Archaeological Investigations at the Old Manse Boathouse, Concord, Massachusetts

The Center for Cultural and Environmental History (CCEH) at the University of
Massachusetts Boston conducted a Phase I Site Identification of The Old Manse
Boathouse in Concord, Massachusetts. With no previous surveys conducted in the area
of the boathouse, the archaeological survey of the remains of a stone boathouse
foundation and its surrounding area was directly linked to the planned reconstruction of a
new boathouse and canoe facility.
The Old Manse property derives its primary significance as the home to some of
America’s best known literary figures, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel
Hawthorne. Based on documentary research though, the boathouse was actually built
during the late 19th-century. Fifteen shovel test pits, each measuring 50 cm2, were
positioned along a staggered 10-meter grid in the meadow east of the boathouse. Five
judgmental test pits were positioned along the orientation of the proposed dock. A block
of nine excavation units (6-m by 6-m), three of which were excavated, was utilized to
examine the boathouse foundation.
Based on subsurface testing, the meadow east of the boathouse appears to possess
medium to high prehistoric archaeological integrity. Excavations in and around the
boathouse revealed a high degree of modern refuse as well as numerous items dating to
the late 19th-century when the boathouse was in use. Given the possibility of erosion and
sedimentation in the area, much of the archaeological record has disappeared around the
boathouse. Our archaeological investigation provided a slight glimpse into the brief
history of the boathouse at the turn of the century. In addition to the previous
investigations conducted at The Old Manse, the presence of a prehistoric occupation is
further substantiated, based on the various artifacts discovered, including projectile points
and grit-tempered ceramic fragments. Such prehistoric evidence increases our
knowledge of the Native American habitation in Concord, Massachusetts.