Archeological Investigations at Boston Village, Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio, Part I: Inventory and Evaluation at the Boston General Store, 1991

This report summarizes the results of a three-week-Iong archeological investigation of the grounds about the Boston General Store at Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. This timber-frame structure has survived relatively intact since its construction in 1836. It exhibits elements of Classical and Greek Revival architecture combined with vernacular components. Located along the towpath (west side) of the Ohio and Erie Canal in the village of Boston, Summit County, Ohio, the structure is part of an early- and mid-nineteenth-century commercial development focusing on various milling activities and on the canal's transportation potential. The Store had minor impact on the regional economy, although some of its owners were successful, relatively notable figures in the nineteenth-century business community of nearby Akron, Ohio, and of the Western Reserve in general. The structure was a family residence for most of its long history, but it also functioned as a general merchandise store, post office, and warehouse throughout much of the nineteenth century.
The ongoing restoration of the canal towpath as a hiking trail through the Recreation Area led to the need for numerous access points and other visitor facilities. The Store's location and architectural significance made it a prime candidate for preservation and adaptive use. In 1991, a draft Historic Structure Report was completed, thus initiating the adaptive restoration process. The archeological investigation reported here is a separate component of that study. Archeological fieldwork focused on study of the condition of the original sandstone foundation and investigation of the structure's grounds to determine the nature of associated archeological features and artifact scatters. Limited test excavations revealed numerous archeological/architectural features preserved on the grounds and demonstrated the foundation to be in variable condition. Many of the archeological features are foundation elements from a two-story timber-frame warehouse that formerly had been attached to the south facade of the Store.
Artifacts spanning most of the plus-150-year history of the structure were recovered during evaluative testing. These materials support current interpretation ofthe historic record which argues that the Store's impact was local both in scale and in importance. The numerous, well-preserved features and stratified condition of the site indicate that the archeological deposits surrounding the structure are significant and should be carefully considered during future restoration.

本报告总结了在凯霍加谷国家游乐区（Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area）波士顿综合商店周边场地开展的为期三周的考古调查成果。该木构架建筑自1836年建成以来，保存相对完好，融合了古典主义与希腊复兴式建筑元素，并兼具乡土建筑特征。该建筑坐落于俄亥俄州萨米特县波士顿村俄亥俄-伊利运河（Ohio and Erie Canal）西岸的运河步道旁，属于19世纪早中期商业开发项目的一部分，该开发以各类磨坊产业与运河运输潜力为核心。尽管该商店的部分所有者曾是19世纪俄亥俄州阿克伦市及西部保留地（Western Reserve）商界颇具影响力的成功人士，但该商店对区域经济的影响相对有限。在其漫长的历史中，该建筑绝大多数时期作为家族住宅使用，但在19世纪的大部分时间里，它同时承担综合百货商店、邮局与仓库的功能。
随着凯霍加谷国家游乐区内运河步道被改造为徒步路线的工程持续推进，园区需要增设多处出入口及其他游客服务设施。该商店凭借其区位优势与建筑价值，成为保护与适应性再利用的首要候选对象。1991年，《历史建筑报告（Historic Structure Report）》草案完成，由此开启了适应性修复工作。本报告所述的考古调查，正是该研究项目的独立组成部分。考古野外工作聚焦于两方面：一是对原有砂岩地基的现状进行勘察，二是对建筑周边场地开展调查，以明确相关考古遗迹与遗物散布区的性质。有限的试掘工作发现场地内留存有大量考古/建筑遗迹，并证实地基的保存状况存在差异。其中多数考古遗迹为一座两层木构架仓库的地基构件，该仓库曾依附于该商店的南立面。
评估性试掘过程中，出土了覆盖该建筑150余年大部分历史阶段的遗物。这些出土物佐证了当前对历史记录的解读，即该商店的影响范围与重要性均局限于当地。该遗址留存有大量保存完好的遗迹，且地层堆积有序，表明建筑周边的考古遗存具有重要价值，在未来的修复工作中需予以充分考量。