The Friends of Lower Howard's Creek

Archaeology and History of Lower Howard’s Creek
Presented November 14, 2001

Lower Howard’s Creek was a thriving industrial settlement in the
late 18th century said Grant Day, an archaeologist with Cultural
Resource Analysts, in a presentation sponsored by the Friends of
Lower Howard’s Creek.

The archaeology, architecture, and history of Lower Howard’s
Creek was the theme of a presentation given by Day and Dr. Karen
Hudson, an architectural historian, also with Cultural Resource
Analysts. Approximately 70 people attended the presentation held
Wednesday evening at First Christian Church.

Day and Hudson described the archaeological survey work they
conducted in the Lower Howard’s Creek Nature and Heritage
Preserve. There are many remnant structures in the Preserve
which date from around 1780- 1835. The survey involved locating
and mapping historic archaeological features such as standing
structures, building foundations, roads, stone fences, and the
ruins of a water powered mill and its associated raceway. The
survey also involved recording architectural details of selected
structures that help date when buildings were constructed. The
speakers explained that the survey work is only a beginning in the
development of an understanding and interpretation of this early
frontier industrial center.

Day and Hudson described their approach to the investigative work
as a “landscape” approach in which the Lower Howard’s Creek
valley is viewed as an interrelated system of structures, roads, and
inhabitants. Day said that although the area today is overgrown with
forest cover, “the early inhabitants knew the valley as an ordered
landscape of enclosed fields and grazing livestock, fenced house lots,
trim, well maintained structures, and roads and paths marking the
constant coming and going of inhabitants and visitors.”

Day stated that one of the most outstanding features of the
Preserve are the stone fences. The fences include both horizontal
and vertical stack types. Day said these carefully crafted dry laid
fences probably were built after the stone structures were constructed,
dating them from around 1835. Although there are but scant traces of
log and other wood structures in the area, the stone built structures endure.
All the stone structures surveyed were built with a dry stone
construction technique, with the stones quarried from areas along the
creek. The stone masonry of these structures reflects excellent
craftsmanship; the stones were chiseled to have flat faces and sharp
corners.

Clare Sipple, representing the Friends of Lower Howard’s Creek,
described the work of the group in developing a plan to preserve
and protect the historic features of the heritage preserve as well as
the plant and animal life of the associated nature preserve. One of the
objectives of the group is to develop environmental education programs