Repopulating a Prospect of the Past: Archaeological Analysis of a Late Eighteenth-Century Manor House Dependency in Albany, New York

Summary

The Ten Broeck Mansion (originally called Prospect for its views of the Hudson Valley) in Albany, New York, was built for Abraham and Elizabeth Ten Broeck in 1798 shortly after a devastating fire burned the family out of their townhouse. The mansion serves as an interpretive house museum administered by the Albany County Historical Association. Between 2011 and 2013, Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc. and volunteers participated in an annual public archaeology event that focuses on examining the remains of a set of dependencies, or formal outbuildings. Acting on information from a newly rediscovered plan of the grounds, archaeologists identified structural remains consistent with a brick, nearly square structure, possibly used as a summer kitchen. Analysis of the site and cultural materials have revealed a formation process history that suggests the dependency was built contemporaneously with the mansion and was torn down in the late 1830s or early 1840s as facilities on the interior of the mansion were modernized and expanded. In addition to identifying a previously unknown archaeological resource on the mansion grounds, the study also expands the interpretive scope of the ma

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Understanding the City: Studies in Urban Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-82,01