Archaeological Site Examination, North Yard of the Loring-Greenough House, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

A phased program of stabilization and restoration for the Loring-Greenough House and property located in Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston, MA, called for reconstruction of porches, construction of an entrance walk and new foundations for the carriage house. This program also included landscaping and rehabilitation of garden plantings in the north yard. Archaeological testing was conducted to identify cultural resources that would be impacted by the proposed project and to search for evidence of early garden features that could be used to guide landscape restoration. The first phase of research focused on house porches, walkway installation and foundation work in the carriage house (Mohler and Kelley 2000). The second phase of work, reported herein, focused on the temporal assessment of existing planting beds and identification of historic planting features. A total of five 1 m x 1 m units and four 1 m x .5 m units were excavated in the north yard. Investigations revealed the presence of an intact buried A-horizon in the east and south portions of the north yard that contains eighteenth and early nineteenth century artifacts. Sand walkways were laid down in the early to mid nineteenth century and may have corresponded with other house improvements made around 1840. Such improvements may have included the creation of a formal garden with beds laid out in a geometric pattern. These garden features were covered over with landscaping fill sometime after 1937 when a plan of the property was made by the Historic American Buildings Survey. The present parallel garden beds may have been created simultaneously with the geometric garden. The parallel beds have been maintained with slight twentieth-century modification up to the present. The irregular lilac beds at the north edge of the property appear to date to the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, while the herb bed was created in the late twentieth century. Evidence of seventeenth to eighteenth century garden features consisting of a series of small planting holes was identified below the south end of the parallel beds and associated walkway. The program of archaeological testing revealed the presence of a well-preserved buried A-horizon across much of the property that is associated with the eighteenth and early nineteenth cenury occupation of the property. In addition evidence of eighteenth century gardening activity lies at the base of the buried A-horizon. An early nineteenth century pathway was found on the surface of the buried A-horizon. Due to the presence of well-preserved arcaeological deposits recommendations for proposed garden restoration focused on the need to limit the depth of new planting holes to prevent disturbance to the buried A-horizon. Because tree planting and erection of posts for arbors require greater depths, it was recommended that the new planting and post locations should be archaeologically excavated to mitigate potentially adverse impacts. The excavated holes will then be used for specific trees and posts. The third phase of archaeological investigation associated with the foundations of the carriage house north wall joists will be reported under separate cover

Report On the Archaeological Site Examination of the Entrance Drive, Carriage House, Greenhouse, Vegetable Garden, Flower Garden and Grapery at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

Alandscape restoration plan for the 45-acre Gore Place property in Waltham and Watertown, MA, calls for restoration of grounds, gardens and structures to depict and interpret the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century occupation of Massachusetts governor and United States senator, Christopher Gore, and his wife, Rebecca. The restoration plan includes archaeological investigation to help identify the location and integrity of six historically documented features on the Gore Place grounds. Blocks and transects of shovel test pits at 5, 10 and 20 meter intervals along with 1 x 1 m excavation units and trenching were employed in the archaeological site examination of these areas. Testing in the area of the present entrance drive revealed evidence of significant landscape alteration characterized by a unique process of top soil removal followed by filling first with a layer of stone, then loamy sand and gravel and finally replacement of topsoil, all in an effort to create flat and well-drained yard space. The existing entrance drive is hypothesized to have been constructed during the Gore occupation as was a separate service drive. Work at the site of the 1793 carriage house succeeded in pinpointing the location of the original foundation, a task that contributes to the structure’s relocation. The site of the Gore-period greenhouse was also identified by architectural remains that include fragments of marble tile flooring identical to that in the Gore Mansion. Astone-lined drain, glass bell jar fragments as well as a soapstone brick possibly associated with the greenhouse heating system were also found. Investigations in the vegetable and flower gardens revealed intact soils and late eighteenth- / early nineteenth-century artifacts suggesting Gore-period garden features may be preserved and are potentially archaeologically identifiable. Work in the area of the grapery/fruitwall revealed remains of the large greenhouse that occupied the site from the second quarter of the nineteenth century until ca. 1921. Intact greenhouse soils and foundations suggest that the original fruitwall footing is preserved within the later greenhouse foundation. All of these features are well preserved and exhibit a high level of integrity. Those areas of the property not tested during the survey may be archaeologically sensitive and may requrie testing in advance of future proposed impacts. Recommendations specific to each area include options for grounds restoration and interpretation as well as additional archaeological investigations to proceed in tandem with proposed landscape changes. The report also includes a summary of scholarly research associated with design landscape archaeology with reference to Massachusetts

Archaeological Site Examination of the Field East of the Grapery/Greenhouse, Drive Circle, Straight Walk, and South Lawn at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

A landscape restoration plan for the 45-acre historic estate of Massachusetts governor and United States senator, Christopher Gore and his wife Rebecca, recommended archaeological investigations to identify the location, character, and integrity of Gore-period features that could potentially be included in restoration efforts. Investigations began in 2004, focusing on better known landscape elements including the carriage drive, carriage house foundation, greenhouse, vegetable and flower gardens, and the site of the grapery/fruitwall (Smith and Dubell 2006). The 2008 investigations focused on the new site of the carriage house (reported under separate cover) and on lesser known elements of the estate that functioned in the daily running of Gore’s farm. Transects of staggered shovel test pits at 5, 10 and 20 meter intervals, along with 1×1 m excavation units and trenches, were employed in the archaeological site examination. Investigation of the drive circle north of the mansion showed the centrally-located well to have a wide builder’s trench of large cobblestones covered at the ground surface by a hard-packed layer of silty sand with gravel and clay, potentially to prevent contaminants in the immediate vicinity from entering the water. Identified by subsurface testing and ground penetrating radar was a well access walk that joined a straight-edged carriage drive south of the well. Also revealed was a possible square fieldstone feature that surrounds the well. The bedding of Gore’s historically documented straight walk east of the library was also found. A possible landscape feature of unknown form or function was found at the east terminus of the walk, and the walk’s eastern extension was determined to have been removed in the 1930s during mining of topsoil. Testing of the field east of the grapery identified additional boundaries of the 1930s soil removal and an area measuring approximately 60 × 100 m that is not archaeologically sensitive that is suitable for planting crops to interpret Gore’s agricultural use of the property. Examination of the south lawn revealed much of the area to have been plowed in the past and to have been subjected to fertilizing during the Gore period. A number of Gore-period and non Gore-period features were identified, including two dry wells, drainage pipes, post holes, buried fieldstones of unknown association, a deposit of reddened soil and stones of unknown function, golfing features associated with the use of the property by the Waltham Country Club during the 1920s, and a possible cellar or cesspool filled with Gore-period masonry from late 19th-century cellar and chimney alterations. Investigation of a known cistern revealed similar surface treatment to the drive circle well. Results of the south lawn work also identified an area on the flat, central section of the lawn that is not archaeologically sensitive and can be used for interpretative crop cultivation. An EM-31 conductivity meter survey identified a zone of the south lawn that appears to be the site of numerous anomalies, possibly related to the house’s heating, cooling, or water systems. Recommendations specific to each area consist of examining the square feature surrounding the well in the drive circle and determining the nature of drive bedding that adjoins the well access walk, exploring the east end of the straight walk to determine the nature of the feature at that location, further investigating the south lawn cellar or cesspool feature to determine its function and age, and testing several other south lawn features to determine age and function

Recursive Use of GPR, Excavation, and Historical Maps at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

Gore Place is the early 19th-century house and estate of Massachusetts governor Christopher Gore and his wife Rebecca. The Gores were active in scientific agriculture and cultivated grains, fruits, and vegetables on the property. As part of the landscape restoration, the Gore Place Society wished to know the exact location and preservation status of Gore’s stable and greenhouse. To determine these, we recursively combined historic map georeferencing, ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey, and excavation. We used an initial GPR survey to guide our excavation, then using the GPR-slice images and data from the excavations, a series of historical maps were re-georeferenced, allowing for much better interpretation of the GPR-slice images. Interpreting GPR, excavation, and documentary data in this integrated, sequential package yields more information with less excavation than traditional methods

Data Recovery Excavations of the Carriage House, Greenhouse, and Greenhouse/Carriage House Well at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

Excavations and ground penetrating radar at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts, examined the original 1793 carriage house site, the 1806 greenhouse, and the greenhouse/carriage house well, all associated with Christopher and Rebecca Gore. The carriage house was moved in 1968, and its cellar was filled at that time. Mechanical removal of the fill in a portion of the carriage house cellar revealed that the lower portion of at least the rear (north) foundation wall is well preserved along with the cellar floor. Documentary evidence indicated that the carriage house cellar had been used for manure (compost) preparation, while the first floor was used to house horses and to store gardening tools and firewood. Four excavation units set into the cellar floor revealed no evidence of its former use for manure production (such as organic staining) indicating that it had been thoroughly cleaned. The artifacts present in the floor units represent a considerable time period from that of the Gores through to the early 20th century. The majority of objects date to the Gore period, and the wide variety may reflect the incorporation of refuse into manure production. Investigations north of the structure showed that some of the soil in the parking lot constituting the western portion of Gore’s vegetable garden was removed and replaced with a uniform mixture of sand and gravel, probably at the time the carriage house was moved. While the gravel is at least 2 m deep close to the carriage house foundation, its depth lessens with distance northward, since shovel testing in 2004 showed intact dark brown loamy soil beginning at a depth of 35 to 50 cm below driveway gravel and sand bedding at 20 and 40 m north of the carriage house foundation. Early 19th-century maps indicated that the greenhouse was roughly 60 feet (18 m) long and 15 to 21 feet (up to 6.5 m) wide with a small extension on the west end. Fifty-two square meters were excavated at the west end, uncovering the trapezoidal brick fl oor of the extension and an associated stone drain, ground surfaces contemporary with the greenhouse, post holes for a fence that separated the greenhouse area from the carriage house, layers relating to the greenhouse’s destruction (early 1840s), and later landscaping features including a stone wall and two drains. Documentary, archaeological, and geophysical data suggest that the greenhouse was a formal space intended to grow and display exotic plants and that it was built in the relatively new lean-to style, with a tall back wall and short front wall. The artifact assemblage included architectural elements, tools and small finds related to the greenhouse operation (including the remains of at least 149 planting pots), and bone stockpiled for soil enrichment. The greenhouse was constructed by the Gores during a period of intense interest in agricultural experimentation by members of the Massachusetts commercial and political elite. Scholars have argued that these men used the positive associations of agriculture to offset some of the contemporary negative connotations of commerce. This report examines the greenhouse both as a space for the display of exotic plants in the context of this scientifi c agricultural movement and posits that Rebecca Gore may have played a signifi cant role in managing it

Estimate of annual NH3 dry deposition to a fumigated ombrotrophic bog using concentration-dependent deposition velocities

Estimates of the dry deposition of ammonia (NH3) gas in a field fumigation experiment on an ombrotrophic bog have been made using the inferential technique, with measured wind speed at 2 m, and air concentrations at two heights above the vegetation. The parameters for a concentration-dependent surface resistance term have been derived from flux measurements over the same vegetation in a chamber study, separating stomatal from non-stomatal resistances. Annual NH3-N deposition in each of the 4 years 2003-2006 was estimated to increase from 3.0 ± 0.2 kg N ha-1y-1 in ambient air, with an NH3 concentration at 0.5 m above the canopy of 0.7 μg m-3, to 50-70 kg N ha-1y-1 where annual average air concentrations were 70-90 μg m-3 and concentrations during fumigation were up to 1600 μg m-3. The equivalent deposition velocities (at z=0.5 m) were 0.016 m s-1 in ambient air and 0.003 m s-1 at 100 μg m-3. The differences between annual deposition estimates made from independent air concentration data at 0.1 m and 0.5 m above the canopy were small for distances more than 10 m from the source, after vertical mixing was complete. Over 4 years (2003 to 2006) and at 8 sampling points more than 10 m from the NH3 source, the mean difference between the dry deposition estimates, using NH3 concentrations measured independently at 0.1 m and 0.5 m above the canopy, was 2%. Use of a constant surface resistance, with no concentration dependence, as commonly used in inferential models of dry deposition, would have predicted deposition up to 8 times too large

Effects of acid mist on the frost hardiness of red spruce seedlings

Seedlings of red spruce [Picea rubens Sarg. syn. P. rubra (Du Roi) Link] were exposed to mists containing equimolar (NH4)2 SO4 and HNO3 at pHs of 2.5, 2.7, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 or 5.0. The mists were applied twice each week, amounting to 2 mm precipitation equivalent on each occasion, between July and December, to open-top chambers supplied with charcoal-filtered air. Frost hardiness of shoots excised from seedlings was determined on 6 occasions starting on 21 September, and was found to be strongly influenced by acid mist treatments, seedlings subject to the most acidic mists being the least frost hardy. On 21 September when the first sample was taken the lethal temperature for killing 50% of shoots (LT50) was -11⚬C for the least acidic (pH 5.0) mist and -7⚬C for the most acidic (pH 2.5). By 19 October, the LT50s of pH 5.0 and pH 2.5 mists were -27 and -15⚬C respectively. All intermediate treatments ranked according to treatment concentration, with the smaller concentrations causing lower LT50 values. The treatment at pH 3.0 provided S and N inputs to the seedlings similar to those experienced by red spruce at elevations of about 1000 m in the southern Appalachians. At pH 3.0, the frost hardiness LT10 during October was typically 8⚬C higher than the pH 5.0 treatment, leading to a significant increase in the probability of frost damage at the LT10 level in an average October. The proximity of minimum night temperatures during September to December to the LT10 temperatures of red spruce shoots receiving large inputs of SO4 2-, NO3 -, NH4 + and H+ suggests that decreases in frost hardiness caused by intercepted cloud water containing large concentrations of these ions may play a significant part in the observed decline at mountain-top locations

Chemical composition of rainfall and wet deposition over northern Britain.

Results are presented for the chemical composition of precipitation sampled monthly at 16 sites in northern Britain for 1981. Distribution maps of concentration of H+, NO3− and non-marine SO42− show gradients increasing from the north-west to the south and east (H+ from 10 to 40 μeq ℓ−1, NO3− from 10 to 30 μeq ol−1, non-marine SO42− from 15 to 60 μeq ℓ−1) but the distribution of NH4+ was not simple. Deposition of all ions was greatest in the mountainous areas of the south and west, where rainfall amounts were largest. Concentrations of NH4+ and NO3− were approximately the same in 1980and 1981, but H+ and non-marine SO42− concentrations were significantly smaller in 1981 than in 1980. Longer term trends (1978–1982) were site-dependent, with large variability between years. Acidity decreased at all sites over this period, but no conclusions can be drawn on the causes of the observed decrease. Seasonal variations in 1981 were also strongly site-dependent; pronounced annual cycles in concentration were observed at southeastern sites for H+, NH4+, NO3− and non-marine SO42−, with maxima in late spring. Sea-derived material (Na+ and Cl−) showed pronounced cycles in concentration at all sites, with maxima in autumn/winter, annual cycles in deposition depending upon the annual cycle in precipitation amount. Deposition of H+, NH4+, NO3− and non-marine SO42− was greatest in the autumn at northwest sites and in the spring at southeast sites

The BaBar detector: Upgrades, operation and performance

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