Archeological Investigations at the Savacoal Property in Boston Village, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Summit County, Ohio

Summary

The Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC) conducted archeological inventory and evaluative testing efforts at the Savacoal property, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA), during the 2001, 2002, and 2007 field seasons. The investigations resulted in the identification of two archeological sites, both located on land Tract 109-107 in Boston Village, Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio. Site 33SU419 is an historic artifact scatter associated with the Savacoal Barn on the east side of the parcel. A small prehistoric assemblage of two artifacts was also recovered from the site. Site 33SU423, the Hopkins House site, is a multicomponent prehistoric and historic site, with the latter assemblage attributed to the residential component on the west side of the lot. The archeological investigations were initiated in response to plans to rehabilitate and stabilize the barn (HS-487) and to adaptively restore the vacant house (HS-486). Data on the archeological resources of the property were collected for use in ongoing planning efforts. Project field methods consisted of close-interval shovel testing around the perimeter of the barn and across the grounds adjacent to the house, followed by limited evaluative testing. Additional and more intensive evaluative testing was accomplished at 33SU423 after specific undertakings associated with the Savacoal (aka Hopkins) House restoration were proposed by CUVA. The projects include: constructing an accessible walkway between the house and the barn; improving an existing gravel area to accommodate parking; and installing a cistern to provide water to the house. The new walkway would be positioned within the corridor of an existing walkway and would be constructed with fill above grade. Supplemental gravel will be added to the existing gravel pads on the south and west sides of the barn and would be limited to the footprint of the extant pads. The cistern installation is the only project that will require ground disturbance to accomplish and is the primary focus of this report. As a point of clarification, the extant house on Tract 109-107 is known as both the Hopkins House and as the Savacoal House, though park planners prefer the latter historic designation. The archeological site was recorded as the Hopkins House site, but in this report the name Savacoal will be used when referring to the house. Also, the two sites designated on the property likely comprise a single site with multiple components, but since they were recorded separately and have received individual state site numbers, the individual designations will be retained.

This report documents the combined results of the inventory and evaluative testing that MWAC conducted at the Savacoal property between 2001 and 2007. The results indicate that site 33SU423 is a potentially significant archeological site with artifacts dating to the 1827-1927 period of significance for which Boston Village is recognized. The archeological site is considered potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under criterion D because it has the potential to yield additional data about historic residential activities during and subsequent to the Canal era (1827-1913). Site deposits, however, have limited depositional integrity. They occur as a homogenous deposit of nineteenth- and twentieth-century artifacts in soils that have been heavily impacted from ground disturbing activities attributed to demolition of an earlier house, the construction of the extant house, as well as typical residential activities. Results from the archeological investigations indicate that the proposed projects would not adversely impact any cultural resources eligible for the NRHP. The walkway and gravel parking improvements would occur within the same footprint as existing components, with supplemental material added only above existing grade. Further, investigations within these areas confirmed that the underlying soils are grossly disturbed. Following the process of Section 106 for preserving significant resources and avoiding the need to undertake data recovery, an area within the site boundary was also identified where the cistern could be installed without having an adverse effect.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Midwest Archeological Center Technical Reports

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Contact(s): Anne Vawser

Sponsor(s): National Park Serivce

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