CHAPTER 3G:  BLOCK 13

BLOCK 13, LOTS 3 & 4–HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Squire McWorter acquired the deed to Block 13, Lots 3 and 4 in 1854. He built a substantial house with cellar and a fieldstone foundation (see archaeology description below) in 1854. Squire died in 1855 and his wife Louisa continued to live in the house until her death in 1883 (see tax records below). The 1850 Federal Census classifies Squire and Louisa as mulatto with five children. Marry A. (no last name), classified as white, 22 years old, and English, lived in their household. In the 1855 State Census, Squire is classified black with 11 household members, and livestock valued at $165. This McWorter family is not listed in the 1860 Federal Census, although in the 1865 State Census Louisa is classified as black with a total of four members in the household and livestock valued at $300. (Squire died in 1855). In 1870 Louisa is classified as mulatto (45 years old) with her children Lucy and George. Kessiah Clark, (whose estate sold Block 9, Lot 5 to William Butler in 1888) lived in Louisa’s house. She is noted as 70 years old and mulatto. Her 30–year–old son Thomas is classified as white and also living in the household. Willie Jones, a six year old mulatto boy from Illinois resided in the house. In 1880 Louisa is noted as the head of the household with her son George (28), and daughter Lucy J. (34). They are all described as mulatto. Kessiah Clark (76 yrs old) is noted as boarding in the house along with Charles Jones, a 15 year old mulatto boy who is listed as an abandoned child, and a laborer from Illinois.

The earliest tax assessments in 1867 indicate that Louisa McWorter owned Lots 1–8 in Block 13 and they were valued at $16 with $150 of improvements, which is probably includes a house and associated outbuildings. The value of the lots and improvements increased substantially in the following year ($40 and $200, respectively). After Louisa died in 1883, the deed was transferred to her son George, who then transfered the property in 1883 to Lucy McKinney, Louisa’s daughter. Lucy and her family lived in the house until the early twentieth century.

Virgil Burdick owned the house by 1930 and rented the house and outbuildings. According to Larry Burdick’s late twentieth–century written account of the town, he described the house having a full basement, and a large single story structure on the rear of the house that served as the kitchen. A barn and a well also existed on the property. The house burned on December 7, 1937 (Burdick 1992:np).

DEED TRANSACTIONS

Block 13 Lots 3 – 4*

(*note: both lots 3 & 4 are sold together from 1854 – 1930)

HADLEY TOWNSHIP RECORDS (note: Lots 3 – 4 are assessed together from 1867–1888).

Block 13, Lots 3–4*

(*note: Lots 3 – 4 are assessed together from 1867–1888).

1850 FEDERAL CENSUS (Block 13, Lots 3–4)

1855 STATE CENSUS (Block 13, Lots 3–4)

1865 STATE CENSUS (Block 13, Lots 3–4)

1870 FEDERAL CENSUS (Block 13, Lots 3–4)

1880 FEDERAL CENSUS (Block 13, Lots 3 and 4)

BLOCK 13, LOTS 3-4: GOALS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGY

During the walkover survey the archaeology team found a large concentration of artifacts in Lots 3 and 4. Most of these are domestic artifacts, although there is a heavy concentration of cut nails, all suggesting the presence of a domestic structure in the vicinity. The lot and buildings were owned by McWorter family members from the mid nineteenth century into the early twentieth century. Louisa took in boarders and this tradition may have continued into the twentieth century since oral and written accounts refer to the building as the “hotel.” We know that the domestic building and a barn burned to the ground in 1937 and there is no signature of any structures on the lot in the 1939 aerial photograph.

The geophysical survey identified many anomalies throughout Block 13, Lots 3 and 4. Some may be the signature of the McWorter house and associated outbuildings, including a barn and a well. The archaeology team concentrated on Anomaly W in Lot 4 and Anomalies X in Lot 3. The latter group of anomalies cluster and form a square shape. The archaeological investigations set out to ground truth these anomalies (Figures 3G.1 and 3G.2).

Figure 3G.1. Geophysical survey of Block 13, Lots 3 and 4 (Courtesy, Michael Hargrave).

Figure 3G.2. Location of excavation units in Block 13, Lots 3 and 4

(Drawn by Carrire Christman, Eva Pajuelo and Alison Azzarello).

(click on image for larger view)

Archaeology of Block 13, Lot 3.

Excavation Units 2 and 3 were placed on the eastern edge of the cluster of Anomaly X. Generally, the upper plow zone was a 10YR 4/2 (dark grayish brown) and 10YR 4/3 (brown) silty clay. Large quantities of nineteenth and twentieth–century ceramics and glass were found throughout the top 1.5 ft. of soil. Metal was also found throughout this zone. A Union officer’s uniform button was recovered from the lower part of A3 (Figure 3G.3). At the bottom of level A3 and into level A4 (1.5 ft. through 2.0 ft. below the surface) the soil tended to be 10YR 4/3 (brown) and 10YR 7/6 (yellow) and 10YR 5/4 (yellowish brown). At 2.0 ft. below the ground surface, archaeologists retrieved additional artifacts, although the density decreased significantly and the soil continued to be mottled. Excavations ceased at this point in both units. At the bottom of A4 the team used a one inch soil core and probed two areas. The cores showed that the soil continues to be a silty 10YR 4/2 dark grayish brown for at least another foot below the surface of A4. No artifacts were detected, but these results do not preclude the idea that cultural material may be located below A4.

Figure 3G.3. Union uniform button from the Civil War era found in Block 13, Lot 3 (Photograph by Christopher Valvano).

(click on image for larger view)

Archaeologists placed Excavation Units 1, 4–10 in a north–south direction in order to define the western edge of the anomaly cluster. The top layers of soil tended to be a 10YR 4/2 (dark grayish brown) and 10YR 4/3 (brown) silty clay. The soil had small gravel inclusions. At the bottom of the modern plow zone there is a change in the soil in the eastern portion of these units. The soil is slightly darker and a mottled 10YR 5/8 (yellowish brown) silty clay with some charcoal and mortar. The team identified this eastern portion as Feature 9. The yellowish soils tend to have a higher concentration of clay. Excavations stopped at the bottom of A2 in many of the excavation units in order to define the extent of Feature 9 (Figures 3G.4 and 3G.5). Feature 9 continued into the northern wall of Excavation Unit 9 and into the southern wall of Excavation Unit 6.

Figure 3G.4. Feature 9 is on the eastern edge of several excavation units in Block 13, Lot 3. The feature is a fill layer and is on top of a buried structure. The fill came from the excavation of a pond about 500 feet east of the lot

(Drawn by Carrie Christman, Eva Pajuelo and Alison Azzarello).

(click on image for larger view)

Figure 3G.5. Profile of Excavation Unit 1. Excavations ceased on the top of Feature 9. The Feature was later cored and charred materials were located beneath the feature (Drawn by Carrie Christman, Eva Pajuelo and Alison Azzarello).

(click on image for larger view)

At the end of the field season the archaeology team placed two soil cores in Excavation Unit 10 at the base of the plow zone, about 1.0 ft. below the surface. Both samples were cored to about 7.0 ft. below the plow zone. The soil tended to be mottled for the first 2.5 ft., while the second 2.5ft. contained charcoal and ash. Below this point the soil tended to be 10YR 3/1 (very dark gray) and 10YR 7/4 (very pale brown) mottled with 10YR 4/2 (dark grayish brown). This core sample demonstrates that the top of a burned structure is at least 2.5 ft. below the plow zone (and 3.5 ft. below the surface). It appears that after the structure burned to the ground in 1937 the Burdicks placed a large amount of fill over the remains. The soil probably came from the pond located about 500 ft. to the east of Block 13. Therefore, Feature 9, described above is a fill layer.

Archaeology of Block 13, Lot 4

Excavation Units 1 and 4 were placed on the northern boundary of Anomaly W in Block 13, Lot 4. In this area the plow zone tends to be 10YR4/3 (brown) and 10YR 3/3 (dark brown) silty clay. At about 1.5 ft. below the plow zone several large pieces of stone lay scattered throughout the northern edge of Excavation Unit 1. After removing soil to a depth of about 4.0 ft. below the surface, archaeologists defined the foundation wall for a cellar running in an east–west direction in the northern most portion of the EU 1. (Figures 3G.6 and 3G.7) It was designated Feature 12. Excavations ceased at this point and the team placed one core probe in the bottom of the unit. Archaeologists found charcoal and ash from 2.2ft. to 8.0 ft. from the top of the core (or 6.2 ft. to 12.0 ft. below the surface). Sterile soil exists at a depth of 8.5 ft. below the bottom of the excavation unit (or 12.5 ft. below the surface).

Figure 3G.6. West wall profile of Excavation Unit 1 in Block 13, Lot 4. The fill on top of the feature is fill from the excavation of a pond about 500 east of Block 13 (Drawn by Carrie Christman).

(click on image for larger view)

Figure 3G.7. The top of Feature 12 in Block 13, Lot 4. The feature is a cellar foundation for the Squire and Louisa McWorter residence (Drawn by Carrie Christman, Eva Pajuelo and Alison Azzarello).

(click on image for larger view)

Archaeologists placed Excavation Units 2, 3, 5, and 6 on the southern boundary of Anomaly L in Block 13, Lot 4. The team removed the plow zone to a depth of about 1.2 ft. below the surface. They found large quantities of ceramic and glass throughout this zone. The soil tended to be a 10YR 3/2 (very dark grayish brown) and 10YR 3/3 (dark brown) silty clay. At the base of the plow zone is a fieldstone foundation (Feature 11) that runs in an east–west direction in the northern portion of Excavation Units 2, 3, and 6 (Figure 3G.8). The foundation appears to be impacted by plowing since gaps appear in places along the wall and some of the field stones appear to be scatters, although adjacent to the foundation. Work in all of the excavation units ceased when the top of the fieldstone foundation was completely uncovered in each unit.

Figure 3G.8. Feature 11 is the remains of a stone foundation that has been impacted by plowing

(Drawn by Carrie Christman).

(click on image for larger view)

Back to top