Phase II Investigations, “Porter’s Folly” (Site 18AP77), Naval Support Activity Annapolis, US Naval Academy (2012.044)

On behalf of the Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (LBG), carried out a Phase II archaeological investigation of Site 18AP77 at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, U.S. Naval Academy, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The survey was conducted as part of compliance efforts for Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended. The Navy is proposing to expand a water treatment plant, and parts of Site 18AP77 would be impacted by the proposed construction.

Site 18AP77 is associated with the nineteenth-century hospital known colloquially as “Porter’s Folly.” This hospital was built by the U.S. Naval Academy in 1871, and was an ornate four-story structure with interconnected pavilions. The hospital was used only for a few years before being shuttered and used for storage. It was eventually demolished in 1912.

The Phase II investigation aimed to determine the integrity and information potential of the site and therefore assess the site’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, and if significant deposits were present, to determine if they extended into the area of impacts from the proposed construction. LBG excavated three mechanized trenches at the suspected location of foundation walls and excavated a series of shovel tests in the former yards of the structure. The trenches determined that the hospital’s foundation has been preserved in some areas and completely destroyed in others. No cellar remains or builder’s trenches were identified. The former yards of the hospital yielded no information on the lives of the patients or workers at the hospital and no evidence of former outbuildings. Based on the findings of this study, it was determined that Site 18AP77 has compromised integrity and no significant information potential. The site is recommended as not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

This collection contains an artifact inventory, excavation photographs, photograph log, and final report for phase II archaeological investigations of “Porter’s Folly” (Site 18AP77), Naval Support Activity Annapolis U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland. The MAC Lab accession number for the images and artifacts is 2012.044. This collection also includes the project page Phase II Investigations, “Porter’s Folly” (Site 18AP77), Naval Support Activity Annapolis, US Naval Academy (2012.044),