Archaeological Investigations at the Old Manse Boathouse, Concord, Massachusetts

Summary

The Center for Cultural and Environmental History (CCEH) at the University of

Massachusetts Boston conducted a Phase I Site Identification of The Old Manse

Boathouse in Concord, Massachusetts. With no previous surveys conducted in the area

of the boathouse, the archaeological survey of the remains of a stone boathouse

foundation and its surrounding area was directly linked to the planned reconstruction of a

new boathouse and canoe facility.

The Old Manse property derives its primary significance as the home to some of

America’s best known literary figures, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel

Hawthorne. Based on documentary research though, the boathouse was actually built

during the late 19th-century. Fifteen shovel test pits, each measuring 50 cm2, were

positioned along a staggered 10-meter grid in the meadow east of the boathouse. Five

judgmental test pits were positioned along the orientation of the proposed dock. A block

of nine excavation units (6-m by 6-m), three of which were excavated, was utilized to

examine the boathouse foundation.

Based on subsurface testing, the meadow east of the boathouse appears to possess

medium to high prehistoric archaeological integrity. Excavations in and around the

boathouse revealed a high degree of modern refuse as well as numerous items dating to

the late 19th-century when the boathouse was in use. Given the possibility of erosion and

sedimentation in the area, much of the archaeological record has disappeared around the

boathouse. Our archaeological investigation provided a slight glimpse into the brief

history of the boathouse at the turn of the century. In addition to the previous

investigations conducted at The Old Manse, the presence of a prehistoric occupation is

further substantiated, based on the various artifacts discovered, including projectile points

and grit-tempered ceramic fragments. Such prehistoric evidence increases our

knowledge of the Native American habitation in Concord, Massachusetts.

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

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