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Archaeology v. The Law: Digging Through Dirt
(Instead of Documents)
By Laura L.
Hoffman
It’s July, but
I’m not sitting behind a desk in an air-conditioned office. Instead,
I’m in a five-foot-by-five-foot pit in the ground, covered with dirt,
with a trowel and bucket. I’m of Counsel at the D.C. office of Pepper
Hamilton LLP, where I practice government contracts law. But last
summer, I lived another life – that of an archaeology student.
I’ve always
been interested in archaeology, and a few years ago I began to think
about adding historic preservation law to my practice. Believing that
a background in archaeology would be helpful to understanding historic
preservation issues, I enrolled in the University of Maryland’s
Masters of Applied Anthropology program, concentrating in historical
archaeology. As part of my studies, I attended the University’s
Archaeological Field School in Annapolis last summer. And so packing
up my laptop (provided by my firm, which graciously supported me), I
moved to Eastport, a peninsula opposite Annapolis’ Ego Alley.
Nearly a
quarter-century old, the Field School is a collaboration between the
University and the Historic Annapolis Foundation. Since 1981, Dr. Mark
Leone of the University of Maryland (whom I have the good fortune of
having as my advisor) has directed the Archaeology in Annapolis
Project. Dr. Leone is a leading scholar in the field of historical
archaeology and has been recognized for his work regarding the
prevalence and distribution of hoodoo – African folkloric practices
and beliefs – in the archaeological record in Annapolis.
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Over the
last few years, the Field School has moved out of the Annapolis
historic district and into Eastport with the goal of exploring
the history of Eastport using historical records, oral histories
and archaeology. In the 1800s, as Baltimore became the dominant
port, entrepreneurs looked to industry to bring business to
Annapolis. As part of that plan, a residential area for workers
was needed, and in 1868 the farmland of the Eastport peninsula
was purchased by the Mutual Building Association, which divided
Eastport into the existing grid pattern. Eastport became home to
workers such as boat builders, watermen and oyster shuckers,
both black and white. |
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| Laura Hoffman, armed with a
bucket and trowel, in one of theEastport excavation units. |
The property
that I worked on is located in the heart of Eastport. The gracious
owners, interested in the history of their community, permitted us to
excavate their yard. Historical records indicated that the property
went through several phases. For the first half of the 1900s, it was
home to a series of German immigrants. In 1910, the property was
purchased by Adolphe Braun, the owner of an Eastport meat-packing
plant. A census taken during this period shows that he lived there
with his wife, daughter and three German-born boarders, described as
“butchers” or “meat wagon drivers”. Braun would eventually sell the
property, but, interestingly, he would purchase the mortgage back
twice, re-selling it to other German immigrants. The family appears to
have served the community as an employer, a provider of housing to
immigrants and a financier by assisting other immigrants with
purchasing a home.
A wall of a
semi-subterranean building from this period was found during our
excavation. It had been filled in with trash – an archaeologist’s gold
mine. The artifacts found included butchered animal bones, hundreds of
oyster shells, coal, metal and ceramic and glass artifacts, including
a china doll arm and several clay marbles. These items, as well as
where they were found in the historical level, provide details about
the history of Eastport.
In 1961, the
property became the home of Dr. Aris T. Allen, an African-American
physician and politician for whom the Annapolis Parkway is named. Dr.
Allen resided there until 1964, before his political career reached
its peak. In Eastport, he is fondly remembered as the neighborhood
doctor – a woman visiting the site stated that he saved the life of a
member of her family and emphatically declared him a hero.
In 1964, the
property entered yet another phase when an African-American couple,
the Noels, opened the Jack and Jill Nursery School, which cared for
Eastport’s African-American children for over a decade. Many small
toys relating to this period were found, as well as numerous circular
soil disturbances (“features” in archaeologist-speak). The features
were more erratic than what one would expect for a structure. The
mystery was solved with the help of Eastport artist Michael Matthews,
who attended the nursery school as a little girl. On a visit to the
site, Ms. Matthews informed us that the nursery school had boasted a
full playground. Consequently, many of the features found in the
excavation units were undoubtedly caused by the installation and
removal of the playground.
The excavation
of this one property tells a great deal about the history of Eastport,
and it exemplifies home-ownership patterns of both white and black
residents during a significant period of growth and industrialization.
Moreover, it shows how the occupants – acting as employers, landlords,
financial backers or providers of critical services such as medical
and child care – worked to develop a successful neighborhood and
culture distinct from that of Annapolis.
Today, Eastport
is a beautiful community of bungalows and Victorian homes, magnificent
water views and people who always take the time to say “hello” or
“good morning” when you pass them on the sidewalk. Eastport has seen
the mixed effect of gentrification over the last few years but retains
a down-to-earth character. Furthermore, it inspires a deep and
abiding loyalty in many of its inhabitants, both old and new. In
fact, some Eastporters have proclaimed themselves not to be
inhabitants of Annapolis, but rather citizens of the independent
“Maritime Republic of Eastport.”
Whether
strolling through the lovely streets of Eastport or sitting on the
front porch in the evening, I quickly became a fan of sailing,
beautiful sunsets, crab cakes and cold beer. But most of all I miss
the friendly people of Eastport. I plan to return soon and often – but
next time, I’ll try not to get so dirty. |
