East Lansing Women’s Club, Williamston High School Adventures in Science program, the Upper Grand Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society, and audiences at Michigan Archaeology Day 2005. Presentations focused on providing an overview of the project and the importance of the site in the history of Michigan State University, as well as the project’s goals, methods, and findings. Audiences were taken through the process of historical archaeology research using Saints’ Rest as a backdrop. 118 Project displays were also presented at the 2005 Michigan Archaeology Day held at the Michigan Historical Museum and the 2006 Science, Engineering, and Technology Day at Michigan State University, an event that brings in high school students and exposes them to the variety of academic programs offered by the University. These displays gave people the opportunity to examine artifacts fiom the site and to ask questions about the excavations. Artifact displays were also present each day during the six week excavation of Saints’ Rest. Artifacts on display changed frequently throughout the project as new items were excavated each day. Many members of the campus community stopped by the project location frequently to see what new artifacts had been found, some even indicating that they had changed their walking pattern to incorporate a stop at the excavations. In addition to these public presentations, members of the Upper Grand Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society (MAS) also participated in two open lab nights where interested members could help in the cataloging of artifacts. Participants were given a brief overview of the project and the laboratory methods being used, and were then able to sort and catalog artifacts from the excavations, providing them with experience in laboratory methods as well as exposing them to nineteenth century material culture. Members of the MAS were also exposed to Saints’ Rest through a presentation on the conservation techniques used on the project’s iron artifacts. Held as part of their annual Fall Workshop, professional and amateur archaeologists were able to learn about conservation methods and view conserved and unconserved artifacts from the project. Community members and groups participating in presentations about the Saints’ Rest project varied in their interests, age, and involvement with Michigan State 119 University. Many groups included alumni, students, faculty or staff of the University and were able to learn about and connect with the history of the University through the many different presentations and outreach activities concerning Saints’ Rest. Project Related Coursework A unique aspect of the Saints’ Rest project, and one that contributed widely to its overall success, was the continued involvement of students in the research process. A series of courses focused on research, conservation and exhibition were developed to involve students in the process of archaeological research using materials from the Saint’s Rest project. Because the archaeological field school took place on the campus of the university, the majority of students enrolled in the course were students at MSU. The fact that students would be able to stay in their apartments, take additional night courses, and keep their jobs was a major attraction for students to the project. Traditional field schools have students traveling for a large part of the summer to locations where they are unable to maintain a job while taking the class. Because of this convenience for students, a record number of applications were received for the field school. Twenty-one students were accepted with nearly as many turned away. Concurrently with the six week field school, two additional courses were offered, one aimed at high school students, the other focused on K-12 educators. The MSU Museum sponsored the one week workshop, “Archaeology at MSU”, for area high school students interested in archaeology. Students were teamed up with MSU field school students and were able to participate in the excavation of Saints’ Rest. This short program enabled high school students to explore what archaeology is and also gain hands 120 on experience in archaeological research. The second course, ANP 491 Archaeology for Educators, was a course designed to expose K-12 teachers to archaeology and explore ways in which they could incorporate it into their curricula. While only three students participated in the course due to issues in advertising, the instructor, archaeologist and public school teacher Dan Goatley, hopes to offer the course again in conjunction with other archaeological excavations in order to spread an understanding of archaeology, and its potential use as a teaching tool, among educators. A major benefit of the project’s on-campus location was that students involved in the excavation of the site were able to continue with the laboratory and curation stages of archaeological research. A number of students volunteered time during the following academic year to help sort and catalog the artifacts and were able to learn more about the material culture of the site by examining the artifacts firsthand and doing research to aide in identification. Two Museum Studies students completed their required internships by working on laboratory and curation aspects of the project. In the spring semester of 2006, a course entitled Saints’ Rest Conservation and Archival Research was offered to undergraduate and graduate students. The course was designed to teach students about archival research and artifact conservation through hands-on experience. Students were assigned archival material collected in the early stages of the project and were responsible for reading the material and extracting information relevant to Saints’ Rest and early student life at Michigan State University. Students met weekly to discuss their findings with their classmates and compare information from assigned archival sources. The result of this portion of the course was the creation of a set of archival forms organized by topic that list information found in 121 various archival sources. This served to make the archival information more accessible to researchers and contributed significantly to the preparation of the archival portion of this thesis. The second portion of the course involved the hands-on conservation of artifacts from Saints’ Rest. Because such a large amount of iron objects were uncovered during excavations, it was necessary to conserve many of the items in order to prevent further detrioration. Dr. Lauren Sickles-Taves, a professional conservator and professor in Historic Preservation at Eastern Michigan University, and Susan Obert, a private conservator with Artifact Conservation Resources, LLC., were brought in to teach students about artifact conservation and preservation and to conserve materials from Saints’ Rest. Together with students from Dr. Sickles-Taves Materials Conservation class at Eastem Michigan University, students were given the opportunity to learn and participate in the care and conservation of iron artifacts, including the cast iron stoves and carpenter’s tools. Michigan State University Students were responsible for the maintenance of electrolytic baths and took turns during the week monitoring and cleaning tanks. This hands-on experience allowed students to be directly involved in the process of conservation and monitor the progress of artifacts. Several of the students enrolled in the course were also participants in the field school and were able to track the progression of artifacts from what they looked like in the ground through the conservation process. Involvement in this process fostered a greater understanding of the work involved in archaeological research beyond the actual excavation of a site. The third Saints’ Rest related course was held during the summer of 2006 and focused on the creation of an online exhibit about the project. Portions of this summer 122 course, along with the spring course, and related costs were funded by a Quality Fund grant from the Provost office designed to encourage and enhance undergraduate research. In the summer course, ANP 491 Saints’ Rest Research and Exhibition, students began development of a website that highlighted the archaeological research at Saints’ Rest as well as early student life at the Agricultural College of Michigan. The idea was to create an online exhibit, or to develop as much as they could within the span of the course. Students developed the content of the exhibit by working in groups to identify the important elements of the project that they wanted to convey to a larger audience. Students were introduced to the general principles of exhibit development and incorporated this into the design and creation of their content as they wove together archival and archaeological information to tell the story of Saints’ Rest and early student life at MSU. Two students involved in the excavation at Saints’ Rest were involved with this phase of the project and were able to incorporate their firsthand knowledge of the site and the project into the website. During this web design course, three students from the Communication Arts department created a short documentary on the Saints’ Rest project and included interviews with students enrolled in the course. The documentary “Digging to the Past: Saints’ Rest Excavation” was produced by Barbara Skelley, Renalto Perez, and J anel Yamashiro (2006) for their telecommunications course and told the story of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project and the history of the building. This documentary is another way that students were able to engage with the project in a way that also tells the story of Saints’ Rest to those not involved in the project. The final Saints’ Rest related course was a short two class course held as part of the MSU Alumni Association’s Evening College. Evening College courses are designed 123 to expose alumni to a variety of different topics and disciplines through short courses provided by MSU faculty, staff, and graduate students. “Archaeology at MSU: Saints’ Rest Dig” was designed to introduce interested alumni and community members to historical archaeology using the Saints’ Rest project to explain concepts and methods. Participants were shown the Saints’ Rest documentary mentioned previously and were presented with artifact displays in addition to photographs and lectures. This course differed from the three other Saints’ Rest courses in that it was a two time event and was aimed at alumni, but it was successful in engaging participants in the research of Saints’ Rest and early Michigan State University history. Professional Presentations Archaeologists have an ethical and professional obligation to report their findings when they excavate an archaeological site and as a result, numerous presentations have also been made to professional audiences in the form of papers and posters. Papers on the archaeology and community engagement of the Saints’ Rest project have been presented at the 2005 Midwest Archaeological Conference and the 2006 Society for American Archaeology annual meetings as well as posters presented at the 2006 Society for American Archaeology and 2007 Society for Historical Archaeology annual meetings. These presentations were designed to inform the archaeological community of the research being conducted at Saints’ Rest in the hopes of sparking discussion with other interested professionals. In addition to conference presentations, chapters are being prepared by Drs. Kenneth Lewis and Jodie O’Gorrnan regarding elements of the Saints’ Rest project for inclusion in an edited volume focusing on the archaeology of academia. 124 Demonstrating the support of the Saints’ Rest project by the University administration, President Lou Anna K. Simon has agreed to write the preface for the edited volume. The inclusion of Saints’ Rest in professional discussions of archaeological research further contributes to the overall success of the project. Informing the archaeological community as well as the local community is important to the success of project in the long term. By engaging in dialogue with other archaeologists working on similar projects, new ways to look at and interpret such a project and its result can be achieved. The Saints’ Rest project has contributed to discussions of public archaeology by providing a case study for the practice of community engagement within a University environment. Summary The efforts at community engagement as described above were successful in raising awareness and interest in the site of Saints’ Rest, the early history of Michigan State University and the field of archaeology in general. Individuals who may not normally have exposure to archaeological research were able to experience it first hand and learn new information gained during the project. Outreach efforts allowed members of the community to actively engage in learning about the many different facets of the Saints’ Rest project and allowed individuals to take from these interactions a variety of experiences and new knowledge. It also allowed the archaeologists involved in the project to gain a larger perspective on what the site of Saints’ Rest means to members of the MSU community as well as spread an understanding and awareness of the potential of archaeological research to provide information about the past. 125 CHAPTER 7 PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY, PARTICIPANT PERCEPTIONS, AND THE SAINTS’ REST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT A major goal of this thesis was to present the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project as an example of a successful public archaeology project within a University context. The results of the archaeological research and community engagement as presented in earlier chapters resulted in the successful exploration of Michigan Sate University’s past and represents the successful cooperation and collaboration of archaeologists, University administration, and community members. The following chapter will present an overview of the literature surrounding public archaeology and community engagement in order to properly situate the Saints’ Rest project within the discipline. This will be followed by a discussion of the benefits and perceptions of the project as viewed by participants, demonstrating the successful community engagement and archaeological research conducted during the project. Public Archaeology In order to understand and assess the success of Saints’ Rest as a community archaeology project, it must be placed within the context of public archaeology as a discipline. Public archaeology projects continue to increase in number and as archaeologists engage in discussions of the goals and methods of such projects, they are shaping the future of archaeology and archaeological research. The term public archaeology is generally used in two different ways among archaeologists. It was first coined in 1972 by Charles McGimsey in his book of the same 126 name. Public Archaeology (McGimsey 1972) illustrated the importance of public involvement in archaeology in fostering an understanding and appreciation of archaeological research. A response to the increase in cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology, McGimsey argued that this understanding would lead to increased public support, and subsequently financial support, for state and federal archaeology programs. He called for the development of state and federal archaeology programs that would serve the interests of the general public in their heritage (McGimsey 1972, Merriman 2004). This goal of increased understanding and appreciation of archaeological resources continues to be a focus of many public archaeology projects and the importance of sharing archaeological research with the public is understood by a growing number of archaeologists (McManamon 2000). In addition to this goal of increased understanding, archaeologists are now thinking of public archaeology as an opportunity to engage the public in their research. Changes in archaeological theory in the late 1980’s led to the development of new research questions involving issues of identity and meaning (Chambers 2004). The post-processual movement in American archaeology led researchers to seek out multiple perspectives on the past with the incorporation of members of the public and their views in project development and interpretations (Merriman 2004). Archaeologists began to think of public archaeology as the incorporation of members of the public into research, as opposed to simply raising archaeological awareness. The inclusion of the public in research design and interpretation was seen as a valuable and necessary pursuit, particularly in historic archaeology (Merriman 2004, Chambers 2004). 127 Nick Merriman (2004) refers to different interpretations and uses of the term public archaeology in terms of deficit and multiple perspectives models. The deficit model involves exposing the public to archaeology in order to instill an understanding of archaeological research and issues of preservation. The thought is that this understanding will lead to an increase in support of archaeological research from a more informed public. The multiple perspectives model, on the other hand, views public engagement in archaeology as a way to incorporate as many viewpoints and interpretations as possible into research. The distinction is the incorporation of the public into the actual research and interpretation of archaeological sites as opposed to simply having the public be a more passive observer. The consideration of multiple perspectives by archaeologists recognizes the fact that the public is going to reinterpret research based on their own experiences and beliefs, and thus incorporates these notions into research rather than ignoring this fact (Merriman 2004:5—7). Merriman (2004) argues that successful archaeology programs incorporate these two models into one, while attempting to understand the various stakeholders associated with a given project and developing effective forms of communication among them. As a result of this, archaeologists must recognize the political nature of multiple perspectives on the past and find ways to negotiate among groups to avoid being at the center of conflict (Merriman 2004: 1 3). This aspect of public archaeology has received a considerable amount of attention as it relates to working with descendent communities, particularly Afiican-American descendent populations, in an issue of Historical Archaeology (1997, vol.31 no.3, see McDavid and Babson 1997, McDavid 1997, Singleton 1997, Patten 1997) and numerous other articles (McDavid 2001) dedicated to the topic. It has also received 128 considerable attention vis-a-vis working with Native American groups (Warner and Baldwin 2004, Dowdall and Parrish 2003,) and other indigenous peoples (Funari 2004, Knecht 2003, Smith et a1. 2003, Birt 2004). This issue of multiple perspectives in archaeological research was recognized early, and archaeologists have been struggling with incorporating this concept into their research. McManamon (1991) discussed the multiple publics that have interests in archaeological resources and urged archaeologists to develop understandable interpretations that members of these varying publics would be able to understand and appreciate. The need for archaeologists to be conscious about what they present and how they present their research was stressed by Potter (1990) in response to DeCicco’s (1988) “Public Relations Primer” that outlines methods and strategies for archaeologists to use when publicizing their projects in the media. Potter stressed the importance of awareness by archaeologists about what they say and why they are saying it when it comes to public relations for archaeological projects. Misinterpretations can be damaging to the public’s understanding of archaeology and may result in messages, other than those intended, being conveyed to their audience (Potter 1990). The idea behind increased public involvement with archaeology is that it provides for multiple perspectives on the past, recognizing that while archaeology studies the past, it is performed in the present (Potter 1994). Parker Potter has published extensively about the Archaeology in Public program in Annapolis, Maryland, and its interaction and involvement with the public (1987, 1994a, 1994b, 1997). Potter emphasizes the need for archaeology to be relevant to contemporary societys although he cites the difficulties of determining to whom a project is relevant, as well as how to go about achieving 129 relevance (Potter 1994:14-15). The use of a critical theory approach, Potter argues, will allow archaeologists to determine what aspects of archaeology are relevant to various groups while at the same time making the researcher very aware of the messages, and their implications, that are being sent to those groups. Paul Shackel (2004) also offers a different perspective on public archaeology by encouraging archaeologists to recognize their role in the development of a community’s heritage. He defines heritage as “what each one of us individually or collectively wants to preserve and pass on to the next generation (Shackel 2004:10).” Public archaeology projects that engage members of the community in the exploration of their past are allowing them to develop a sense of heritage and shared past. Different groups within a community will have different views of what is important and what it wants to see preserved and it is the archaeologist’s job to help these groups take part in the decision making process and shape research to reflect their sense of history and heritage. The public is seen as a stakeholder in archaeological research and, Shackel (2004) would argue, are able to negotiate their position in society through involvement in the interpretation and presentation of this research. The popularity and diversity of public archaeology and community engagement is evident in multiple edited volumes containing examples and case studies of these forms of projects. In Smith and Ehrenhard’s (1991) Protecting the Past, examples of archaeological projects from states such as Florida (Bense 1991, Milanich 1991), Lousiana (Hawkins 1991), and Arizona (Rogge 1991) showcase the successful incorporation of public education and outreach into archaeological projects. Presenting Archaeology to the Public: Digging for Truths (Jameson 1997), Public Benefits of Archaeology (Little 2002), and 130 Archaeologists and Local Communities: Partners in Exploring the Past (Derry and Mallory 2003) showcase the diverse range of community involvement in archaeology projects and explore the complexities and opportunities archaeologists face when engaging the public in their research. Authors provide examples of the challenges and successes that they have faced in their own experiences with community involvement in archaeology in order to broaden the discussion of public archaeology and explore ways to improve the practice (Bense 1991 , White 2002). Different tactics and methods for engaging the public are also discussed in the public archaeology literature, and increasing attention is being paid to the use of the intemet in these endeavors. Because of the nature of public archaeology and the emphasis on making archaeological information available to a wide audience, the intemet is often used to disseminate information. Authors such as Childs (2001) and McDavid (2001) explore the use of the intemet in engaging the public and address the issue of proj ect- related web sites aimed at educating the public. Recognizing the power of the intemet in communicating with the public, the Society for American Archaeology recently unveiled their “Archaeology for the Public” website (www.saa.org/public) that provides resources for archaeologists, educators, and the general public. The National Park Service has also developed a webpage aimed at informing the public about archaeology within the National Park System. Their website “Public Benefits of Archeology” (www.cr.nps.gov/archeologv/PUBLIC/benefits/index.htm) discusses the ways in which different groups such as communities, historians, environmentalists, and teachers can become involved in archaeology and the ways in which archaeology benefits their interests by providing case studies and examples from across the nation. Archaeologists are 131 recognizing the value of the intemet as another venue for engaging the public in their research and are increasingly incorporating websites into the outreach component of their projects. The literature available on public archaeology and community involvement continues to grow and as it does, more of the complexities and issues facing the practice will be addressed. A recent issue of The SAA Archaeological Record (2006: v.6 n.4) is devoted to discussions of public archaeology within the governmental sector, and demonstrates that it is an ever increasing interest among archaeologists and must be given adequate attention and discussion. Summary The practice of public archaeology has transformed over the past three decades, developing into a complex discipline attempting to not only inform the public of their research but also to incorporate them into their research (Merriman 2004, Shackel 2004). The literature available on public archaeology continues to expand as more and more archaeologists incorporate community involvement and public outreach into archaeological research. Archaeologists are now concerned about the people interested in and affected by their research, in addition to the archaeological record itself. Because of the diverse range of communities and research interests, each public archaeology project is unique and can add valuable insight into effective techniques for successful community engagement. The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project serves as an example of a project in which an academic community, Michigan State University, engaged and participated in 132 the exploration of its history through archaeological and archival research. The effects of this engagement will be explored through an examination of the perceived benefits and reactions of participants to the project. The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project: Positive Recognition and Lasting Effects The community involvement and interaction of the MSU community with the archaeological exploration of their past has resulted in many positive, long term results that serve to reinforce the success of the project. Ranging from awards and professional recognition to the inclusion of archaeology in campus planning activities, the Saints’ Rest project changed the way in which Michigan State University understands and interacts with archaeology and the study of its past. Saints’ Rest helped to develop a more complex understanding of heritage among those familiar with the project including University administrators (Shackel 2004). The following will look at the tangible and perceived benefits of the Saints’ Rest project including results of participant interviews. Awards The Saints’ Rest project received recognition in the form of two awards. A 2006 Circle of Excellence Silver Medal Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) was awarded for the public relations campaign developed by the University Relations department of Michigan State, and a 2006 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation was awarded to Michigan State University by the State of Michigan for the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. The CASE award, as discussed previously, recognized the collaborative effort of the staff in raising awareness and interest in the 133 project while disseminating information to various media sources. This award served to reinforce the success of their efforts and the project as a whole (Nichols 2006, pers.comm, Strobe] 2006, pers.comm.). In May 2006, Michigan State University was presented with one of six Historic Preservation Awards by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. The Saints’ Rest project was the only archaeology-related project to receive an award in 2006 and according to a letter from the Governor, it “demonstrated the public interest in and commitment to history” (Granholm Letter, May 18, 2006). These awards were created as a way to draw attention to the “important role these resources play in defining our communities and protecting each one’s distinctive character” (State of Michigan Press Release, May 4, 2006). The award was presented at a public ceremony held in the rotunda of the Michigan Capitol building where representatives for each award received a plaque commemorating the honor. The event was attended by various media outlets including local newspapers and television stations that ran stories announcing the awards. As a recipient of this award, Michigan State and the Saints’ Rest project were thrust into the media spotlight again; almost a year after the project had initially taken place. This served to keep Saints’ Rest in the minds of the public and the University administration. President Simon and College of Social Science Dean Marietta Baba were there to accept the award. This new attention may have brought the project to the notice of those who may not have been previously exposed to it. An award such as this and the publicity that it garners reflects positively on a recipient; Michigan State University recognized this by featuring the Saints’ Rest project prominently on its main webpage (www.msu.edu). A photograph taken by University 134 Relations staff is included in a series of rotating mastheads for the main homepage that were designed to highlight different programs and achievements of the University. The photo, featuring a student in an excavation unit, is displayed to visitors to the site who then are able to click on the image and learn more about the project, as well as follow links to the Department of Anthropology webpage and the University Relations Saints’ Rest page. The inclusion of Saints’ Rest on the main homepage of the University increases the exposure of the project by showcasing it to anyone who visits the MSU homepage, and who may not have been exposed to it via any other outlet. This is both beneficial to the University, as it is demonstrating an award-winning project by its faculty and students, and to the Department of Anthropology since it also has received increased visibility by being linked directly from the University main page. The department has also been given the opportunity to showcase their newly redesigned webpage as it was selected as the University’s “featured webpage”, placing an image and direct link on the main University homepage. Overall, the presentation of the Saints’ Rest project with a Governor’s Award for Historic Presentation in 2006 was beneficial to the University and to the Department of Anthropology because it allowed the project to be brought back into the spotlight and into people’s minds. The award also created a tremendous opportunity for positive publicity, both on the part of the University and the department. It also, of course, was a welcome recognition for much hard work. 135 Campus Planning and Heritage Management The exposure of administrators, faculty, staff, and students to the archaeology of Saints’ Rest helped to facilitate an understanding and appreciation for the potential of archaeological resources on the campus of Michigan State University. An almost universal response to the project was one of surprise at how much of the structure of Saints’ Rest was still below ground. While there is a commemorative plaque marking the northeast corner of the building, it is heavily weathered and often goes unnoticed by most pedestrians (Telewski 2006 pers.comm, Nichols 2006, pers.comm, Strobel 2006, pers.comm. Morrissey 2006, pers.comm.). The excavation of Saints’ Rest in a highly visible part of campus allowed members of the community to witness first hand the cultural resources that lay beneath the surface. The artifacts and architectural features of Saints’ Rest served as a tangible reminder of the University’s past and demonstrated that there is a large amount of information that can be gained from the study of archaeological resources. As Lipe (2002) would argue, it provided an authenticity to the history of the University. Because members of the campus community, including administrators and campus planning personnel, were able to visit the site and see the substantial structural remains of Saints’ Rest, they were able to gain a better understanding of what sort of cultural resources may be found on campus and the potential they hold for teaching us about what life was like in the early years of the institution. The potential threat to cultural information from construction was illustrated by the discovery of a back hoe trench that cut through the site of Saints’ Rest, disrupting the intact stratigraphy and structural features such as walls. While it is unclear what the trench was dug for or when 136 it was dug, it is clear that it was destructive to the integrity of the site and resulted in a loss of information. The success of the Saints’ Rest project in fostering an awareness of cultural resources and their importance in the mind of administrators and University officials was demonstrated during the spring of 2006. Nearly a year after the excavation of Saints’ Rest, construction work was underway just to the north of the site in order to run communication lines across campus. As construction crews were digging a trench immediately east of the MSU Museum, between the museum and Saints’ Rest, they encountered an extremely large underground brick cistern. Knowing that Saints’ Rest was just to the southeast of where they were digging, university officials contacted Dr. Lynne Goldstein of the Department of Anthropology to help assess the age and provenience of the cistern. Archival research showed that the cistern, measuring 80.8 feet in length and 10.5 feet in width, was likely associated with Williams Hall, the second dormitory built on campus which stood in the location of the museum (Widder 2005). Members of MSU’s Physical Plant, the department responsible for construction on campus, worked with members of the Department of Anthropology to document the cistern and adapted the construction plans to avoid damaging the cistern. As a result of this encounter, the construction plans were examined to determine if any other potential resources may be encountered during the construction work. There was potential for the project to encounter remains of College Hall, the original classroom and laboratory building of the institution, and the Department of Anthropology was then able to test the area prior to the construction crew beginning their work there. No remains of College Hall were discovered and the construction project proceeded in the presence of an 137 archaeologist to monitor their work in case any remains were encountered. Notably, in another trench, the southwest corner of Williams Hall, which was thought to be totally destroyed, was discovered. Prior to the Saints’ Rest project, archaeologists had not been contacted regarding any debris or remains that may have been encountered during construction projects on campus. The consultation of Physical Plant with members of the Department of Anthropology over potential buried cultural resources is an extremely positive result stemming from the awareness and understanding that the excavations at Saints’ Rest were able to raise in members of the campus community. This awareness and appreciation of cultural resources has resulted in changes in campus planning activities. The Department of Anthropology is now contacted by the MSU Physical Plant during the planning stages of construction projects to identify any potential cultural resources that may be affected by newly proposed designs. These design meetings involve representatives from departments and facilities that are potentially impacted by a specific project. The Department of Anthropology is now included on their list of regular contacts for these meetings, particularly when dealing with the northern, and oldest, section of campus (Kacos 2006, pers.comm.). Campus planners recognized the potential for disruption to their construction plans as well as to cultural resources and campus and see the incorporation of this type of review as beneficial to both groups. The University can save time and money associated with unexpected changes in construction plans, and archaeologists are able to minimize or prevent damage to cultural resources important to the history of the institution and the local area. The inclusion of archaeological review in the planning stages of campus 138 construction projects is a positive step for heritage management and the protection of cultural resources on campus. It also demonstrates the success of the Saints’ Rest project in opening people’s eyes to the potential of archaeological research and the importance of preserving cultural resources. Historical Marker Perhaps the most permanent visible outcome of the Saints’ Rest project is the placement of a historical marker commemorating the building both physically and historically within the context of Michigan State University’s history. As part of the Sesquicentennial celebrations, the University planned to commemorate the location of three structures, no longer in existence, that hold a significant place in the history of the institution (Stanford 2006, pers.comm.). Saints’ Rest, the original Botanical Laboratory built in 1879, and the MSU band shell were all chosen to receive historical markers with a brief description of the building and its importance in the history of the University. While Saints’ Rest was selected to receive a marker prior to archaeological excavations, the success of the project lead to input from project members, including students, in the development, content, and design of the sign. The double sided sign provides a brief overview of the building and its place in the earliest years of the institution, as well as information regarding its destruction. The second side of the marker is devoted to the archaeological excavation of the site and the text was written by students working on the dig in collaboration with Dr. Lynne Goldstein. The text highlights the excavations and the information that was gained about the building through the project and includes a photograph of the barrel and mortar feature discovered in the basement of the building. 139 The historical marker was placed just north of the buildings foundations so that that individuals walking across campus can stop and read about Saints’ Rest and its archaeological exploration. This sign is a visible reminder of the research conducted at the site of Saints’ Rest and the inclusion of archaeological research into the sign demonstrates the importance, and the University’s acknowledgement of the significance of archaeological research in understanding and connecting with the past. Heritage Management and Historic Preservation Plan The momentum generated from the success of the Saints’ Rest project is being targeted at the development of a historic preservation plan within the Department of Anthropology. Department faculty are working to develop a heritage management plan for the University that would take on the responsibility of reviewing projects and dealing with historic preservation and cultural resource issues that develop on campus (O’Gorrnan 2006, pers.comm.). While many positive effects resulted from the Saints’ Rest project and its community engagement, it is necessary to implement changes while issues of resource conservation and preservation are still in the forefront of people’s minds. This historic preservation plan will help to formalize the University’s relationship with the Department of Anthropology in the preservation of campus cultural resources and serve as a lasting effect of the Saints’ Rest project on the University community. Community Perceptions The range of public outreach and community involvement efforts during the Saints’ Rest project allowed for the participation of a large and diverse group of 140 community members. The experiences of participants with the project shaped the way in which they viewed the project, as well as archaeology and the history of MSU. In order to assess the different experiences and perceptions of participants, a series of interviews were conducted to explore how different people interacted with the project and what perceptions they held of it. Interviews were conducted well after the completion of the project during August — November 2006, and therefore offer a glimpse into the lasting, rather than immediate, impressions of the project. Project assessment and feedback from participants is a valuable tool for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a project, as well as the overall messages that are conveyed (Potter 1994). For the purposes of this thesis, a quantitative presentation of the interview data collected during the course of this research is presented in Appendix H, while an analysis of the content of these interviews is presented here. Data from 17 semi-structured interviews conducted with administrators, faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students, reveals several themes that appeared independent of an individual’s role in the project. These themes make it possible to identify the perceived successes and benefits of community engagement in the archaeology of Saints’ Rest and the messages being taken home by participants. The characteristics and impressions of the project that were cited repeatedly by participants included the project as a tangible look at history, a valuable hands-on experience for students, and the visibility and accessibility for witnessing archaeological research firsthand. People also recognized the importance of the timing of the project with the University’s Sesquicentennial celebrations, as well as the awareness that the project 141 brought to archaeological resources on the campus of Michigan State University and the subsequent need for campus stewardship of those resources. Tangibility Lipe (2002) argues that archaeological research serves to authenticate the past in the minds of the public by providing tangible, material evidence for it. This idea that by witnessing archaeological research and items from the archaeological record first hand, members of the public can develop an understanding of history and how archaeology explores the past holds true with regards to the Saints’ Rest Archaeological project. Numerous participants cited the Saints’ Rest project as a tangible way to celebrate the University’s Sesquicentennial and the history of the institution through archaeological research, regardless of their affiliation within the University. Dr. Lynne Goldstein, then Chair of the Department of Anthropology and instrumental in the development of the project, views this tangibility as a key to the success of Saints’ Rest as a Sesquicentennial project. “We brought authenticity to the Sesquicentennial. We gave them real things. And we showed them what those students [150 years ago] were actually doing. . .and that’s really an amazing thing.” Dr. Marietta Baba, Dean of the College of Social Science, pointed to the fact that “the tangible nature of the Saints’ Rest project immediately captured people’s attention. People became more involved, invested, and connected with learning about how this institution was founded and how we have evolved, which is something we don’t think about enough.” This notion of the tangibility of history through archaeology arose as a key message that participants were taking away from involvement with the Saints’ Rest project. The opportunity to interact with artifacts and the process of learning new 142 information about the history of the University as the archaeology progressed at the site demonstrated to participants that there are ways to actively engage in the past and that valuable information about the past can be gained through this type of research. The tangibility of Saints’ Rest also demonstrated to participants that history is everywhere and there is the possibility for archaeology to inform us about the past in every community. One faculty member interviewed expressed that he was initially skeptical about the potential for new information from the site of Saints’ Rest, citing that the excavations “helped [him] realize that there are a lot of things buried on this campus that had potential interest and academic and social value” and found the project “enlightening.” The ability to witness archaeology firsthand caused participants to change the way in which they thought about history. Dr. Linda Stanford, art historian and Associate Provost for Academic Services at the University, felt that the archaeology of Saints’ Rest “brought a reality to the history” and projects like Saints’ Rest “could help people to understand that history isn’t just something that you go and visit when you are on vacation. That it’s a part of your everyday life and it informs your everyday experience.” The archaeology of Saints’ Rest exposed participants in the project to the history of Michigan State University in a different, more tangible way than they had previously, and fi'om what other Sesquicentennial events were offering. Hands-on Experience An important element of the Saints’ Rest project that project participants identified during interviews is the hands-on experience that students were able to receive from their interaction with the project. For students, the project was valuable in 143 providing them with exposure and training in archaeological research and methods that for some helped to reinforce career goals. Veronica Joseph, a 2006 graduate noted: project was really great for me and my archaeological career. I was new to MSU and to the Anthropology Department, and this project introduced me to my fellow students and the archaeology faculty members. I got a lot of experience in excavation techniques, lab methods, and conservation working on the Saints’ Rest project. I also made some great friends. This student is now pursuing archaeology as a career and is currently enrolled in a graduate program in archaeology. Another interviewed student of the Saints’ Rest project felt that her participation benefited her personally by solidifying her career goals. Leslie Pollard, 2006 Anthropology graduate, stated that through involvement with the project “I know now that [archaeology] is something that I want to do, and that I can do, and I’m confident that I can apply for positions [in graduate programs] now knowing that I have a good starting point.” Students saw the hands-on experience they received in archaeological research as valuable in helping them with career choices, as well as an interesting and unique way to spend their summer. As Dr. Frank Telewski, curator of the MSU William J. Beal Botanical Garden, noted the project gave “students a hands-on learning experience right here on campus rather than having to go to an exotic spot.” From the broader perspective of the University, administrators and faculty saw the archaeological excavation of Saints’ Rest as an excellent hands-on project to celebrate the Sesquicentennial, but also to showcase the teaching and research strengths offered by the University, particularly for the social sciences that may not receive as much press for engaging students in research as the natural sciences. University Relations staff recognized the marketability of the hands-on experience that students were gaining from involvement with the project and were able to use this in their public relations campaign. 144 Michelle Strobel, University relations staff for the College of Social Science, saw value in the “active learning and really meaningful educational experiences for students” and “the idea of engaging undergraduate students in research was by far the best thing about the project.” Sue Nichols, Senior Communications Manager for science and research at MSU saw the appeal of the project’s hands-on focus for students and was able to sell the story to a wide audience including local, regional, and national media outlets. As Dean Marietta Baba noted in her interview: “student involvement, out-of-the—classroom active learning with community-wide interest. . .is very hot right now in the higher education community, as colleges and universities attempt to meaningfully engage undergraduates in high caliber research and share the importance of research with the public.” The hands-on involvement of students with the Saints’ Rest project proved to be beneficial to both the students in gaining archaeological experience, and to the University as it provided an excellent opportunity to highlight strengths in undergraduate education and research at the University as well as a highly visible, successful Sesquicentennial event. Accessibility The accessibility of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project to the MSU and surrounding community played a crucial role in the success of the project, as was noted in the majority of participant interviews. A combination of factors contributed to the accessibility of the project to community members including efforts by the Department of Anthropology and the University to publicize the project. The department saw the project as an opportunity to engage the public and increase awareness of the archaeology 145 program on campus while the University saw the project as a powerful marketing tool to highlight University strengths through a unique project. The awareness of the potentially high public interest in the project and the subsequent public relations efforts to spread the word about the project combined with the central location of the site on campus to create a highly visible and accessible archaeological project. Numerous participants commented on the accessibility of the project due to the signage and media relations linked to the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration. The location of the site was also important to its accessibility. Visitors to this area of campus were able to stop and observe the excavations and ask questions of field school students and staff. After hours, they could read posted signs about Saints’ Rest and the excavations. This accessibility, Dr. Lynne Goldstein notes, allowed people to relate to the project on their own terms. “You could just casually drop in and relate to [the project]. There were so many different ways and so many different levels on which you could relate to what we were doing. . .you could be five years old or you could be 85 years old, and you could get something out of what we did.” The accessibility of Saints’ Rest was a crucial component of its success. Had members of the University community not been made aware of the project, or had it been in a less prominent location, it may not have generated nearly as much interest and enthusiasm from community members. Awareness and Stewardship of Archaeological Resources The accessibility of the Saints’ Rest project and the subsequent exposure of community members to it resulted in a raised awareness of the importance and potential of archaeological resources, in general and on the campus of Michigan State University. 146 Interview participants noted the project’s effect on the way in which they viewed the campus, in terms of thinking about potential archaeological resources, and felt the need for, or were in support of, campus stewardship of these resources. President of Michigan State University, Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon supported the Saints’ Rest Project as a unique and educational way to help celebrate the Sesquicentennial, and saw the project as way of looking at the history of the institution and beginning to “appreciate the important role that archaeology must play as we think about the decisions we make for the future, not simply understanding where we have been.” The results of the archaeology at Saints’ Rest raised awareness of the potential of archaeological resources on campus and demonstrated the potential for learning about the past from these. This awareness of archaeological resources on campus lead to a change in the construction planning process, with the inclusion of archaeologists in the early development stages of campus projects to identify potential issues with buried cultural resources. The addition of archaeological assessment in the planning structure of the University was generally seen as an unexpected but welcomed outcome of the Saints’ Rest project. President Simon noted the change in the way the University looks at the built environment and changes to it, and the new desire to balance this with the protection of cultural resources, Saints’ Rest helped to raise “awareness and the importance of preserving.” Jeff Kacos, of MSU Campus Planning and Administration, felt that this change in the construction planning process was a positive step and noted “that so much was found, for many of us, was a surprise. We didn’t expect that there would be so much information still buried in our hallowed ground here. And that clearly demonstrated that an [archaeological] project could be very productive.” While it is impossible to know 147 what circumstances would have been without the Saints’ Rest project, many participants expressed skepticism that this awareness of archaeological resources and efforts to protect them would have occurred. Dr. William Lovis, professor of Anthropology and MSU graduate, raised the issue of “the development and redevelopment of our campus is something that had the potential to encounter and potentially destroy. . .the past of MSU. That there are tangible, archaeological remnants of MSU’s past out there that really need to be properly accommodated and planned [for]. . .and I think this particular project really drove that particular issue home very well.” The increased awareness of archaeological resources on the campus of Michigan State University, and the need for stewardship of these resources is a positive outcome of the Saints’ Rest project and served as a strong message to project participants. 148 CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION The preceding chapters have highlighted the successfulness of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project at engaging the public, particularly the Michigan State University community in the archaeological exploration of their past. The Saints’ Rest project serves as a case study in public archaeology and community engagement within the context of a large university, and it is therefore important to identify the successful components of the project in order to best learn from its success. The five key contributing factors to- the success of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project include: 1. C00peration and coordination among different participating groups and interests. 2. Timing of the event with the larger University Sesquicentennial celebrations. 3. Aggressive marketing on behalf of the University and the Department of Anthropology. 4. Sound archaeological research served as the focal point for engaging the public in the exploration of their past. 5. Use of momentum derived from project successes to explore new avenues of research and community involvement and to sustain the benefits and lasting effects of the project within the community. These elements of the Saints’ Rest project were instrumental in the success of the project as a whole, and may be looked at as building blocks with which to develop a successful public archaeology program or project within a University context. Closer examination of these factors will demonstrate how they aided in the overall success of the Saints’ Rest project and strengthen the case for their inclusion in future public archaeology projects within a context such as this. 149 Cooperation and Coordination A vital component of the Saints’ Rest project was the ability of the Department of Anthropology to successfully cooperate and coordinate with University administration and departments. The recognition by developers of the project that the interest of the University may differ from the interests of the archaeologists and department allowed for the successful negotiation and compromise in project development. The ability of project developers to link the project to University goals was an important aspect of receiving permission during the early stages of the project. When Saints’ Rest was initially proposed as a Sesquicentennial project the ability to create linkages to other University interests helped to demonstrate to the administration that an archaeological project such as Saints’ Rest could be beneficial to the University on a variety of levels. Recognition of different perspectives on the past is crucial to undertaking public archaeology projects and within a large University such as Michigan State, it was a critical part of project approval as well as continued support. By using established relationships and ties within the University, Dr. Lynne Goldstein, then chair of the Department of Anthropology, was able to sell the project as beneficial to the University in a number of ways and thus gain support. Coordination was also necessary among other university departments such as Campus Planning, Physical Plant, and Grounds in order for the setup and daily operation of such a project to run smoothly within the university. Dr. Lynn Goldstein was designated as the project spokesperson and was responsible for interactions with the University Administration and Physical Plant throughout the project. This served to ensure that conflicting information and mixed 150 messages were not passed between the many groups involved and contributed to the smooth operation of the project. Cooperation and a balance of interests were key to the development of the project and resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship between the archaeologists and the university. Timing Another key factor in the success of the Saints’ Rest project was the timing of the event with the Sesquicentennial celebration of the University. At a time when the entire University was looking back to its past, and celebrating it, archaeology suddenly became relevant within this context. Numerous interviews with participants in the project pointed to the fact that the Sesquicentennial brought the history of Michigan State University to the forefront of people’s minds and therefore created a context within which archaeology could be made relevant to the larger University community as more than an academic discipline. Archaeological resources always have the potential to provide information about the past but this is often not a priority for individuals and communities. It is often commemorative events that create an interest in looking to, and studying the past and archaeological research suddenly becomes relevant (McManamon 2002). The initial interest in Saints’ Rest as an archaeological project developed out of the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration but once the community was exposed to the archaeology, interest in the project rose to a deeper and more complex level. 151 Marketing Perhaps one of the most visible keys to success of the Saints’ Rest project was the ability of the University and the Department of Anthropology to aggressively market the project and gain positive publicity among a variety of audiences. As mentioned previously, the ability of the University to link the archaeology of Saints’ Rest to larger university goals was crucial to its success. The ability of the University to market the project as a hands-on educational experience for undergraduates and to link it to the strategic plan for the institution and the types of educational experiences Michigan State University was offering to its students, made it a valuable public relations entity. Not only was the University able to market the project to gain positive recognition, the Department of Anthropology was also able successfully elevate its level of visibility both within the university as well as externally. The various public programming and community involvement opportunities helped to raise awareness of the department while at the same time allowing participants to connect to Michigan State University, positives for all involved. Sound Archaeological Research While the relationship between the Department and the University was important to the project, it would not have been successful without a foundation in sound archaeological research design. Public archaeology can engage the public and seek a balance of interest among participants but it is important that it incorporate legitimate archaeological research in order to adequately represent the field of archaeology and convey accurate messages to interested participants (McGimsey 2006). While the Saints’ Rest project devoted a large amount of attention to involving the public in its research, it 152 did not compromise the archaeology that was undertaken. This has been beneficial in the long term as it has allowed students to participate in all stages of archaeological research and gain a broader understanding of how archaeological research is conducted. This is a unique opportunity among archaeological field schools and a huge benefit of the project as a whole. Further, the project is producing scientific publications as well, adding important information to the archaeological record. Momentum The final factor in the success of the Saints’ Rest project is the use of momentum gained from positive publicity and community involvement to establish lasting effects. The benefit of the project taking place on campus was that students were able to continue to work with the project by enrolling in a series of Saints’ Rest related courses that used the material to teach archival research and artifact conservation. The success of the project also resulted in the creation of an online exhibit, funded in part by money from a Quality Fund grant by the University’s Provost office aimed at improving undergraduate research. The online exhibit includes information learned from research at Saints’ Rest, as well as MSU history, and information on archaeological methods. It is important that the awareness of archaeological resources and stewardship that arose from the project be nurtured in order to sustain the new efforts at preservation shown by the University in the inclusion of archaeological consultation in construction projects on campus. Members of the Department of Anthropology are working to formalize this stewardship within the University so that the Saints’ Rest project will have a lasting effect on the campus of Michigan State University. Many people are interested in archaeology when they are able to see it firsthand, but it is more difficult to place in 153 the forefront of people’s minds well after a site has been excavated. The creation of a formalized process within the University would have a lasting impact on the cultural resources located on the campus of Michigan State University. This process must not only include review, but must also include some way to cover the costs of exploration, processing, and curation when testing and excavation are necessary. Overall, the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project represents a very successful public archaeology project that engaged members of the Michigan State University community with the archaeological exploration of its past. This thesis has attempted to present the results of the project both archaeologically and in terms of community engagement to demonstrate the multifaceted elements of its success within a large university. By incorporating archaeological research into a community commemorative event, it is possible to engage the public in the exploration and celebration of a shared past while at the same time exposing them to the nature of archaeological research, an opportunity that may not otherwise present itself. By engaging in these types of public archaeology and community engagement projects, archaeologists are able to make their research relevant to a larger audience while members of a community are offered a unique way to explore the past. There are many lessons to be learned from the success of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project, and it is presented here as a case study in the successful execution of a public archaeology project within an academic institution. 154 APPENDICES 155 APPENDD( A PROJECT OVERVIEW AND SITE LOCATION The site of Saints’ Rest (201N 169) is located just east of the MSU Museum on the North Campus of Michigan State University in Township 4 North, Range 1 West, East Lansing, Ingharn County, Michigan. When the University was founded as The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855, this area was the location of the first two buildings built on campus; College Hall, the main instructional building, and the Boarding Hall, later known as Saints’ Rest. Saints’ Rest was destroyed by fire in 1876 and was never built upon; while College Hall collapsed in disrepair in 1918 and is now the current location of Beaumont Tower (W idder 2005). The Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project set out to address several research goals, designed to provide archaeological data and information regarding the building and early student life at the Agricultural College of Michigan that could be used in the development of heritage management on campus. These questions included: 1) What is the archaeological potential of Saints’ Rest; what is left of it and what condition is it in? What is the status of cultural resources on campus? This includes collecting information on soil stratigraphy and the effect of erosion and construction on cultural resources. 2) What were the architectural features of Saints’ Rest? How was it constructed? What was the organization of the building? 3) What can be learned of the destruction of Saints’ Rest by fire? How did this destruction affect the building and its contents? 4) How was the building used? What was student life like at MSU in the 19’h Century? These research questions served to guide the archaeological work performed at the site of Saints’ Rest during the 2005 field season. Due to the site’s location in the heart of the MSU campus, as well the project’s participation in Sesquicentennial celebrations at the 156 University, the project captured the attention of many members of the University community as well as individuals from the surrounding community. Excavations at Saints’ Rest were conducted in the framework of a public archaeology project, whereby the community could engage in the history and archaeology of Saints’ Rest and early life at MSU. Public open houses as well as interactions with daily visitors to the site allowed members of the MSU and surrounding community to interact with the archaeology and the history of MSU. These efforts at public engagement continued on well past the end of excavations at Saints’ Rest in the form of public presentations, Saints’ Rest related courses, and volunteer work. The project received a large amount of media attention and was presented with a 2006 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. Excavations at Saints’ Rest were carried out from June 6 - July 15, 2005 by 21 undergraduate students enrolled in the annual ANP 464 Archaeological Field Methods course offered by the MSU Department of Anthropology. The majority of these students attended Michigan State University but studentsifrom Northwestern University and Grand Valley State University also participated in the field school. Two additional courses were offered by the University in addition to the annual field school. “Archaeology at MSU” was a week long workshop offered in conjunction with the MSU Museum’s Education Programs in which six local high school students were exposed to archaeological excavation and laboratory techniques. Students were teamed up with university field school students and participated in the excavation of Saints’ Rest. In addition to this program, a three week AN P 491 Archaeology for Educators course offered by archaeologist and public school teacher Dan Goatley was designed to expose K-12 educators first hand to archaeological excavation and research, and explore ways in 157 which archaeology could be incorporated into their curriculum. In addition to these courses, the project benefited from several volunteers including professional and amateur archaeologists, graduate students, and a variety of MSU faculty that lent their expertise and advice to the project. 158 APPENDIX B METHODOLOGY The following section will present the field, laboratory, and conservation methods used during the course of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Field Methods Prior to the start of excavations at Saints’ Rest (201Nl69), the rough outline of the building below the ground surface was determined using a soil probe. Using the concrete marker laid by Professor William J. Beal in the early years of the 19th century indicating the northeast corner of the building’s foundation as a starting point the rest of the building was then outlined using pin flags. Once located, the northern half of the site was secured by the Michigan State University Physical Plant with a chain link fence, a locked gate and the appropriate signage. The location of the site in the center of campus and directly east of the MSU Museum placed it in the path of students and faculty traveling through campus and several sections of sidewalk cross cut the excavation area. These sidewalks would remain undisturbed during our excavations but were closed to the public. In addition to securing the site, the MSU Grounds department stripped sod cover from the area to be excavated. It was also determined during the planning stages of the project that all topsoil removed during excavations would be screened and stored separately from other fill so that the Grounds Department could later reuse this soil. 159 85%; cocaoumtsu .3 9:): .umom .maEmm we 86 2: E moon 5 3E: 38888 on E“ 88 28:82 Bow can 83:5: HE: mEBofi 82 .mm 2..me m ommm m mnmm " 8mm mmmw " oomz " oomz " 082 082 u «N u N. m--m--. a onmm momz --m--. oumm mmum ovmz ovmz ..----.. an F m mwzoca m ..mEoo «moansom 3 88:9me mac: 7.8 9:9 WWW.“ 2 O 2 H 23k<0u< 82mm Mohammmomm "-oomu- ommz “ ommz H ommz " 082 #3 m o ---m.--” 2 u an "--mv.-- _ _ _ _ 9mm 88 cos mmmz mmmz _mtoEmE m m HDO>GI_ :CD cofieoxm meow 8x .958 33%; 589: 160 A site datum was established and excavation units were laid out using an electronic transit prior to the beginning of the field school. The site datum was located in the southern section of our excavation area, roughly in the center of the building itself and oriented with regards to the north-south line of the building and not magnetic north. Using a total station, the site datum was oriented with a USGS benchmark (NF0058, 843.55 ft above sea level, set in 1934) located in front of Olds Hall, south of the site across the MSU Museum parking lot and West Circle Drive. The site datum was assigned an arbitrary coordinate of N 300 E300 from which all unit coordinates for the site were determined. In order to ensure that the datum could be relocated in the future, once excavations were complete a piece of metal rebar was driven into the ground to permanently mark its location. Each of the 29 excavation units was assigned an excavation unit number, beginning with one, and was identified using the coordinates of its southwest comer. Excavation units measured 5 ft by 5 ft in size and all measurements were made in feet and tenths of feet. 161 Table B.l. Excavation Unit Numbers, Grid Locations and Local Datum Elevations. (Based on USGS Benchmark NF0058 at 843.55ft above sea level) .5 ExCavatiop-Unit it Coordinates (SW Corner) . “Local Datum Elevation . 1 N 310 E 255 847.08 2 N 295 E 325 846.32 3 N 335 E 315 846.27 4 N 320 E 325 846.21 5 N 335 E 300 847.07 6 N 300 E 255 847.27 7 N 295 E 320 8 N 300 E 270 846.97 9 N 330 E 315 846.46 10 N 295 E 310 11 N 320 E 320 846.3 12 N 300 E 275 847 13 N 330 E 310 14 N 300 E 285 846.81 15 N 330 E 300 16 N 295 E 315 17 N 305 E 310 846.3 18 N 325 E 280 19 N 325 E 300 20 N 325 E 305 21 N 320 E 290 22 N 300 E 280 23 N 330 E 305 24 N 300 E 310 846.44 25 N 305 E 270 26 N 310 E 270 27 N 315 E 300 846.63 28 N 300 E 315 846.46 29 N 300 E 290 One of the goals of the 2005 excavations was to determine the stratigraphy of the site, both outside and within the structure. Six excavation units were initially opened outside of the structure in order to establish the stratigraphy of the soil surrounding the building. This also served to introduce the students to excavation techniques prior to excavating within the remains of the building as the stratigraphy was expected to be more complex. Initial excavations were carried out in arbitrary levels of 0.3ft until stratigraphy was determined, then excavations proceeded stratigraphically. A test trench (Unit 10, N295 E310) was excavated within the boundary of the building in order to identify the interior stratigraphy. Each level was recorded on a square level form and included a 162 description of the soil type, Munsel soil color, and any material recovered from the level fill. Each level was also mapped, photographed, and notes were taken both on the level forms and in faculty, staff, and student notebooks. In addition to levels, zones and features were also identified during the excavation of Saints’ Rest. Zones were defined as distinct soil or sediments that did not necessarily encompass the entire area of an excavation unit. For example, zones were often used to delineate between areas on either side of an interior wall within a given excavation unit. In the case of Saints’ Rest, features were identified based on two criteria. Non- sedimentary layers such as architectural remains or concentrations of certain material such as cast iron stoves, were given feature numbers and treated separately from other level fill. The second form of feature identified at Saints’ Rest included human made disturbances to the stratigraphy such as looter pits, intrusive trenches, or salvage pits. Soil was screened through % inch mesh and artifacts were collected in paper bags labeled with provenience information including the excavation unit number, coordinates, level, date, excavator initials and field specimen number. Artifacts collected from features were bagged and labeled with the feature number and feature level number in addition to the provenience information for the excavation unit. Provenience was tracked through the use of a Field Specimen (FS) number to identify and track any material removed from a specific provenience. Field Specimen numbers were obtained by the excavators for each level and feature prior to the start of their excavations and were also assigned to several artifact concentrations such as cast iron stoves. Bags of recovered artifacts were brought back to the laboratory located in McDonel Hall where they were stored in numerical order by ES number until they were processed. 163 Thirteen soil samples were collected for several reasons during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest. Soil samples were collected in 8x10in plastic ziplock bags and were returned to the laboratory in McDonel Hall where they are stored as part of the Saints’ Rest collection. In addition to these soil samples, additional soil samples were collected in 5 gallon buckets for possible experimentation with soil analysis by Dr. Alvin Smucker of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Three large soil samples taken from the buried A Horizon were also collected for Peter Canington of the Department of Plant Biology and are currently being cultured in a greenhouse in the hopes of finding surviving seeds from the time of Saints’ Rest. Table B.2. Soil Samples collected from Saints’ Rest (201N169) during the 2005 field season. ‘ . . , Specimenit ..-Provenience . ., ...DeSCLiption/Context .. . 1 N295 E315 LV3 course sand 2 N295 E315 LV3 course sand 3 N300 E280 LV3 concentration of personal artifacts 4 N300 E280 LV3 concentration of personal artifacts 5 N300 E3100 LV2 b horizon--unconsolidated rubble 6 F107 interior of barrel 7 F108 interior of barrel 8 N295 E320 lime sample 9 N295 E315 sand sample 10 N300 E310 stove interior 11 F123 interior of barrel 12 F119 LV6 charred material 13 F122 interior of barrel The students were divided into three teams, each under the supervision of a different Teaching Assistant. These teams were rotated into the laboratory once a week where they washed and rough sorted artifacts uncovered during excavations by material type. 164 After the end of the 2005 field season, all open units were backfilled. Three units (Units 14, 21, and 29) were backfilled using the soil removed during excavation. The remaining units were kept open for two planned open houses to be held as part of the University’s Convocation ceremony and first home football game. These units were secured with wooden covers supplied by MSU Physical Plant and covered in visqueen. After all Open House activities were carried out, the remaining 26 open units were backfilled by the Grounds department using white sand. This would ensure that relocating the boundaries of our excavation units in future excavations would be done with more case. Topsoil was placed over the sand and the entire site area was covered with grass seed. Laboratory Methods All cultural material recovered during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest (201Nl69) were cataloged according to the Michigan State University Museum cataloging system. The Saints’ Rest collection was assigned the Museum Accession number of 2005:203, for which all material recovered from Saints’ Rest would be recorded. An explanation of the cataloging system is provided below. 165 20052203132 Saints’ Rest Accession# Unit Level Zone Figure B.2. The catalog number includes the MSU Museum accession number and site provenience information. 30052031001193 / Saints’ Rest Accession # Feature Feature Unit Level Level Figure B.3. Catalog numbers for features include the MSU Museum accession number, feature and feature level, and unit provenience information. Units and features were numbered sequentially with units beginning with one and features with 100. Catalog numbers for features include the unit and unit level provenience due to the location of features in multiple areas across the site (i.e. the foundation wall). Artifacts recovered from the excavations at Saints’ Rest were brought back to the lab at the Consortium for Archaeological Research at MSU and were washed. Once dry they were then rough sorted based on material type and bagged together by provenience. Once artifacts were washed and rough sorted, they were catalogued. Each provenience was identified with the corresponding catalog number that was placed on all bags and paperwork associated with a specific provenience. One provenience at a time artifacts were sorted, counted, weighed, and bagged separately. Each bag was labeled with the state site number (20IN169). catalog number (2005:203.X.Y), the field specimen number, and a brief description of the contents (e. g. whiteware, cut nail, etc). A small label 166 containing all the provenience information (state site number, museum catalog number, square number, coordinates, level, zone, feature information, date, excavators, count, weight, and description of artifact) was placed within the bag. This redundancy of information on the interior tag provided an added level of informational control in case the labeling of the bag was compromised in some way. Once cataloging was completed, diagnostic materials were labeled using B72 paraloid lacquer and archival pigma pens. Diagnostic artifacts were then stored in storage cabinets awaiting transfer to the MSU Museum Repository for long term storage. All non diagnostic artifacts were stored in clearly labeled archival boxes. Artifact Conservation A large number of the artifacts recovered from the excavations at Saints’ Rest were made of metal including cast iron, iron, brass, and copper. Due to the nature of the soil and debris in which the materials had been encased for the past 130 years, the artifacts were in various states of decomposition and would require conservation to preserve them. A large number cast iron stoves and small personal items were recovered from the excavations and in order to preserve these artifacts, archaeological conservation was carried out in conjunction with Dr. Lauren Sickels—Taves of the historic preservation program at Eastern Michigan University as well as through a contract with Susan Obert of Archaeological Conservation Resources, LLC (ARC), a private conservation company. A semester long course (ANP491 Saints’ Rest Research and Conservation) in artifact conservation was designed by the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University and held jointly with a course held by Dr. Sickels-Taves of EMU to teach 167 students how to conserve a variety of archaeological materials, using artifacts from Saints’ Rest for hands-on training. Artifacts chosen for conservation compose a representative sample of those recovered from the excavations at Saints’ Rest. A large number of cast iron stoves were recovered from Saints’ Rest and it was determined that a sampling of these stoves that included any unique designs would be included for conservation. Larger items such as stoves and tools were conserved at Michigan State University and smaller, more fragile items were conserved by ARC offsite in their laboratory (see Appendix F). Prior to conservation, artifacts were cleaned with a soft brush to remove any loose corrosion and debris. They were then photographed in order to provide documentation of the artifact before and after conservation and in case of any damage that may occur during the conservation process. A conservation form was filled out for each item that detailed the description, provenience information, and measurements of each artifact. This form was then used to provide documentation of the conservation techniques applied to each individual artifact. Electrolytic Bath Artifacts were treated using electrolysis, the use of electricity to remove electrons and sulfides responsible for the corrosion of metal objects. Artifacts were place in a plastic tub fitted with a piece of scrap galvanized steel, serving as a sacrificial anode (+) 1 covered with a plastic egg crate material to prevent the artifact, cathode (-), from touching the metal. Using 12 gauge solid electrical wire and alligator clips, artifacts were connected to the negative terminal of a power supply while the metal was connected to 168 the positive terminal. This allows the excess electrons responsible for the corrosion of the artifact to be transferred to the sacrificial scrap metal. The artifact and scrap metal were submerged in a mixture of water and sodium bicarbonate to allow for the travel of the current from artifact to scrap metal (Rogers 2004). Artifacts were monitored for their pH and chloride levels and water in the bins was changed as needed. When artifacts were finished in the electrolytic bath, they were removed and put through a series of two hot and cold water baths each in order to expunge any excess corrosion from the pores of the metal. The artifacts were then soaked in acetone for 24 hours in order to remove all water. Artifacts were treated with two coats of tannic acid, a rust inhibitor, and two coats of a matte clear acrylic spray paint (Krylon 1301) that served to seal the artifact from any moisture. Some of the smaller artifacts such as buttons were sealed with a Renaissance wax in place of the acrylic paint. Conserved artifacts were labeled using B-72 lacquer and archival pigma pen and were then wrapped in a non-woven, non-fuseable interfacing to prevent the collection of dust during storage. They were then placed in plastic archival bags and labeled as outlined in the laboratory methods section. A complete list of conserved artifacts is available in Appendix E. 169 APPENDIX C SITE STRATIGRAPHY The 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest (201Nl69) revealed two distinct stratigraphic compositions, one external to the building’s foundations and on internal to it. The following is a description of the soil stratigraphy associated with each of these contexts. Exterior (Natural) Stratigraphy The general soil stratigraphy discovered in excavation units opened outside the perimeter of Saints’ Rest included an A Horizon consisting of 10YR4/6 dark grayish brown silty clay loam (topsoil) that varied in thickness from 0.3ft to 0.6ft. Beneath this A Horizon lie a B Horizon ranging from of 10YR4/3 brown to 10YR5/4 yellowish brown sandy clay loam. This B Horizon was generally thicker, ranging in depth from 0.4ft (Unit 3, N335 E315) to 1.2ft (Unit 4, N320 E 325). A buried A Horizon was discovered in the northern and eastern exterior units (units 2, 3, 4 and 5) and appears as a mottled 10YR4/1 dark gray loam with charcoal inclusions. It is thought that this layer represents the level of the ground surface in 1856 when Saints’ Rest was constructed as the builder’s trench (Feature 100) is sharply distinguished from this gray layer in the units surrounding the foundation wall. The disruption of the ground surface for the construction of the foundation wall is evident by the sharp distinction between the gray soil of the buried A horizon and the 10YR4/6 dark yellowish brown sand used to fill in the builder’s trench. 170 SIAINTS' REST .‘OIN'GQ ZUIJSJUZ SON/181:4 11320 1:325 PRUIILI: DI SOUTH WILL JUN' m 200': A Horizon 1} Horizon Buried A 1101 Min Figure C.1. South profile of Unit 4 30 E32 showrg the A, B, and buried A horizon of the natural stratigraphy of the site. 171 Interior (Architectural) Stratigraphy .--H... . .. . ~ 1. .1 3r 1 ism—r » ' . Figure C2. The internal stratigraphy of Saints' Rest. The variable rubble and ash layers are visible in the western profile of units 10 and 24 (N295-300 E310). The interior stratigraphy at Saints’ Rest consisted generally of four stratigraphic layers. The initial A horizon was similar to that found around the exterior of the building, a 10YR3/2 very dark grayish brown silty clay loam that ranged in depth from 0.2ft to 0.8ft in depth throughout the site. The southeast portion of the site had a distinctly shallower A horizon with the shallowest point being in unit 7 with only 0.15ft of A horizon above the foundation wall. The northern section of the site tended to have a thicker A horizon, reaching up to 0.8ft in units 9 and 21. Because the site is in an area of manicured lawns, the differences in A horizon could represent landscaping efforts to level the area. 172 A mottled B horizon of 10YR5/6 yellowish brown mottled with 10YR3/2 dark gray brown loam was found throughout the site and ranged in thickness from 0.3ft to over 1.2ft. Artifact density was light in this horizon, consisting mostly of nails and glass, but also containing small brick fragments. Beneath the B horizon lay a rubble layer composed of brick and mortar fragments. The distribution of bricks, including both whole bricks and smaller pieces, was extremely dense in this layer of soil, making it difficult to shovel. The artifact density and variety also increased with the appearance of the rubble layer. This rubble layer is the result of the walls collapsing during and after the fire at Saints’ Rest. The artifacts mixed in with the rubble would have been the result of material falling from the upper floors and mixing with the structural rubble. The matrix of the rubble layer was characterized as 10YR5/6 yellowish brown loam and was generally the thickest strata with most units measuring over one foot thick. The thickness of this level represents the large amount of brick from the exterior walls of the building that were pushed into the structure after it burned to smooth over area of the building. An ash layer representing burned material from the upper floors of the building is the final strata of the internal excavations at Saints’ Rest. An ash layer of 2.5YR3/1 very dark gray ash was found beneath the rubble layer extending down to the basement floor of the building. As the building burned and the floors collapsed downward, the ash and debris would have fallen into the basement. Within the ash layer, numerous pieces of charred wood floorboards and joists were recovered along with large amounts of charcoal from the burned walls and floors. A high concentration of artifacts was found within this 173 ash layer including large amounts of melted window glass and nails, presumably from the upper windows and wood infrastructure of the building. The final stratigraphic layer associated with the interior of the building is composed of the basement flooring. The basement of the building was divided in half by a central north-south running hallway composed of two brick walls and a raised plaster floor. Excavations within the western room of the basement revealed a cobblestone floor located directly below the ash layer. The cobblestones, located approximately 3.6 feet below the ground surface (unit 18, N325 E280), are embedded in a matrix of 10YR7/4 very pale brown sand. Flooring on the eastern side of the building was composed of a packed 10YR6/4 light yellowish brown sand mottled in areas with lOYR4/4 dark yellowish brown loamy sand and 10YR4/3 brown sand. Sections of the sand floor, particularly in the northeast corner of the building, exhibited reddening due to exposure to heat during the fire and were characterized as 7.5YR4/6 strong brown sand (unit 9, N330 E315). 174 APPENDIX D FEATURES One of the primary goals of the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest was to determine what, if any, of the structure remained under ground. The archival material available for Saints’ Rest makes little mention of what happened to the building after it was destroyed by fire in 1876. It was known that no buildings were built on top of the location, but it was unclear if there was any salvage of material, if the remainder of the building was filled in with any other material, or if the rubble was simply leveled off and covered over with grass. Throughout the excavations, 24 features were designated based on the criteria identified in Appendix B. Several features occurred in multiple excavation units (Table D.1). For this reason, features were excavated separately by square so that adequate control could be maintained over artifacts recovered from these features. 175 Table D.l. Features identified during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest (201Nl69). . Feature # ‘_ _. Provenience (Unit #) 7 ,_ 3' ', Description 100 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 15, 25, 26 Builder’s Trench 101 6 Small Pit/ Possible Historic shrub pit 102 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25, 26 Foundation wall 103 12, 14, 22, 29 E-W Interior brick wall 104 12 Concentration of ash and stove pipe 105 15, 27 N-S Interior brick wall (hallway) 106 10 Barrel firecp in NE comer) 107 10 Barrel (mid-east wall) 108 10 Barrel (SE wall) 109 9 Cagpenter’s tools 1 1O 14 Circular burned area 1 1 1 13 Nail concentration 1 12 16 Concentration of Lime 113 16 Wooden sides and supports of bin 1 14 16 Wooden base of bin 115 21 N-S Interior brick wall (hallway) 1 16 18 Cobblestone floor 1 17 20 Wooden tub 1 18 24, 28 Stove concentration 1 19 22 Concentration of charred flooring 120 21 , 27 Plaster floor (hallway) 121 24 Bucket concentration 122 24 Barrel 123 24 Barrel 124 20 Wooden tub Builder’s Trench (Feature 100) As mentioned earlier, prior to excavation a soil probe was used to locate the rough location of the foundation wall by using the concrete marker in the NE comer as a starting point. The builder’s trench for the building was designated Feature 100 and was first located in Unit 7 on the eastern edge of the site 1.9 feet below the ground surface. The trench extended 2.5 feet out from the foundation wall and consisted of 10YR4/6 dark yellowish brown loose loamy sand that was sharply distinguished from a 10YR4/1 dark gray loam buried A horizon. The builder’s trench was excavated down to a 10YR6/4 light yellowish brown sand, 3.3ft below surface. The northern (Units 3, 5, and 15) and 176 eastern units (2, 7, and 11) where the builder’s trench was excavated had a low artifact density that included glass, nail, and ceramic fragments. The majority of artifacts recovered were fragments of fieldstone that appeared to be waste from the fitting of stones during construction of the wall. Along with fieldstone fragments, excavations along the western wall of the building (units 8, 25, and 26) produced a large amount of mortar that appears to be the remnants of excess mortar discarded in the trench during construction of the wall. SAINT S 'F-ILLl P’I'sz‘J 303 N.‘.'\‘. 2'“, Fl ATU'N. \DCI aUILDl H'S ’ HEY-(M JULY I '(Cll'; Figure D.1. An excavated portion of the builder’s trench (Feature 100, Unit 3, N335 E15) sh " northern foundation wall on the left and the mottled grey buried A horizon on the right. 177 Stone Foundation Wall (Feature 102) Portions of the north (Units 9, 13, 15, 23), east (Units 7, 11) and western (Units 8, 25, 26) foundation wall was uncovered in nine excavation units and was designated Feature 102. The foundation wall measured an average of 2.5 ft in width and was composed of granite field stones bonded with a coarse lime mortar. Excavation of the builder’s trench revealed a tapered wall, expanding down to the base approximately 3.3 feet below surface. The soil surrounding the exterior of the wall was characterized as a 10YR4/6 dark yellowish brown loamy sand while the interior consisted of various layers of debris and ash. * -— ' .-..~. wa' ‘31-‘31 m_h'i‘-Z|‘O;E‘W: ..-‘ "1‘ WT":- ‘ ”- ~- : 51““:321‘7 in; A' '..‘.~'”- . ”H Figure D. 2. The eastern foundation wall (Unit 11, N320 E320) demonstrating the fieldstone construction. Archival research revealed building specifications calling for a foundation built as follows: bare course of flat stones (or flat on the lower surface) laid close together 3 1/2 feet wide bedded in grout or rubble mortar and bedded on the top with small stones and mortar. . ..The stone wall above the bare course is to be of hammer dress'd stone laid in grout mortar and double faced (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48). 178 Specifications also called for the outer face of the foundation to $10pe upward to the grade line where the wall was to measure 22 inches in width. (Royce & Copeland 1856: 15) Our archaeological findings corroborate the building specifications outlined for the construction of the foundation wall. No articulated bricks were found atop the foundation wall during our excavations. Possible Historic Shrub Pit (Feature 101) A circular feature approximately 2 feet in diameter was located in the northern half of unit 6 (N 300 E255). The feature consisted of lOYR4/6 dark yellowish brown sand with patches of 2.5YR5/6 red and lOYR3/4 dark yellowish brown sandy loam and was excavated to a depth of 1.05ft. A large number of roots in the circular stain of the feature and the absence of artifacts beyond a small number of brick fragments, led to an interpretation of Feature 101 as the remains of an historic shrub pit. Based on the location of the feature on the western exterior of the building, it is possible that this feature represents the location of a shrub planted near the time of Saints’ Rest or later that has since been removed. 179 SI'UNYS' R551 lOlN|h9 3005-303 SQUARE 6 Figure D.3. Unit 6, N 300 E 255 showmg the circular stain of Feature 101. Interior Brick Wall, East-West (Feature 103) An interior brick wall running east to west across Saints’ Rest was uncovered along the southern edge of units 12, 14, 22, and 29. The wall was composed of brick, 12 courses tall at its highest point, with a sill at the base extending 0.33 feet north into the unit. The wall was two courses thick and contained two header rows, one directly above the sill, and the other eight rows above that. Our excavations exposed the wall from its beginning at the western foundation wall extending 16 feet east across the building. The wall appeared to continue further cast but was not excavated due to the obstruction of excavations by cement sidewalks. The wall appears to only exist on the western half of the building as excavations on the eastern half did not uncover an east-west wall of any 180 sort. A central hallway (Feature 120) was located running north-south through the center of the building and it is expected that Feature 103 intersects with this hallway in unit 29 underneath the sidewalk. Figure 13.4. The east-west interior brick wall (Feature 103, Units 12 and 22, N300 E275—280) interseced with the western foundation wall (far right). Feature 103 is cross cut in unit 14 (N 300 E285) by an intrusive backhoe trench (see Figure D.5). This trench measures approximately 3 feet in width and extends slightly into the baulk separating units 14 and 22. This backhoe trench, identified at 0.5ft below surface, was absent of stratigraphy and contained both modern and historic artifacts. The soil for this trench was described as a 10YR6/6 brownish yellow sandy loam matrix mottled with 7.5YR4/6 strong brown sandy loam. It appears as though after the trench was dug, it was filled in with the same soil, as historic artifacts, bricks, and cobblestones are dispersed throughout the fill. The western edge of this trench was also seen in unit 18 (N325 E280) indicating that it stretches at least 30 feet north-south across the site. It is unclear when this backhoe trench was created, and for what purpose, but it is clear that the soil removed was placed back into the trench and covered over with topsoil. The east—west wall of Feature 103 was removed in this backhoe trench. Figure 13.5. Unit 14.3 E285 showing evidence ofdisturbance. The east-west brick wall (Feature 103) has been disturbed by the trench on the left. 182 Central Hallway (Features 105, 115, and 120) A hallway consisting of a raised plaster floor was discovered running north-south through the basement of Saints’ Rest. Two interior brick walls were first identified in a north-south orientation in the northern half of our excavations, and a plaster flooring connecting the two was later uncovered. In unit 15 (N 330 E300), the easternmost brick wall begins at the northern foundation wall and extends south, appearing again in unit 27 (N315 E300). This portion of the wall was two courses wide and seven rows tall with a sill at the base. The wall appeared to have some structural damage as there was a three inch gap between the two courses at the top of the wall and the easternmost course appeared to be leaning into the unit. The plaster floor of the hallway (Feature 120) was a smooth hard black surface and rested one foot above the surface of the basement floor on either side of the walls. Only a small portion of the hallway was uncovered during the 2005 excavations and no doorways were located. 183 Central Hallway Wait Wall East Wall Figure D.6. Both the western (Feature 105) and eastern (Feature 115) walls of the hallway demonstrate cavity construction but only the western wall shows evidence of a third course of bricks on the interior of the hallway as the building specifications called for. The black plaster floor of the hallway is visible between the two walls. The westernmost wall of the hallway was uncovered in unit 21 (N320 E290), with the distance between the east and west walls measuring approximately 8.5 feet. The wall consisted of three courses of brick, with the two westernmost courses separated by a 0.2ft gap filled with rubble. The western face of the wall showed no signs of header rows and probing within the rubble gap showed that it extended all the way to the base of the wall. The wall measured three feet in height from the base of the western basement floor to the top of the wall and did contain a sill at the base of the wall. The cavity construction and third course of brick of this western wall is in accordance with the building specifications outlined by the contractors for construction of the building (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 184 48). The eastern wall of the hallway exhibits cavity construction but does not have a third course of brick on the interior face of the hallway. It is unclear as to the reason for the differential construction methods used in building these walls. Cobblestone Floor (Feature 116) Excavations in the northwest section of the building (Square 18, N 325 E280) uncovered a cobblestone basement floor, different from the packed sand floor discovered in the eastern half of the building. The floor, found at a depth of approximately 3.6 feet below surface, was composed of rather uneven cobblestones and was cross cut on the easternmost edge of the unit by the intrusive backhoe trench identified further south in Square 14 (N 300 E285). The difference in flooring types on either side of the basement of Saints’ Rest suggests that each side may have served a different function within the daily use of the building. Archival material documents that construction of the basement was to include three rooms: a kitchen, washroom, and dressing room (Royce and Copeland Building Specifications, Feb 16, 1856, Architects, MSUAHC, UA 4.9.1, Box 826, Folder 48). The cobblestone floor would have provided drainage that the sand floor would not have and therefore may indicate the location of the washroom or kitchen. 185 Figure D.7. Unit 18, N 325 E280 showinthe cobblestone flooring of the western half of the basement of Saints' Rest. The intrusive backhoe trench is visible in the east profile of this unit. Remnants of cobblestone flooring were uncovered in units 12 and 22 (N300 E275-280) on the southern edge of our excavations. The flooring in this area had been disturbed; leaving the cobbles more dispersed than in unit 18, and was not identified as a feature in the paperwork. It was noted in the paperwork however, that the tops of the remaining cobbles showed evidence of burning and charring resulting from the collapse of the burning building above into the basement. Remnants of large stoneware storage vessels and a wooden keg filled with putty were located resting on the top of the 186 8523/ nonmoawEU .3 9:5 .85 05 3 3233.86 moon me $152 2: wEBonm 8225C “mom 35am mo 9:: 55 .md 2.33m 280 can . ....... .. , /\l 95. canoe; ummeQEoo 3.. H :3. 228. _ 3.. ea... _H. .. Q c3963 canoes r. .3 3 .3... .3 ._ .3 r .93” ._. H 55: Eng 3920/ x r. 1. . . a c _ ...3 .3 .3 _ 85.23 K\3c\c_;§3_2 mu. w " sag , its. 3283 829 w; 3 ._ >28 3....“ .. =m§ x25 ... 3.. n 833:3 .. 8:: 032: Li. . . . 55.9.0 u < $355238 330m" _....._ ome<>moxm moom .../ 38m .358 =3 coinage EEE can 95% 187 cobblestone floor in unit 22. Because of the limited area excavated in the western half of the building, it is unclear what exactly the function of this section of the basement performed within the daily life at Saints’ Rest (Figure D.8). Charred Flooring (Feature 110 and 119) A concentration of charred floorboards located in the northern half of unit 22 (N 300 E 280) was designated Feature 119. A series of charred wood fragments were determined to be floorboards along with two joists and were thought to represent the remains of an upper floor, likely the first floor, of the building that collapsed during the fire. They were therefore excavated separately. The possibility of defining collapsed floors within the rubble led to the decision to excavate Feature 119 in arbitrary levels of O. 15ft. This would allow for some vertical control if there were several collapsed floors represented in the rubble that were not immediately distinguishable based on wooden remains of floors. 188 Figure D.9. North prole of umt (N300 E280) showing Feature 119. The dark black layerjust beneath the thin brick rubble layer is a concentration of charred floor boards. A total of nine levels were excavated in Feature 119. The charred wood layer was described as 10YR2/l black ash-charcoal mix while the ash layer beneath the wood was described as 10YR3/1 very dark gray ash. There was some discrepancy over what constituted feature and what should be included in the normal ash layer of the unit. Once the initial floorboards were removed, a large layer of ash extended across the unit and 189 continued down to the level of the basement floor. This ash layer was excavated as feature without the presence of distinguishable floor boards and is considered to be the ash layer found throughout the site. Feature 110 is associated with a burned floor joist located in level 4 of unit 14 (N 300 E285), adjacent to the east-west interior brick wall and is separated from Feature 119 by the intrusive backhoe trench. The burned floor joist was surrounded by a 10YR2/2 very dark brown sandy loam soil containing nails and several fragments of glass. Feature 110 is a continuation of the concentration of floorboards and joist designated in unit 22 that has been cross cut by the intrusive backhoe trench. Dr. Frank Telewski, curator of the Beal Botanical Garden, aided in the preservation of the floorboards and joists by applying an Elmer’s glue and water solution to the wood in order to hold the wood together and prevent crumbling upon drying. Once several layers of the glue mixture had been applied to the wood and dried, the samples were then removed from the ground and transported back to the laboratory. Barrels (Features 106, 107, 108, 122, and 123) The remnants of five wooden barrels were discovered in a row extending north- south along the border of units 10, 16, 24, and 28. These barrels were designated, from north to south, Feature 123, 122, 106, 107, and 108. Barrels were initially encountered in unit 10 (N295 E310), with the barrel hoops in tact, although crushed, while the staves had been burned away in the fire. Each barrel was treated separately and soil samples were removed from the interior of each barrel for the possibility of further testing. Upon excavation of the interior of the barrels, the bottoms were discovered intact and 190 preserved, showing no signs of burning. Due to the preservation of the barrel bottoms, it was determined that the barrels were most likely used for the storage of rain water and as the building burned and the water evaporated, the upper portions of the barrels burned while the bottoms were preserved. In an attempt to preserve the barrel bottoms, several coats of an Elmer’s all purpose glue and water mixture was applied to the wood in order to stabilize it and prevent it from cracking as it dried. While exposure to the air dried out the barrels bottoms substantially, the glue mixture helped to hold the pieces together. 191 Figure D.10. Four of the five barrels excavated during 2005. From north to south they are Features 123, 122, 106, and 107. Feature 108 partially extends into the southern wall of units 10 and 16 (N295 E310-315). Four of the five barrels were removed at the end of our excavations; barrel 108 was impossible to remove as it extended partially into the southern wall of units 10 and 16. Barrel removal was carried out by sliding large steel sheets provided by the MSU 192 Physical Plant underneath each barrel, being careful to keep the barrels as intact as possible. The barrels were then carefully transported back to the McDonel Hall laboratory. Because difficult curatorial decisions must be made due to issues of space and the extremely fragmentary nature of the barrel remains, one barrel was chosen for curation in the MSU Museum collections to serve as a sample while the others were documented and discarded. Wooden Crate (Features 113 and 114) \ . . A "j ' e crate exhibited evidence of charting from exposure to the fire. The crate is partially filled with a coarse lime (grey substance to the right) and lies directly south of a pile of coarse sand used in the production of mortar and plaster. Fiured).11. The wooden bdoars of 193 Immediately to the east of the barrels, a wooden crate was uncovered in units 7 and16. Initially the wood remains were not recognized as a crate and therefore two different feature designations were assigned to different elements of the crate. Feature 113 is associated with the charred wood exterior boards and supports for the crate while Feature 114 refers to the charred boards that constitute the bottom of the crate. The boards of Feature 113 run from the foundation wall in unit 7 and extend up to the edge of the barrels bordering units 16 and 10. Feature 114 was originally thought to be a set of floorboards but when considered with the boards of Feature 113, they were determined to be the bottom boards of a crate. The four boards that were uncovered during excavation were charred, indicating that this portion of the crate was empty at the time of the fire. The eastern end of the crate contained a hardened white substance determined to be lime. It is unclear whether the lime has hardened due to the fire, or from compression over time, but it is absent in the western end of the crate. Directly north of the crate lay a pile of loose, coarse sand. This sand appears to have been piled up next to the crate on the basement floor, with no defined northern edge. 194 _WW ..Téiffififffh . -: Figure D. l 2. A mortar production area was located in the eastern side of the basement of arnts est. The barrel features rest directly west of wooden crate filled with lime and loose sand. Together, the barrels containing rain water, the lime, and the loose sand represent all the ingredients used for making mortar. The Lansing Republican from December 12, 1876 states that workmen were working in the basement of Saints’ Rest re-plastering the Walls the night the fire began and were at one time considered the cause of the fire. The paper reported that the workmen were eventually cleared and a faulty chimney was to blame for the fire. Our findings in the southeast portion of our excavations represent the work area of the repairmen working in the basement. The workman would have used these materials to mix together their mortar being used to fix the walls of the building. Comparison of mortar found adhered to the foundation wall, as well as mortar and plaster recovered in the rubble of the building, shows that the color of the aggregate, the loose 195 sand, was a match, further evidence toward this as a work area for mixing mortar used to repair the building walls. Wooden bucket/bin (Feature 117 and 124) The remnants of two wooden buckets used to hold ash were uncovered along the western edge of Unit 20 (N 295 E300). A large conglomerate of compressed ash was first identified in level three of unit 20 at 2.46ft below surface. The hard, dense nature of the ash necessitated the use of a pickaxe for excavation. The ash extends far beyond the boundaries of the wooden bins and was likely the result of storage overflow. Ash may have been stored in these bins in the basement of Saints’ Rest with the intent of using the ash to create soap. A letter concerning employees of the boarding hall states “two girls are employed to do the whole of the washing, ironing, & soap making (R.F. Johnstone to J .M Gregory, Oct 27, 1857, MKC, MSUAHC, UA 17.107, Box 1141, Folder 66)” indicating that this activity may have been taking place within Saints’ Rest. 196 Figure D.13. The remnants of a wooden tub (Feature 117) measuring 1.7 feet in diameter can be seen in the northeast comer of unit 20, N295 E305. The grayish white substance surrounding the bin is a very hard, dense compressed ash substance. A second tub (Feature 124) was located directly south of this tub. The compressed ash was extremely hard and the excavators were unable to remove the bins intact as it had adhered to the compressed ash. It is unclear what caused the ash to compress into such a hard substance but one possible explanation is the water from the firefighting efforts mixed with the ash to create a concrete like substance. Samples of the ash were collected and are available for future analysis. 197 Tool Kit (Feature 109 and 111) Excavations in the northeast corner of the building unearthed a toolkit (Feature 109 and 111) that was most likely being stored in the basement of Saints’ Rest at the time of the fire. Feature 109 was located in unit 9 (N330 E 315) just south of the northern foundation wall. Feature 111 was located in unit 13 (N 330 E310), just east of Feature 109, and consisted of a high concentration of cut nails. Once excavated, it became apparent that Feature 111 was a box of nails, with the box having been destroyed by the fire, leaving a conglomerated mass of nails. The tool kit included several carpenter’s tools including two wood saws, a carpenter’s square, two wood plane blades, a chisel, a mason’s trowel, a claw hammer head, the head of a grub hoe, and an unidentified handle. The tools were found stacked on top of one another resting on the sand floor of the basement, suggesting that they were being stored in the basement. The carpenter’s square extended into the soil running beneath the sidewalk at the very northeast comer of the building and suggests that there may be more tools associated with this feature further into the unexcavated portion of the unit. 198 Figure D. 14. A claw hammer and collection of finishing nails. All of the tools associated with the carpenter’s tool kit were chosen to undergo artifact conservation via electrolytic bath. The tools, and their conservation, are described in more detail in the material culture section of this report. Stove Concentrations (Features 104 and 118) Two features were identified based on their association with cast iron stoves. Feature 104 appeared in the northeast corner of unit 12 (N300 E275), extending to the east—west interior brick wall (Feature 103), as several large pieces of stove pipe on top of an ash deposit. It was thought that this could represent a cast iron stove from a student room and was identified as a feature. The soil associated with Feature 104 was described as 10YR2/1 black ash and charcoal deposit and contained a large amount of charred wood as well as a copper oil lamp and several pieces of iron. It was determined after the excavation of Feature 104 that it should not have been designated a feature and that it 199 most likely represented the ash layer that made up part of the stratigraphy of the interior of the building. Figure D. 15. Unit 24, N300 E310 showrnga eonentraton of box stoves. These particular stoves are from the Newberry, Filley & Company of Troy, New York and would have been used to heat student rooms within Saints' Rest. The southeastern section of our excavation area produced a large amount of cast iron stove fragments and these were designated Feature 118. This feature was used to distinguish the large number of stove fragments, as well as more complete stoves, from the general level fill in which they were found. Located across two units, 24 (N300 E310) and 28 (N 300 E315), Feature 118 represented the collapse of higher floors into the basement of Saints’ Rest. Because each room within Saints’ Rest would have had its own cast iron stove for heating and these stoves would have each had piping to connect it to a chimney. Based on the surviving photographs of Saints’ Rest, there would have been a chimney on the east side of the building, near the location of our excavations. It is thought that the proximity of stoves to each other in the rubble may indicate that they 200 would have been positioned along similar walls in order to share piping leading to a chimney and that when the building collapsed; they fell very close to one another. The characteristics of stoves associated with Feature 1 18 are described in detail in the material culture section of this report. Figure D.16. The front panel of a Newberry, Filley & Company, based in Troy. NY, box stove discovered in the rubble of Saints’ Rest. The door reads “TROY, N.Y., No 3, PATENTED 1850” and has undergone conservation treatments. 201 Bucket/Pail Concentration (Feature 121) At the base of level 3 in the northeast comer of unit 24 (N 300 E310), an iron bucket and pail were uncovered in close relation to one another. Based on the concentration of buckets in close proximity, these artifacts were designated Feature 121. The artifacts consisted of a cast iron pot and a pail that had been crushed. The cast iron pot was intact and filled with debris. The pot may have been used to store the ashes from the wood burning stoves used in the students’ dorm rooms but analysis was not carried out on the contents of the pot. Due to conservation concerns, the debris was not removed from the pot and it was left intact in order to preserve the cast iron. The pail recovered from Feature 121 was crushed during the collapse of the building and no associated contents were identified. 202 Figure D. 17. Iron ash pail filled with debris. This artifact was unable to undergo conservation methods due to the fragile nature of the material. 203 APPENDIX E ARTIFACT CONSERVATION The following artifacts from the site of Saints’ Rest were chosen to undergo artifact conservation as described in Appendix B. Table E. l. A list of conserved artifacts from Saints’ Rest 1201151169). EFSJK Museum Catalggjfi - , Descrgptront V « Count Material C(insenatorfii 2 20052032.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 4 2005:2034] Buttons 2 brass/iron Susan Obert 4 2005220341 key hole escutcheon 1 iron Susan Obert 12 20052203. 1 .3 can lid 1 iron Susan Obert 14 200520363 Leather 2 leather Susan Obert 21 2005:203.8.1 Commss 2 brass Susan Obert 25 2005:203.8.2 decorative clamp l brass Susan Obert 25 2005:203.8.2 pipe elbow 1 iron Susan Obert 58 2005:203.9.2 Bracket 1 iron Susan Obert 34 2005:203.10.2 clasp/buckle 1 iron Susan Obert 34 2005:203. 10.2 door latch? 1 iron Susan Obert 34 2005:203.10.2 Label 1 brass Susan Obert 34 2005:203.10.2 pen nib 2 iron Susan Obert 30 2005220311.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 30 2005220311.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 30 2005220311.] Button ] brass Susan Obert 30 2005220311.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 41 2005:203.]1.2.2 Buckle 1 iron Susan Obert 4] 20052031122 Button 1 brass Susan Obert 4] 2005:203.] 1.2.2 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 41 200522031122 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert window frame (Eastern 35 20052203122 White Pine) 1 wood Susan Obert 46 20052203123 painted wood 1 wood Susan Obert 37 2005220313.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 51 2005:203.13.2.1 scroll bracket 1 iron Susan Obert 52 2005:203.13.2.2 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 84 20052203: 13.4 door hinge 2 iron Susan Obert 84 2005:203213.4 mortise lock 1 iron/brass Susan Obert 84 2005:203. 13.4 Hook 1 iron Susan Obert brass key "Sargent & 38 2005:203.14.1 Greenleaf" 1 brass Susan Obert 38 2005220314.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 38 2005220314.] saw screw 1 brass Susan Obert 40 2005:203.14.2.1 Buckle l brass Susan Obert 40 2005:203.14.2.1 razor blade 1 iron Susan Obert 45 2005:203. 14.2.2 Buckle 1 iron Susan Obert 45 200512031422 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 204 Table E.1 Continued -:_FS#_-. ..‘Museum‘cararg‘gr f inscription 7‘ " j count? "Material .1 conservator; 45 2005:203.1422 Button 1 brass Susan Obert 45 200522031422 metal hook 1 iron Susan Obert 63 2005203144.] Pen 7 copper Susan Obert 61 20052203. 15.3.2 caster housings 2 iron Susan Obert 82 2005203155 Coin 1 copper Susan Obert 54 2005:203.162 1858 penny 1 copper Susan Obert 54 20052203. 16.2 scissor blade 1 iron/brass Susan Obert 55 2005220317.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 64 20052203. 17.2 Button 2 brass Susan Obert 64 20052203172 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 64 20052203172 Button 1 brass/rubber Susan Obert 64 2005:203.172 coat hook 1 iron Susan Obert 80 2005.203: 17.3 box hinges 2 iron Susan Obert 80 20052032173 Button 1 copper Susan Obert 80 20052032173 coat hook 1 iron Susan Obert 80 20052032173 key hole escutcheon 1 brass Susan Obert 80 20052032173 lamp burner 1 copper Susan Obert 78 20052203. 18.3.1 can lid 1 iron Susan Obert can lid "S.M. Bixby & 78 2005203183.] Co." 1 iron Susan Obert 78 2005203183.] carriage bolt 1 iron Susan Obert 78 2005203183.] pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 78 2005203183.] plates 2 iron Susan Obert 78 2005203183.] rivet with leather 1 brass Susan Obert 79 200522031832 Hook 1 iron Susan Obert 99 2005203184.] carriage bolt 1 iron Susan Obert 99 2005203184.] paper fastener (used) 2 brass Susan Obert 101 200522031843 paper fastener (used) 2 brass Susan Obert 70 20052203192 Hook 1 iron Susan Obert 72 2005203193 caster (holes in wheel) 1 iron Susan Obert 89 20052203202 Buckle l brass Susan Obert 89 20052203202 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 109 ' 20052203212 shirt stud l brass lgilded Susan Obert 12] 2005203213.] lock plate 1 iron/brass Susan Obert 12] 2005203213.] lock plate 1 iron Susan Obert 12] 2005203213.] Spring 1 iron Susan Obert 96 2005220322.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 96 2005220322.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 103 20052203222 Buckle l brass Susan Obert 103 20052203222 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 103 20052203222 jar lid 1 iron Susan Obert 103 20052203222 pen holder 2 iron Susan Obert 103 20052203222 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 117 20052203223 key hole escutcheon 1 iron Susan Obert 117 20052203223 Padlock 1 cast iron Susan Obert 117 20052203223 ring with riveted leather 2 leather/copper Susan Obert 117 20052203223 shirt stud 1 shell/brass Susan Obert 205 Table E. I Continued grss Museum Catalogs; ’ ' ’ ,Dcsc'riptio’ri ‘ ’ " .Coti‘r‘it” ” ‘ "iiiatEr‘i‘ar " categories. ’ 102 2005220323.] clover pin? 1 iron Susan Obert 113 2005203242 1851 penny l brass Susan Obert 113 20052203242 stove vent/plate 1 cast iron Susan Obert 119 20052203243 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 119 20052203243 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 119 20052203243 slate pencil 1 brass top Susan Obert l 18 20052203252 Button 2 iron Susan Obert 118 2005203252 Button 1 iron/fabric Susan Obert 118 2005203252 pen nib l brass Susan Obert 118 20052203252 pen nib 2 iron Susan Obert 120 2005220626.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 120 2005206261 Pulley 1 iron Susan Obert 135 20052203272 Buckle 1 iron Susan Obert 135 2005203272 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 135 20052203272 clasp/buckle 1 iron Susan Obert 135 20052203272 coat hook 1 iron Susan Obert 135 2005203272 pen nib 1 iron Susan Obert 14] 2005203273.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 14] 2005203273] Button 3 iron Susan Obert 14] 2005203273.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 173 2005203274.] Button 1 iron Susan Obert 173 2005203274.] Textile 2 textile Susan Obert 146 2005203283 1865 penny 1 copper Susan Obert 146 20052203283 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 146 2005203283 Button 1 iron Susan Obert 146 20052203283 Pulley 2 iron Susan Obert 17] 2005203284 Button 1 brass Susan Obert 168 20052203293 can lid 1 iron Susan Obert 168 2005203293 paper fastener (unused) 2 brass Susan Obert 168 20052203293 ring with riveted leather 2 iron Susan Obert 168 2005203293 Spring 1 iron Susan Obert 168 2005203293 window handle 1 iron Susan Obert 71 2005203104.] [12] oil lamp 1 copper Susan Obert 127 2005203107.] hook and pin latch 2 iron Susan Obert 66 2005203109.] [9] wood planes 2 iron Susan Obert 153 2005203118.1[28] caster (no holes) 1 iron Susan Obert 153 20052203118.1[28] lock strike plate 1 brass Susan Obert 153 2005:203.118.1[28] surface bolt 1 brass Susan Obert 174 2005:203.119.9[22] Button copper Susan Obert 174 2005:203.119.9[22] misc. hardware (3pc) 3 iron Susan Obert 206 Table E.1 Continued . Jinan'vmuorj. " .FSii Museum Catalo 1t ' Description Count - ,' Material , Conservator . ' Sickels-Taves 84 200522032134 mason trowel 1 iron MSU Sickels-Taves 84 200522032134 Pulley 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 178 2005:203.16 stove doorflmnel (Shield) 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 54 2005:203.162 decorative stove base 1 cast iron MSU stove base/top (Black Sickels-Taves 54 2005203162 Giant No 21) 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 54 2005:203.162 stove door w/ hinge 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 54 2005203162 stove leg 1 cast iron MSU Siekels—Taves 64 2005203172 pot belly stove door 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 80 2005203173 stove vent 1 cast iron MSU Siekels-Taves 78 2005203183.] pipe 1 copper MSU Sickels-Taves 78 2005203183.] stove lid lifter 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 119 20052203243 stove door 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 119 20052203243 stove legs 2 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 119 20052203243 stove lid 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 119 20052203243 stove ring 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 164 200522032742 sash weight 2 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 71 2005:203.104.1[12] stove pipe 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 127 2005203107.] stove leg 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 66 2005203109.][9] carpenter's square 1 iron MSU Sickels—Taves 66 2005:203.109.1[9] Chisel 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 66 2005203109.l[9] grub hoe 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 66 20052203109.1[9] hammer head 1 cast iron MSU Siekels-Taves 66 2005:203.109.1[9] hinge? 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 66 2005:203.109.1[9] Saw 1 iron MSU Sickels-Taves 66 2005 203.109.] [9] saw with brass screws 1 iron MSU stove (Newberry, Filley & Sickels-Taves 148 20052203.] 18.1[24] Co.) 1 cast iron MSU 207 Table E. 1' Continued ”FS# Museum CatalOg #‘ Description Count Material Conservator Sickels-Taves 148 20052203.] 18.1[24] stove leg 1 cast iron MSU pot belly stove door Sickels-Taves 153 2005 2203.1 18.1[28] (encrusted) 1 cast iron MSU stove door (corn and Sickels-Taves 153 20052203.] 18.1[28] grapes) 1 cast iron MSU Sickels-Taves 15 3 2005:203.] 18.1[28] stove leg 1 cast iron MSU 208 APPENDD( F MATERIAL CULTURE The archaeological remains of Saints’ Rest provide important clues into the lives of students at the Agricultural College of Michigan. While the architectural information described in this thesis is important to understanding the construction and use of Saints’ Rest as a boarding hall, it is equally important to examine the artifacts associated with this architecture in order to get at how the building was used by residents at the time of its destruction by fire in 1876. The following will present the material culture of Saints’ Rest in the form of artifact descriptions. These artifact descriptions will be broken down by artifact classes based on material type. Descriptions will focus on major artifact classes while a complete listing of artifacts recovered from the excavations at Saints’ Rest is located on file at the Consortium for Archaeological Research at Michigan State University. GLASS ARTIFACTS A total of 33,093.0g of glass fragments were recovered from Saints’ Rest. Glass was categorized based on type (window, bottle, unidentifiable container) and color. Glass fragments were counted and weighed with the exception of unidentifiable melted glass for which only weights were recorded. The following is a breakdown of the glass artifact assemblage. 209 Widow Glass The majority of glass artifacts were classified as aqua window glass fragments (14,827.8g). Of this, 29.6% (9747.3g) of the window glass showed evidence of melting or heat fracture (Figure F.l). An additional 5921.6g of unidentifiable melted aqua glass was also recovered from Saints’ Rest, much of which is likely window glass although a positive identification was not possible due to the condition of the fragments. Because of the large number of windows in a building the size of Saints’ Rest, this abundance of window glass is not unexpected. The melted fragments of glass often exhibited a milky white patina that appeared to be associated with heavily melted glass fragments. Figure F]. A large fragment of melted window glass. Bottle Glass 1682.5g of bottle glass was recovered from Saints’ Rest, including three complete glass bottles. A solarized glass pharmaceutical bottle (32.0g) with the embossing "PALMER AND NIXON, GLASS BLOCK PHARMACY, LANSING MICH." located on the front of the bottle. The flanged lip bottle also contains embossed “cc” 210 degradations of "10" and "20" along the side of the bottle further indicating that it most likely contained medicine of some kind. N 0 records for the Palmer and Nixon Pharmacy were able to be located during archival research. The second complete bottle recovered from Saints’ Rest is a small, simple square bottle with chamfered comers, flanged lip, and a cylindrical neck. The bottle weighs 32.5g and measures 7.5cm in height. There was no evidence as to what the bottle may have stored. The third intact bottle recovered from excavations at Saints’ Rest is a small cylindrical vial with rounded shoulders and a patent lip. At the time of discovery, the bottle appeared to contain the remnants of a charred powder or substance inside of it. The black powder was removed during cleaning and preserved with the artifact in the event that future testing to determine its contents may be performed. A wide variety of bottle glass fragments were recovered and range in color from colorless, aqua, solarized, green, dark green and even yellow. The bottle assemblage of Saints’ Rest is small compared to other types of artifacts recovered from the site but it does provide information regarding student life within the building. Inkwell Inkwell glass fragments, including 4 complete inkwells, numbered 37 and weighed 455.5 g. Inkwells were composed of aqua glass and exhibited seams consistent with three-piece molds. The majority (3) of wells were conical in shape and did not contain any embossing. One small circular inkwell was recovered with the name “1] BUTLER CINNCINATTI” embossed around the base of the well (Figure F2). The J .J . Butler Company of Cincinnati, Ohio was a popular ink manufacturer in the 19th Century. 21] The shape and design of this particular inkwell can be dated to 1868 based on the chronological changes in Butler inkwell design as noted by bottle collectors (Odell 2003). c-\~~o\o:un Ln:‘ :3 an v- BUTL EEvé llEllCllTlLl ll lil’l’lH} lillglll Manufactured by JAKES J. BUTLER, Agent. No. 39 \"l.\'E STlililfl', COiiNlil’. 01" COMMERCE, CINClXNA'l‘l, 0. lo Ilm Ill mini 151ml I; Ti It was]; (mitt. “ in fat (ii-3,11 lb: truth. \1‘11<)1.F.SAIE 01’ ltL'I‘ All.” Ulitfi. ' IH‘l‘. l. kit-(Id!- Figure F2. An advertisement for J.J. Butler ink based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rounded shoulders and base of the inkwell to the right date the bottle to 1868 (Odell 2003). One lip fragment from a “turtle” inkwell was also recovered from Saints’ Rest. The characteristic of this type of inkwell is an opening that aligns flush to one side of the bottle as opposed to the center as in the more common conical and round inkwells. In addition to glass inkwells, fragments of stoneware inkwells were also identified within the material culture of Saints’ Rest. A description of these can be found under the Ceramics section of this appendix. Miscellaneous Glass A total of 9682.2g of unidentifiable glass fragments were recovered from Saints’ Rest, consisting of aqua and colorless glass. It is likely that these fragments represent portions of glass vessels as well as architectural glass that would have been found within Saints’ Rest. 212 CERAMIC ARTIFACTS The ceramic assemblage from Saints’ Rest is relatively small and consists mainly of ironstone and stoneware, indicative of the activities associated with the boarding hall. A total of 1516 fragments (21,7365 g) of ceramics were recovered from the remains of Saints’ Rest. Ironstone First introduced to the United States in 1842 by James Edwards, ironstone china is a high fired ceramic characterized by a hard, dense white or grayish-white paste and clear glaze (W etherbee 1996). Ironstone vessels are usually thick, partially vitrified and are often undecorated. 462 fragments (5837.8g) of ironstone were collected during the 2005 excavations at Saints’ Rest. The high proportion of ironstone found at Saints’ Rest can be explained by the need for strong, durable pieces that could withstand daily use by students. All of the ironstone recovered from Saints’ Rest was white in color, with a large number showing evidence of burning. Burned fragments of ironstone exhibited a dark blue color as the glaze reacted with the heat of the fire. Among the ironstone pieces uncovered at Saints’ Rest were the remains of an ironstone toiletry set, likely used by the steward of the building based on their distribution within the stratigraphy. The majority of pieces were recovered from the southeast quadrant of the 2005 excavations and were found within the ash layer associated with the burned interior floors of Saints’ Rest. Because of the collapse of the 213 building. it is likely that these ironstone vessels were located in one room on a lower floor of the structure. Figure F3. Ironstone toiletry set including pitcher, small bowl, shaving cup, soap dish. chamber pot lid, and toothbrush holder. The dark blue color is the result of burning. Many ofthe toiletry vessels were able to be wholly, or partially, reconstructed. In total the set is comprised of a complete pitcher, shaving mug, small bowl, toothbrush holder. soap dish, and chamber pot lid (Figure F3 ). Numerous fragments of a large wash basin and chamber pot bowl were also collected but the vessels were not complete enough to allow for reconstruction. The vessels were plain in design and all items apart from the soap dish exhibited discoloration from the fire. The only piece exhibiting any type of pattern is the chamber pot lid with a thistle and leaf pattern. 214 Stoneware Stoneware fragments numbered 256 (14,181.7g) and are composed mainly of brown salt-glazed stoneware with an Albany slip and blue on grey salt-glazed stoneware. Several large storage vessels were found resting on the floor of the east side of the basement and are thought to have served as storage containers although none contained evidence of material that may have been stored in it. Brown Salt-glazed Stoneware 92 fragments (2871.6g) of brown salt-glazed stoneware were recovered from Saints’ Rest, including 21 jug fragments (762.8g). The jug fragments exhibited a brown salt-glazed exterior with a dark brown/black Albany slipped interior. Blue-on-Grey Stoneware Blue on grey stoneware first appeared in the late 17‘'1 Century in Germany as Rhenish stoneware and saw a revival among American potters in the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries (N oél-Hume 1969). A total of 96 fragments of blue on grey stoneware were recovered from Saints’ Rest representing portions of a rrrinimum of two large storage vessels (Figure R4). 215 Figure F4. An example of blue on grey stoneware from Saints’ Rest showing a floral design. Of the total, 7] fragments (8079.9g) are attributed to these two vessels, with many fragments able to be pieced together. These vessels were recovered from the base of Feature 119, a condensed layer of ash and floorboards, and resting on top of the basement floor in the western half of the basement (Appendix D) and were likely used for storage. N o evidence as to the contents of the vessels was visible. Whiteware Whiteware is characterized by a white-colored paste and clear glaze and rose to popularity in the early 19th Century, replacing pearlware (Noel—Hume 1969). Plain whiteware fragments within the Saints’ Rest assemblage numbered 293 (452.6g) and offered little indication of form and function due to their small fragment sizes. The majority of the whiteware associated with the remains of Saints’ Rest consists of transfer- printed sherds. 216 A total of 33 fragments (37.7g) of transfer-printed whiteware were recovered from Saints’ Rest, including both blue and black designs (Figure G.5). Of the 21 fragments (22.5 g) exhibiting blue transfer—print, only three fragments had an identifiable floral design. l ' l Figiire F.5. Transfer-printed whiteware In addition to blue-transfer print, a total of 12 black transfer—printed whiteware fragments were collected. One fragment ( 1.5g) exhibited a floral motif while an additional 7 fragments (10.2g) displayed an outdoor scene including a Streetlight, ladder, and wooden spoon. The outdoor scene also contains what appears to be a portion of letter that is yellow in color. These fragments, mended together, likely represent the remains of a whiteware pharmaceutical jar with the yellow letter possibly part of a company name being advertised on the front. Terra Cotta 8] fragments (257.9g) of terra cotta were recovered from Saints’ Rest. The majority of these fragments appear to be associated with small vessels that were crudely made as evidenced by the presence of finger-prints found on the surface of sherds. fired 217 into the paste. N o indication of function or use for these vessels by the residents of Saints’ Rest was found during analysis. Porcelain Porcelain artifacts recovered during excavations number 43 and weigh 92.0g, with near] half of these consisting of buttons. Twenty porcelain buttons weighing a total of 12.9g were recovered. The buttons, approximately 1.1cm in diameter, exhibit a convex front and back and contain four button holes each located in a central well. This type of porcelain button was commonly used on clothing. The remains of a two porcelain furniture knobs (3 fragments weighing 36.4g) were recovered from Saints’ Rest. The knob (2 fragments weighing 18.3 g) showed evidence of a gilded sunburst design that was heavily deteriorated. The knobs may have belonged to a desk or other such furniture housed within Saints’ Rest and used by its residents. In addition to the porcelain buttons and doorknob, 9 fragments (9.2g) of unglazed porcelain were recovered. These fragments contained a green leaf pattern as well as a blue stippled design but were not large enough to determine vessel shape or function. Six fragments (9.2g) of a glazed porcelain teacup were also located among the remains of Saints’ Rest. The rim of the teacup was decorated with a linear gilded design. Yellowware Seventy-three fragments (118.2g) of yellowware, including 56 fragments (83.7g) of Rockingham ware, were recovered from Saints’ Rest. Rockingham-ware first 218 appeared in America in the mid 19th Century and became popular as a relatively inexpensive ceramic (Clancy 2004). Rockingham ware in the Saints’ Rest assemblage includes three molded fragments (22.7 g) although only one exhibited a distinguishable leaf design. Pipes The artifact assemblage from Saints’ Rest includes 88 kaolin pipe fragments (119.7g) and one redware zoomorphic pipe fragment (12.3 g). Among the pipe fragments were 46 bowl and 43 stem fragments. Several of the pipe bowl fragments were decorated and included designs such as a harp (Figure F6), incised cross—hatching, leaves, and starbursts. Five stems were stamped with Maker’s Marks of some degree, indicating manufacture in both Montreal and Glasgow. Figure F6. Smoking Pipes recovered from Saints’ Rest. 219 The single brown—slipped redware pipe weighing 12.3g was also recovered in addition to the kaolin pipe fragments. The bowl fragment was molded in the shape of a fish or reptile with the bowl of the pipe extending from the mouth of the animal (Figure G6). The origin and date of this particular form of pipe is unknown. Mineral Doorknobs The remains of seven glazed mineral door knobs (364.8g) were recovered from Saints’ Rest, three of which were complete (295.9g) [Figure F.7]. Figure F7. Mineral Doorknobs. Created by mixing different colored clay to form the handle, mineral door knobs became popular in the mid—19th century. This type of door handle was first termed “mineral knob” in 1869 when improvements to it was patented by Josiah Jones, although they had been manufactured for many decades prior (Eastwood n.d.). 220 METAL ARTIFACTS The material culture of Saints’ Rest is largely composed of metal artifacts more than any other material type. The largest proportion of metal objects recovered from Saints’ Rest is represented by iron artifacts, the majority of which are architectural in nature. Because of the size and nature of the building, it is reasonable to expect a large percentage of architectural artifacts. Numerous brass and copper artifacts were also recovered and are presented below. Nails A total of 66,212.3g (145.97lb) of nails were collected from Saints’ Rest. Of this, 21,799.6g (48.06lb) were nail fragments in various stages of deterioration and annealing from both the fire and the collapse of the building. A total of 8901 cut nails (27,869.2g or 61.441b) were recovered from the remains of Saints’ Rest and ranged in size from small 2d lathe nails to large 30d spikes. 563 cut finishing nails (1708.2g) were also recovered from the debris and ash layers of the building along with 2 wrought nails (12.8g) and 28 wire nails (80.8g). A sample of nails from Saints’ Rest can be seen in Figure F8. 221 Figure F.8. Architectural artifacts recovered from Saints’ Rest including cut, annealed nails, plaster, and brick, all of which were abundant in the archaeological record of the site. In addition to single nails, two large nail conglomerates were recovered from Saints’ Rest including a filled wooden keg and a smaller nail feature. The wooden keg filled with nails (10,659.4g or 23.51b) was located sitting on the basement floor in the eastern half of the basement, near the plaster workstation described in Chapter 4 and Appendix D. The wooden staves of the keg were charred from the fire and the supporting keg bands severely rusted. The contents of the keg consisted entirely of 9d finish nails, all of which had been rusted to form one solid mass of nails. The second nail conglomerate was also found in the east room of the basement, in the northeast corner of the building. Feature 11] (Appendix D) 222 consisted of an oblong conglomeration of nails (4082.3g) that were likely being stored in a wooden box or paper bag at the time of the fire. A small amount of charred wood is located on the underside of the nail feature although it is unclear whether this is associated with a box used to hold the nails or remnants of a wooden table or shelf that the nails may have been resting on. The nail feature was composed of 6d, 7d, and 9d finishing nails and was likely used for repairs around the boarding hall. Hardware A substantial amount of iron building hardware was excavated from Saints’ Rest. These artifacts can be broken down into three major categories: door, window, and furniture hardware. Door Hardware Door hardware recovered from Saints’ Rest includes 15 butt hinges (4209.7 g), each containing six screw holes that would have been used to attach the door to the jamb and several were found with the screws still in place. A total of four mortise locks (2434.1 g) were also found within the remnants of the building along with six (1872.4g) brackets that are likely part of the doors locking mechanism (Figure F9). One of the iron mortise locks was found in the locked position with the brass strike plate attached. This particular lock, found in the west room of the basement, showed evidence of being locked at the time of the fire. In addition to the iron mortise locks and hinges, one brass strike plate (47.9g), one brass surface bolt (22.5 g), and one small brass escutcheon (1.14g) were also recovered. 223 Figure F9. Door hardware including mortise lock, butt hinges, keyhole escutcheon, and key. Window Hardware Numerous pieces of window hardware was found during the excavation of Saints’ Rest including 1 1 iron pulleys (2302.3g) and 16 sash weights (57,945.9g or 1271b). The frequency of these items can be explained by the numerous windows located within the building. 224 Figure F.10. Window Hardware. Each window would have had a total of two pulleys and two sash weights in order to properly operate (Figure F.10). A minimum of two window handles (115.1g) were identified with the possibility of more as the function of numerous hardware artifacts was unable to be determined. Furniture Hardware Several varieties of furniture hardware were recovered from Saints’ Rest and provide information as to how the boarding hall was furnished. Six carriage bolts (190.8g) and eight caster wheels (786.4g) were identified and were likely used in furniture such as beds and chairs (Figure F1 1). 225 Figure Fl 1. Furniture Caster. In addition to the casters, 17 portions (402.4g) of caster housing hardware were also recovered. These would have been paired together and inserted into the wooden leg of a piece of furniture in order to hold the caster in place. Additional furniture hardware includes eight (158.2g) iron coat hooks and a decorative shelf bracket (160.8g) with a scroll design. Tools A carpenter’s toolset was recovered from the northeast comer of the basement of Saints’ Rest (Appendix D-Features 109/111). The toolset consisted of a chisel (1020.6g), claw-head hammer (453.6g), grub hoe (1576.2g), carpenter’s square (1020.6g), two wood saws (895.8g), and a mason’s trowel. 226 Figure F.12. Wood Saw. Brass screw indicates it is an “XLCR” saw manufactured by Wheeler, Madden, & Clemson of Middletown, NY. Each of the tools, with the exception of one saw, was plain and did not contain any manufacturer information and was in varying states of corrosion. One of the two wood saws included three brass screws that would have been used to attach the wood handle to the saw (Figure F. 12). The largest of the three screws exhibited the following information regarding its make and model: “Wheeler, Madden, & Clemson” “Middletown, NY.” encircling “XLCR” along with “Pat Dec 21 1869.” This helps to date the saw to the later years of Saints’ Rest’s operation. Stoves A large number of cast iron stoves were recovered from the remains of Saints’ Rest. A total of 29] stove fragments weighing (193,815.0g or 427.29lb) represent a minimum of four different stoves designs and a minimum of nine different box stoves based on the number of doors in the assemblage. In addition to the abundance of cast iron stove fragments, 59,429.2g (131.021b) of stove pipe was also recovered and 227 recorded. Each room within Saints’ Rest would have been heated by their own wood burning stove, therefore accounting for the large number of stove related artifacts uncovered. The majority of a “Black Giant” box stove was recovered from the remains of Saints’ Rest. The stove contains a characteristic shield design found on the stove door (Figure F.13) as well as on panels that comprise the sides and back of the stove. The ash pan and top of the Black Giant stove were also recovered and were still partially connected. Writing found on the top of the Black Giant stove indicates that this particular model of stove is “No. 21” and that it was likely manufactured in Albany, NY. Several of the pieces of the stove have a “BG 21” on the back of it to indicate that it is a part of this particular stove. Patent information is found on the front door as it states “Design Patented June 22, 1858.” Figure F.13. Black Giant Stove. 228 Another variety of stove recovered from Saints’ Rest is a box stove manufactured by Newberry, Filley & Company of Troy, New York. Two identical, and nearly complete, stoves were recovered from the eastern portion of the building. The design of these stoves is much simpler than the large shields seen on the Black Giant stove. The side panels contain a molded starburst—like design while the front door and back panel have a small flower for decoration. Figure F.14. Newberry, Filley & Sons Stove manufactured in Troy, New York. The front panel of these stoves also have information regarding their patent (Figure F. 14), this particular stove design (No. 6) was patented in 1850. 229 In total, nine stove doors, 15 stove legs, eight side panels, seven ash pans, and numerous miscellaneous stove fragments were recovered from Saints’ Rest and represents a large proportion of the artifact assemblage. Personal Artifacts Numerous iron and brass personal artifacts were recovered from Saints’ Rest including buttons, buckles, and school supplies such as pen nibs and scissors. An iron razorblade (5.5g) was also located during excavations and underwent conservation efforts. Buttons Buttons represent the most numerous personal iron artifacts, numbering 45 with a combined weight of 55.3 g. Of these, 31 are composed of iron (354g) and 14 composed of brass (9.9g). The majority of these buttons were simple, four—hole stamped construction (Figure F. 15) Figure F.15. Buttons recovered from excavations at Saints’ Rest including iron, brass, bone, and porcelain. 230 Buckles A total of nine buckles (29.8g) were recovered from Saints’ Rest. Four iron buckles or buckle fragments (21.2g) were indentified, including a small belt or strap buckle (Figure F.16). In addition, five brass buckles or buckle fragments were also identified (8.6g). Figure F.16. Iron buckle. School Supplies Numerous artifacts associated with student’s school work were recovered from Saints' Rest. A total of 51 iron pen nibs (17. lg) and one brass nib (0.5g) were identified along with other supplies such as brass paper fasteners (10, 5.3g) and a brass drafting compass (5.1g) [See Figure F. 17]. 231 Figure F.17. School related artifacts recovered from Saints’ Rest. The iron pen nibs did not display any signs of a manufacturer’s mark although several different styles of nib were found. The brass nib on the other hand was stamped with the name “J.B. Everett’s Eureka Pen” along the top of the nib. Copper Artifacts A minimum number of copper artifacts were uncovered during excavations at Saints’ Rest with a combined weight of 7607.7g. Copper drain pipe represents the majority of the copper assemblage with seven complete or near complete pipes and numerous fragments totaling 6356.7 g. The pipes were recovered from the basement of the building and were likely being stored as replacement or surplus pipes. 232 In addition to copper down spouts, a copper oil lamp was also recovered from the boarding hall. The lamp, complete with ratchet burner, would have been used to light student rooms. Coins Four copper coins (21.2g) ranging in date from 1851 to 1865. The coins were identified as an 1851 Liberty Head penny, an 1858 Flying Eagle small cent, and an 1865 Indian Head penny. The fourth coin is possibly another Indian Head penny although a definitive identification could not be made due to the level of deterioration exhibited by the artifact. A11 coins underwent conservation efforts. FAUN AL ARTIFACTS The faunal assemblage of Saints’ Rest is relatively small, consisting mainly of unidentifiable animal bone along with a number of bone and shell buttons. In addition to these, the head fragment (1.6g) of a bone toothbrush as well as a mother—of-pearl shirt stud were located. A total of three bone buttons (1.5g) and 21 shell buttons (4.1g) were found during excavation at the site (Figure F. 15). The majority of buttons were plain, four hole buttons (13 or 4.3g) although one shell button with an engraved star design was recovered. In addition to the shell and bone buttons, one mother-of-pearl shirt stud was recovered. The shirt stud (1.8g) consisted of an incised mother—of-pearl face supported by a brass shank. 233 MISCELLANEOUS Slate The material culture of Saints’ Rest contains several slate artifacts including pencils and roof tiles. 25 slate pencils (18.0g) were recovered from the excavations, including one complete pencil with brass cap (Figure F.17). The fragmentary remains of one slate roof tile was found near the western basement floor at the base of Feature 119 (see Appendix D). The tile consists of a slate slab with two nail holes on either side and can be completely placed back together. In addition to the slate roof tile, three slate block fragments (843.2g) were recovered from Saints’ Rest and their function is unclear. The blocks measure approximately 11.6cm wide and 1.68cm tall and have a hole drilled in the center. It appears as though the blocks have been broken in half although it is possible that their shape is intentional depending on the function of the block. Granite A sample of the granite foundation stones from Saints’ Rest was collected and largely represents small fragments of stone chipped off of the larger foundation stones during construction of the wall as they were mainly collected from the within the builder’s trench feature (see Appendix D). The artifact assemblage associated with Saints’ Rest is extremely large with over 30,000 artifacts. The above artifact descriptions represent the major artifact classes and types recovered from Saints’ Rest and are not exhaustive. A complete artifact catalog is 234 available on file at the Consortium for Archaeological Research at Michigan State University. 235 APPENDIX G PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH Print Media: Update: Saints’ Rest Community Archaeology Program (Associate: Newsletter of the Associates of Michigan State University Museum, Fall 2006) Saints’ Rest dig honored with Gov’s historic preservation award (MS U Today, May 12, 2006) Governor honors archaeology project (The State News, May 18, 2006) What lies beneath: Digging up Michigan State University’s past (.EDU Magazine— Sauder Education, 2006) Saints’ Rest (Michigan History, November/December 2005) Digging up the past: MSU at 150 (MS U Today, Fall 2005) Museum celebrates history with artifacts (The Lansing State Journal, September 28, 2005) Faculty, students dig up university’s past (The State News, September 12, 2005) Rich past gives treasure hunters reason to dig (MSU News Bulletin, September 1, 2005) When college boys were Saints (or thought they were) (The Lamplighter—East Lansing Historical Society, September 2005) MSU students excavate first campus dorm (The State News, Welcome Week 2005) Yak’s Corner, Digging Dorm Life: Students search campus for clues to the past (The Detroit Free Press, August 25, 2005) Digging dorm life (The Detroit Free Press, August 25, 2005) Then and now (Science, August 12, 2005) The pickaxe is as might as the pen (The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 29, 2005) Saints’ Rest Dig (From the President’s Desk: Lou Anna K. Simon Blog, July 16, 2005) 236 Students dig up clues to MSU life: Rubble of 1876 dormitory fire yields insight to past (The Lansing State Journal, July 10, 2005) High school students help uncover MSU’s past (The Lansing State Journal, July 10, 2005) MSU dorm artifacts go on display (The Lansing State Journal, July 8, 2005) Restoring history: Artifacts give students clearer image of MSU life at university’s first dorm (The State News, July 7, 2005) Digging for history: Jackson student involved in archeology dig at old dorm (The Jackson Citizen Patriot, June 28, 2005) First dorm at Michigan State to be excavated (The Chicago Tribune, June 26, 2005) Artifacts tell tale of MSU’s first alumni: Anthropology students dig at site of school’s first dorm, piece together the past (The Detroit Free Press, June 19, 2005) MSU grounded in campus history (MS U News Bulletin, June 16, 2006) Beneath the soil: Survey of l” dorm could reveal undocumented buildings (The State News, June 16, 2005) MSU: Dig it (The Lansing State Journal, June 11, 2005) Dig this: Class leads first on-campus excavation; more courses should offer actual field experience (The State News, June 9, 2005) Michigan State digs up site of first dorm (The Detroit Free Press, June 7, 2005) MSU archaeology students digging for clues about early life on campus (The Lansing State Journal, June 7. 2005) Remnants of residence: Anthropology class digs up former site of campus’ first dormitory (The State News, June 7, 2005) First dorm excavation begins in early June (The State News, March 29, 2005) Community Presentations: Michigan Archaeology Day October 2005 Saints ’ Rest: Excavating MS U 's First Dormitory Dr. Jodie A. O’Gorrnan 237 Hannah Community Center Prime Time Speakers Series, East Lansing, MI September 2005 Saints’ Rest 2005: An Exploration of MS U ’s First Dormitory Dr. Lynne Goldstein Mrs. Suzanne Stire’s 5111 Grade Class, Schoolcraft Elementary, Waterford, MI September 2005 Archaeology Heather Mustonen Michigan Archaeological Society, Upper Grand Valley Chapter, East Lansing, MI September 2005 Title: "Vigor of body gives vigor to the brain ": Archaeological Excavations at Saints' Rest, Michigan State University's First Dormitory, 1856-I876 Heather Mustonen Michigan State University, Department of Anthropology Brown Bag Lecture September, 2005 ‘Vigor of body gives vigor to the brain ’: Archaeological Excavations at Saints' Rest, Michigan State University Heather Mustonen Lansing Engineer’s Club, Lansing, Michigan October 2005 The Archaeology of Saints’ Rest, Michigan State University Heather Mustonen Adventures in Science Program, Williamston High School, MI October 2005 ‘Vigor of body gives vigor to the brain Archaeological Excavations at Saints' Rest, Michigan State University Heather Mustonen Michigan State University Faculty Emeriti Association, East Lansing, MI November 2005 Saints ’ Rest 2005: An Exploration of MS U ’s First Dormitory Dr. Lynne Goldstein MULTI Leadership Seminar, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI March 2006 Workshop on Publicizing Departmental Research: Saints ’ Rest and the Department of Anthropology Dr. Lynne Goldstein 238 East Lansing Women’s Club, East Lansing, MI April 2006 ‘Vigor of body gives vigor to the brain ’: Archaeological Excavations at Saints' Rest, Michigan State University Heather Mustonen ANP 101: Introduction to Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI June 2006 Historical Archaeology and the Saints ’ Rest Project Heather Mustonen Michigan Archaeological Society Fall Workshop, East Lansing, MI November 2006 Conservation Techniques and the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project Heather Mustonen Displays and Special Events: Exhibit, Saints’ Rest: Traces of Dorm Life, 1 8 76 October 2005 Michigan Archaeology Day, Lansing, Michigan Open Lab Night, Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project October 2005 Michigan Archaeological Society, Upper Grand Valley Chapter Open Lab Night, Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project November 2005 Michigan Archaeological Society, Upper Grand Valley Chapter Exhibit, Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project February 2006 Science, Engineering, & Technology Day, Michigan State University Open Houses: Saints’ Rest Archaeological Field School July 9-10, 2005 MSU Department of Anthropology Michigan State University Convocation September 9, 2005 MSU Department of Anthropology and College of Social Science 239 Michigan State University First Home Football Game September 10, 2005 MSU Department of Anthropology and College of Social Science Radio: National Public Radio, WKAR, Michigan State University Dr. Lynne Goldstein, Dr. Jodie O’Gorman, Dr. Kenneth Lewis, and Dr. William Lovis Television: WLNS, Lansing Channel 6 CBS Evening News June 15, 2005, July 9, 2005 WKAR, Lansing Channel 53 FOX Evening News June 15, 2005, July 9, 2005 Professional Presentations: Midwest Archaeological Conference Annual Meeting, Dayton OH October 2005 Paper: Archaeology of Saints ' Rest Dormitory Jodie A. O’Gorman, Kenneth E. Lewis, Heather Mustonen, E. W. Duane Quates and Megan M. McCullen Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR April 2006 Paper: Saints’ Rest Community Archaeology Program Jodie O’Gorrnan and Kenneth E. Lewis Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR April 2006 Poster: Archaeology and Fire Investigation at Saints ’ Rest E. W. Duane Quates, Robert Pratt, Lynne Goldstein, Kenneth E. Lewis, and Heather Mustonen Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA January 2007 Poster: Finding Historical Roots: Building Nontraditional Community in Academia Dr. Jodie A. O’Gorman, Heather Mustonen, Megan McCullen, and Dimity Palazzola 240 Publications in Progress: Journal Article: Public Archaeology “Community Archaeology from the Inside Out” Authors: Jodie A. O’Gorman and Heather L. Mustonen Book Chapter: “Function, Circumstance and the Archaeological Record: the Elusive Past at Saints' Rest.” In Beneath the Ivory Tower: The Archaeology of Academia edited by Russell K. Skowronek and Kenneth E. Lewis. Author: Kenneth L. Lewis Book Chapter: “More than Bricks and Mortar.” In Beneath the Ivory Tower: The Archaeology of Academia edited by Russell K. Skowronek and Kenneth E. Lewis. Author: Jodie A. O’Gorrnan Internet Resources: Saints’ Rest Newsroom Page www.newsroom.msu.edu/digMSU University Relations, Michigan State University Saints’ Rest: A Story of Student Life at Michigan State University www.anthropology.msu.edu/saints rest _gallerv MSU Department of Anthropology and ANP 491 Saints’ Rest Research and Exhibition Documentaries: MSU Sesquicentennial Documentary September 2005 Michigan State University Digging to the past: Saints ' Rest Dig August 2006 Barbara Skelley, Renalto Perez, J anel Yamashiro 241 APPENDIX H PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS During the summer and fall of 2006, participant interviews were conducted in an attempt to explore the effect of public participation and community involvement with the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. A total of 17 interviews were conducted with participants representing the different groups within the Michigan State University community involved with the project. The following presents data gathered from participant responses to a set of interview questions designed to explore the public interaction with the Saints’ Rest Archaeological project and examine the perceptions and attitudes of various participant groups towards the project and archaeology in general. These data will then be used to assess the success of the Saints’ Rest project as an exercise in community involvement within an academic setting in the hopes that successful elements may be identified and incorporated into future public archaeology projects. Participation Project participants included archaeologists from the MSU Department of Anthropology, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, members of the University administration, as well as members of the surrounding community. As an undertaking in public archaeology, the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project engaged a variety of groups in the exploration of Michigan State University’s past through 242 archaeology. Participation in the project by these different groups had a positive overall effect on the individuals as well as on the project itself. A breakdown of interview participants by group and their involvement with the Saints’ Rest project is seen in Table H]. The goal of conducting interviews with project participants was to get a cross section of the attitudes and impression of the project from different groups. Table H. l._ Breakdown of Interview Participants. ‘ Participant Group Number Of Intervrew Forms of Involvement Participants - p r . :. University 4 Project approval and financial support, Administration public open houses, site visits Department of PrOject development, organization and Anthro 010 3 implementation, multiple project- P gy - . related courses, public open houses, Archaeologists . . displays, and presentations Media Relations, High School Program, lent expertise to field Faculty and Staff 4 project, casual interaction with excavation Training in archaeological excavation, Undergraduate 4 Archival, Conservation, and Online Students Exhibit Courses, Laboratory volunteers, public open houses Teaching Assistantships, Professional Graduate Students 2 Conference Presentations fTOTAL‘, '. ‘ ‘ .17 ' ' ’ During the semi-structured interviews, participants were asked the following set of questions: 1. What was your role in the Saints’ Rest Project? 2. How did you first hear about Saints’ Rest and the Saints’ Rest project? 3. What are your impressions of the project? Did they change before/after your involvement with the project? 243 4. What do you feel is the relationship between the MSU community today and its’ history? Has Saints’ Rest had any impact on this? Are people more engaged with their past? 5. What are the benefits of this project and the attention it brought to MSU? The Department of Anthropology? Archaeology at MSU? Participants themselves? 6. What place, if any, does archaeology have within the Michigan State University community? 7. Did this project change the way you looked at campus? The data collected during these interviews provide information on the perspective of project participants and will be a valuable tool in identifying successful elements of the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Results The results of participant interviews are presented here in terms of the raw data collected during the interview process. Interpretations of these interview data are presented within a discussion of community engagement with the project in Chapter 7. For the purposes of presenting the results of participant interviews, the interview questions themselves will serve as the organizing principle for these results. How did you first hear about Saints ’ Rest and the Saints ’ Rest project? The majority of participants interviewed (13 or 76%) stated that they first learned about Saints’ Rest through their active involvement with the project. During the initial planning stages and project development many of the individuals were contacted to request their participation, either through approval and support for the project on an administrative level or through active participation with the archaeology and associated public events. Three of the students interviewed stated that they first heard about Saints’ Rest through an announcement made in a class while the fourth was informed of the 244 archaeological field school by their academic advisor. Eleven (65%) of the interviewed participants interacted with the Saints’ Rest project on a daily, or frequent basis through participation in the archaeological excavations or by frequent site visits. What are your impressions of the project? Did they change before/after your involvement with the project? The majority of participants’ impressions of the project were positive and ranged from excitement (9 or 53%) to skepticism (1 or 6%). Skepticism was felt on the part of one participant who stated that they wondered “what they’ll really be able to find down there after all these years.” This skepticism was removed once the excavations started and they were able to physically see the potential of archaeological research on campus and became excited about the project, even going on to call the project “enlightening”. Six participants (35%) stated that they were not sure of what to expect from the project but were excited about its potential. These responses came from individuals who were unfamiliar with archaeological research as well as from students who expressed a sense of nervousness about what the archaeological field school would entail. All interviewees (100%) stated that they felt the Saints’ Rest project represented an exciting opportunity for the University to explore its campus history and celebrate its Sesquicentennial anniversary. 3. Wot do you feel is the relationship between the MS U community today and its’ history? Has Saints ’ Rest had any impact on this? Are people more engaged with their past? When questioned about the relationship of the MSU community today and its’ history, the majority of interviewees (15 or 88%) credited the Sesquicentennial 245 celebrations for bringing history to the forefront of peoples minds while 100% of the participants felt that the Saints’ Rest excavations were a major part of the increased awareness of campus history. Participants noted the tangible (1 1-65 %) and hands-on nature (13-76%) of the Saints’ Rest project as having a great influence on the way that the MSU community interacted with its community. First-hand exposure to the physical remains of the University’s history helped to stimulate discussion and thought about what the campus and institution may have been like in the past, as well as lead to a comparison of what life is like on campus today. Several participants stated that they did not feel as though the MSU community gave much thought to the history of the institution outside of the Sesquicentennial celebrations. Three interviewees (18%), all of whom operated in an administrative or faculty position, noted that different groups within the MSU community have different ways of looking at history and felt that a group’s relationship to history was dependent on its interest. All three claimed to have their own personal interest in history and therefore had given thought to aspects of the campus history but felt that this did not extend to everyone within the campus community. Certain groups such as alumni and sports fans demonstrate an interest in specific elements of the University’s history as they relate to their own personal interests but a general interest in the history of the University is not shared across the community. The four students interviewed felt that the general MSU student body was interested in the history of their institution and cited the Sesquicentennial celebrations as responsible for the majority of this interest. One faculty member expressed the view that students were generally uninterested in the history of MSU, apart from those involved with a Sesquicentennial event such as Saints’ Rest. 246 Regardless of one’s interest in history prior to the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project, all participants felt that exposure to the archaeology of Saints’ Rest helped to increase awareness and interest in the history of Michigan State University. What are the benefits of this project and the attention it brought to MS U ? The Department of Anthropology? Archaeology at MS U? Participants themselves? The benefits of the project were numerous in the eyes of the interviewed participants. The number one benefit mentioned by all of the interviewees was the positive publicity that was brought to the University and the Department of Anthropology. All participants noted the appropriateness of the project in the celebration of the institution’s Sesquicentennial anniversary. This tinting was seen as a key element to the success of the project. Thirteen (76%) participants noted the benefit of the hands- on experience for students, including all of the undergraduate students interviewed. This was viewed by all to be a great benefit to those taking part in the project as well as the University as a whole, as it provided a public venue in which to showcase program strengths and generate positive publicity. Sixteen (94%) participants also noted the positive impact that the project had on the Department of Anthropology, namely an increase in visibility for the department and its archaeology program in particular. Another positive impact of the Saints’ Rest project comes in the form of increased awareness for campus cultural resources. Fifteen (88%) of participants interviewed expressed a desire for increased protection and stewardship of potential resources on campus and felt that Saints’ Rest had really opened their eyes to the importance of protecting resources that can help us learn about the past. The inclusion of the 247 Department of Anthropology in construction planning meetings for the campus was viewed as a very positive and necessary benefit deriving from the Saints’ Rest Archaeological Project. Overall participants felt that they came away from the project with an increased understanding of archaeology as a method for learning about the past and were pleased with the unique way in which the Saints’ Rest project allowed members of the University community to participate in the Sesquicentennial celebrations. What place, if any, does archaeology have within the Michigan State University community? The overall response to whether or not there is a place for archaeology at Michigan State University was that MSU had, and could again in the future, benefit from the archaeological exploration of campus resources. The majority of participants (15-88%) stated that they would like to see lasting effects in the form of campus stewardship of cultural resources. Several (5-29%) participants noted that they would like to see other excavations undertaken on campus and felt that Saints’ Rest had opened the door for the possibility of this to occur in the future. Overall, exposure to the archaeology of Saints’ Rest led participants to understand, appreciate, and support archaeological research. Did this project change the way you looked at campus? The majority of participants (88%) stated that their participation in the Saints’ Rest project changed the way that they looked at MSU’s campus. 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