Preservation Through Conservation Easements: South Farms

    ACS conducted a Phase I survey on a property in Colchester, Connecticut to be subdivided for a housing development. The client engaged the services of ACS to fulfill requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers which requires cultural resource management surveys for projects substantially altering wetlands. ACS identified two sites on the property, including a prehistoric camp site, and the remains of an old school house which were successfully incorporated into a conservation easement without hindering development.

1868 Beers map of Colchester shows the original location of "Schoolhouse No. 9" at the edge of the project property.

    The prehistoric site was identified by the presence of quartz debitage from the manufacture of stone tools, as well as a crudely fashioned stemmed siltstone projectile point. Phase II testing involved intensive systematic subsurface shovel tests, as well as full excavation units to further evaluate the site. These tests revealed a very low density of artifacts and minimal traces of features (e.g. hearths) suggesting a very short term, task-specific site in which aboriginal inhabitants were likely targeting resources associated with nearby wetlands on an intermittent basis. Phase II testing was sufficient to document the site and ACS was able to generate a recommendation that the site would not require further conservation efforts in the face of development. Extensive judgmental testing in the vicinity of a graphite sinew stone located at a considerable distance from the site in the plowzone revealed no further positive traces of cultural resources, and this latter area was likewise dismissed from further consideration.

    The schoolhouse site posed an interesting problem because of its location at the boundary of the property. A substantial portion of the site was located on municipal property along a road. ACS aided in the negotiation of a conservation measure with the Connecticut Historical Commission and Army Corps of Engineers which allowed the project to continue without further archaeological evaluation on the basis of a commitment by the client to cap the site and leave it unaltered as part of the larger easement. This project demonstrates the value of extensive background research, judgmental testing, and a close working relationship with the client and review agencies during the early phases of a project in order to reduce overall cost while generating a more complete picture of the past.