Archaeological Investigation of Residential Areas at the Washington Navy Yard Washington, D.C.

On behalf of the Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, The Louis Berger Group, Inc., carried out Phase I/II archaeological investigations at four areas at the Washington Navy Yard (WNY) in the District of Columbia. Investigation of these areas was conducted to partially fulfill the requirements of Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, and the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended. The four areas had been determined archeologically sensitive in an earlier study, and the Phase I/II investigations sought to determine if, in fact, archaeological sites are present in the four areas and to evaluate the significance of any identified archaeological deposits.

Archaeological construction monitoring took place at Quarters B, located on the west side of Parsons Avenue SE. Quarters B is one of the oldest structures at the WNY. Monitoring was associated with underground utility line upgrades taking place in the rear yard (east yard) of the Quarters. No features or artifacts were found during the construction monitoring.

Controlled excavations were conducted in the front (south) yards of Quarters C and D, located on Warrington Avenue. A trench was hand-excavated in the yard of Quarters C, and three shovel tests were excavated at Quarters D. These investigations aimed to identify the remains of a nineteenth-century cistern, which was not found. Based on historical map data, the cistern is now thought to have stood east of Quarters C, south of Building 2. Numerous artifacts were recovered from fill, and the front yards of the Quarters were recorded as Site 51SE66, Locus C-1. The deposits have minimal research potential, and the site is recommended as not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Excavations were carried out in the front (south) yard of Quarters H and the rear (north) yard of Quarters R; the buildings are adjacent to one another on Warrington Avenue. The yards were tested to search for remains of a nineteenth-century icehouse. A section of the icehouse wall was identified in the yard of Quarters H and has been designated Site 51SE066, Locus H-1. The site is a significant resource and is recommended as eligible for listing in the National Register.

Excavations were carried out in the rear yard of Quarters N and O, located on Patterson Avenue near Warrington Avenue. The buildings were the location of a Navy paint shop between 1866 and an unknown date in the 1890s, and it was thought that the rear yards may contain industrial or residential deposits, or perhaps the remains of an outbuilding. A series of artifact-rich fill deposits was identified, recorded as Site 51SE066, Locus O-1. Because the research potential of the fill deposits is not high, the site is recommended as not eligible for listing in the National Register.

Overall, the Phase I/II investigation of residential areas of the WNY documented widespread landform modification and minimal preservation of the pre-WNY natural landscape. There was evidence of repeated fill deposition and land redevelopment during the Navy’s tenure. Fill deposits at Site 51SE066, Locus O-1 include redeposited domestic artifacts and industrial waste, possibly originating elsewhere at the installation. Repeated development and landform modification did not completely destroy deep structural remains, however, for the remains of the nineteenth-century ice house were found beneath fill at Site 51SE066, Locus H-1. Intact soil profiles may have been encountered in the east yard of Quarters B and the north yard of Quarters R.

受海军部（Department of the Navy）委托，海军设施工程司令部（Naval Facilities Engineering Command）与路易·贝杰集团股份有限公司（The Louis Berger Group, Inc.）就哥伦比亚特区华盛顿海军造船厂（Washington Navy Yard, WNY）的四处区域开展了第一/二期考古调查。本次调查旨在部分履行经修订的《国家历史保护法》（National Historic Preservation Act）第106、110条及经修订的《国家环境政策法》（National Environmental Policy Act）的相关要求。此前的研究已判定这四处区域具有考古敏感性，本次第一/二期调查旨在核实这四处区域内是否实际存在考古遗址，并评估所发现考古遗存的价值。

考古施工监测工作在位于东南帕森斯大道西侧的B号营房（Quarters B）开展。B号营房是华盛顿海军造船厂现存最古老的建筑之一，本次监测与营房后院（东院）的地下公用设施升级工程相关。施工监测过程中未发现任何遗迹或人工制品。

研究人员对位于沃灵顿大道的C号与D号营房的前院（南院）开展了控制性发掘：在C号营房的院落内人工开挖了一条探沟，在D号营房的院落内完成了三次铲探测试。本次发掘旨在寻找19世纪蓄水池的遗迹，但未发现该遗存。根据历史地图资料，该蓄水池原址目前被认为位于C号营房东侧、2号建筑南侧。研究人员从填土中提取了大量人工制品，并将该营房前院记录为遗址51SE66，C-1遗迹单位。该遗存的研究潜力极低，因此建议该遗址不具备列入《国家历史遗迹名录》（National Register of Historic Places）的资格。

研究人员对位于沃灵顿大道上相邻的H号营房前院（南院）与R号营房后院（北院）开展了发掘，以寻找19世纪冰库的遗迹。在H号营房的院落内发现了一段冰库墙体遗存，并将其命名为遗址51SE066，H-1遗迹单位。该遗址具有重要的资源价值，建议其符合列入《国家历史遗迹名录》的条件。

研究人员对位于帕特森大道靠近沃灵顿大道处的N号与O号营房的后院开展了发掘。这两栋建筑曾在1866年至19世纪90年代某一未知年份作为海军油漆车间使用，此前推测其后院可能存有工业或居住遗存，抑或是附属建筑遗迹。本次发掘发现了一系列富含人工制品的填土遗存，将其记录为遗址51SE066，O-1遗迹单位。由于该填土遗存的研究潜力不高，建议该遗址不具备列入《国家历史遗迹名录》的资格。

总体而言，本次对华盛顿海军造船厂住宅区的第一/二期考古调查显示，区域内存在广泛的地貌改造，华盛顿海军造船厂建立前的自然景观留存极少。在海军管理该区域期间，存在多次填土沉积与土地再开发的痕迹。遗址51SE066，O-1遗迹单位的填土遗存包含再沉积的家用人工制品与工业废弃物，其来源可能为该造船厂内的其他区域。不过，反复的开发与地貌改造并未完全摧毁深层的结构遗存：在遗址51SE066，H-1遗迹单位的填土下方发现了19世纪冰库的遗迹。研究人员还在B号营房的东院与R号营房的北院发现了完整的土壤剖面。