Fieldwork in Focus: Yeaton-Walsh House, New Hampshire

This week's Fieldwork in Focus is about the late 18th century Yeaton-Walsh House, in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Archaeologist Sheila Charles sent this note along:

Strawbery Banke Museum’s 2008 Archaeology Field School will take place July 14 to 25, 2008. The program will run Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The field school is open to students (ages 13 years or more) and adults, with or without prior archaeological experience. The Field School can be a valuable opportunity for career exploration and professional development. Participants are limited to 20.

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to participate in this archaeological field school, which will focus on the investigation of the Yeaton-Walsh House site. The Yeaton-Walsh House, one of Strawbery Banke’s unrestored historic buildings, is an endangered structure and consequently archaeological investigation is warranted preceding restoration. An archaeological investigation of the Yeaton-Walsh grounds has the potential to uncover evidence of former structural elements, the evolution of the property, and activities undertaken on the site by the multiple inhabitants spanning four centuries.

Thomas G. Yeaton built the Yeaton-Walsh House in 1794 as a rental property. The tenant building was subsequently occupied by a succession of craftsmen, seamen, and laborers, including Michael Walsh, a sawyer c.1850. Many of the original architectural features of the Yeaton-Walsh House, including the pilaster capitals on the doorway, are typical of 18th century Portsmouth work and indicate the importance of style even in the plainest of structures.

This creative archaeological quest will provide hands-on archaeological field and laboratory experiences, in accordance with archaeological standards of the US Department of Interior and the Society for American Archaeology Standards of Ethics. In addition, guest speakers and field trips will be incorporated into the project. Field school participants will also interact with the visiting public.

See the Strawbery Banke website to secure a reservation, or write camps@strawberybanke.org for further information. Your registration form and payment are due June 1, 2008. The fee is $360 Museum members/$390 non-members.

• Strawbery Banke Museum
• Yeaton-Walsh House
• Previous Fieldwork in Focus
• Archaeology Digs 2008