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Vermont Agency of Transportation
Archaeological and Historic Resources |
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A Mitigation Plan for the Fort Vengeance Archaeological Site |
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The site of Ft. Vengeance is marked by a marble monument erected in 1873. It serves as a memorial to Caleb Houghton, a soldier who was killed while on duty at the fort. The monument continues to be a focus of patriotic displays,
including the flags shown here that were placed in memory of the rescue workers who died in the terrorist attacks of 9-11. 
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Archaeological field investigations conducted by VTrans' consultant Louis Berger & Associates, Inc. have come to an end along the corridor of the Route 7 Upgrade Project in Pittsford and Brandon. One focus of this substantial investigation has been the Fort Vengeance Archaeological Site. So far, very little is known about Fort Vengeance, which was built in 1780. But we are certain that this site has the potential to provide valuable information on a variety of historical research topics. To date, only a small portion of the site has been excavated; just enough for archaeologists from Louis Berger and Associates, and Werner Archaeological Consulting, Inc. to accurately identify it and establish its spatial boundaries.
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 Click here for larger image Among the more common personal items found at the site were bowl and stem fragments from clay smoking pipes.  Click here for larger image Excavations exposed portions of the late eighteenth-century Hendee Farmhouse and Tavern, including the underground drain and rear foundation wall shown here.  Click here for larger image Archaeologists used a backhoe to learn whether the Ft. Vengeance Monument Site extended underneath U.S. Route 7. |
A wide variety of artifacts and animal bones were recovered during these initial excavations at the Fort Vengeance Monument Site. In addition to identifying a possible portion of the Fort's stockade, excavations also revealed portions of the foundation of a house owned by Caleb Hendee, the local landowner who allowed Vermont to construct and occupy the fort on his property.
This house also served as a tavern between 1783 and 1808. The site will be included on the National Register of Historic Places, and VTrans is recommending an innovative and cost-effective method for mitigating this site - to preserve it for future generations.
Preservation in place is a preferred method for protecting in-ground archaeological resources. If a site is not threatened, then it is best to leave it alone. This approach is obviously less costly and less destructive than archaeologically excavating a site. But what is the best approach for preservation when a site is being threatened by development? In the case of Fort Vengeance, the proposed improvements to Route 7 in Pittsford are threatening to impact this site. Despite efforts to modify the project's design, there is no feasible way to move the road far enough to the east in order to keep it out of the site area. But this does not necessarily mean that the site will be impacted by the proposed road construction. Nor does it mean that the site will need to be excavated. Through a collaborative effort between VTrans, CLD Consulting Engineers (the project designer), the local landowner, and the local Pittsford/Brandon Transportation Steering Committee, a solution has been found. The road can be built up and over the site. VTrans is proposing to preserve the Fort Vengeance archaeological site by intentionally burying the affected portion of it under approximately 2 to 3 feet of fill, and then rebuilding and realigning Route 7 on top of that fill. |
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The intentional burial or covering of archaeological sites (also known as in situ burial) has been used as a preservation and mitigation method for years. It is a relatively simple process that essentially follows nature's model of site preservation. There are four crucial steps to in situ burial. First, permanent benchmark data is established and recorded, and markers are set in place before a site can be buried. This is to insure that the site's provenience and boundaries are well recorded and will not be lost. Then, a buffer lens of geotextile or culturally sterile sand, gravel, clay, or other material is placed over the site. This separates the site matrix from the fill soil, which is added next. It is very important that care is taken to not damage the site while placing this lens or the fill on the existing ground surface. Finally, a plan for monitoring the site once it is buried must be developed and implemented. |
 Click here for larger image Careful mapping of one part of the foundation of the Hendee Farmhouse and Tavern required well-coordinated teamwork.  Click here for larger image This handpainted pearlware teacup was manufactured sometime between 1775 and 1820. |
Implementing the practice of intentionally burying a site involves much planning and thought. It is also not an appropriate mitigation methodology for every site or situation. Guidance and technical assistance for developing a plan for in situ burial are readily available from the
National Park Service Archaeology and Ethnography Program. When presented with this alternative mitigating plan for the Fort Vengeance Monument Site, the Local Pittsford/Brandon Transportation Steering Committee, which has been closely involved with the design of the Route 7 upgrade, was extremely pleased. To learn more about conserving and protecting archaeological sites and to find out more about In-Situ Site Burial check out the following web sites! Archaeology and Ethnography Program Technical Brief: "Intentional Site Burial" |
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Article written by Chris Slesar, Archaeologist Images and photo captions courtesy of The Louis Berger Group, Inc., East Orange, New Jersey. |
