UPDATE: CANCELLED- White House Farm Archaeological Field School

Page County, Virginia

November 17-19, 2012

UPDATE 11/13/12: Unfortunately due to the forecast of rain and high temps in the 40s, this event is cancelled. Stay tuned for opportunities in the spring.



White House Farm Fdn.

Background

The White House, located along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River five miles west of Luray, is one of the Shenandoah Valley’s most recognized landmarks.  Constructed around 1760 by Mennonite minister Martin Kauffman as a dwelling and meeting house, the Rhenish stone structure dates to the era of the original Massanutten Settlement and was part of the Hamburg community that is today remembered only as a name on the map.

The two-story house includes a vaulted cellar, common in the stone houses of the Page Valley and believed by earlier historians to be a defensive feature associated with settlers’ forts of the French and Indian War era.  More recent research indicates that these features were not defensive, but rather functional spaces and Germanic architectural markers. 

The house was occupied into the 1940s.  Very little has been done to alter its interior since Federal-era woodwork was installed.  Listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1977, the National Register nomination is in process.  It has never been formally evaluated for archaeological deposits. 

Today, the White House is central to the White House Farm Foundation (http://whfarmfoundation.org/), a non-profit educational organization that maintains the 270-acre farm “to enrich individuals with knowledge of and involvement with our natural ecological systems, sustainable agriculture, holistic community planning, and respect for local history and culture.”  The archaeological field school is one element of community-based programming that focuses on the ecology and history of the Page Valley.

Field School

Because the White House Farm Foundation has initiated the National Register nomination process, archaeological studies are needed to determine the likelihood of preserved land surfaces and features that date to the mid-18^th century (and earlier).  An initial Certification program field effort in June 2012 resulted in the excavation of 13-2.5’ x 2.5’ units and the recovery of features and artifacts that confirm the mid-18^th century construction date for the house.  Certification students are invited to help complete these units.  On-site laboratory work will provide students the opportunity to meet both excavation and laboratory requirements.  The community focus of the White House Farm Foundation will also provide students the opportunity to work toward the public archaeology requirement.

Logistics

Participants are responsible for lodging and meals.  If you are interested in finding accommodations in the area, there are hotels, cabins, and a number of B and Bs in the area (http://luraypage.com/accommodations.htm).    

Work will begin at 8:30 am and the site will be shut down by 4:00 p.m.

Contact Carole Nash (nashcl@jmu.edu) for an application.