The Ash Grove Meaathouse: Public Archaeology and Preservation at a Fairfax Family Property

Author(s): Christopher Sperling

Year: 2016

Summary

The Fairfaxx County (Virginia) Park Authority mission statement specifies the, "…protection and enhancement of…, cultural heritage to guarantee that these resources will be available to both present and future generations." When staff preservationists identified the need to stabilize a historic meathouselocated at an eighteenth century house site built by a member of the county’s namesake family, it presented the opportunity to demonstrate commitment to this mission.  In order to stabilize the structure, it would be necessary to alter the surroundings; exterior grading and removal a modern interior brick floor were required.  Both activities had the potential to impact intact archaeological deposits.  Accordingly staff archaeologists mitigated these impacts and, in doing so, engaged with a cadre of volunteers and the interested public while contributing to a better understanding of the historic,Fairfax County landscape and its residents.  

Cite this Record

The Ash Grove Meaathouse: Public Archaeology and Preservation at a Fairfax Family Property. Christopher Sperling. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434813)

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Keywords

Temporal Keywords
1790-1820

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 952