An Interview with the Staff Archaeologist

Due to a great deal of interest in our last post about Archaeology, and a number of questions that have come up about what has been uncovered, and why and where we are looking, we decided to have an interview with Dave Shonyo, our staff Archaeologist.  We took this opportunity to look at what has been done and why.  The conversation is between Dave and our Education Manager, Lacey Villiva.

Our archaeologist hard at work, 
carefully excavating an exciting pit.

LV: Why are we doing archaeology at Gunston Hall?

DS: We have come to understand that George Mason regarded his interior and exterior living spaces as extensions of one another. Careful studies of the interior of the mansion since the 1950’s have permitted us to now present an interior living space that closely resembles the one that Mason knew. It has only been since the late 1990’s that similar attention has been given to the exterior space. Here we are seeking clues that have survived in the ground, through archaeology.

The process is complicated by the fact that we have no documents from Mason’s time that would provide any information about the landscape at Gunston Hall. This is in contrast to the homes of many of Mason’s peers and contemporaries, such as Mount Vernon, Montpelier and Monticello.

Added to this is the fact that, with the possible exception of the Civil War years, Gunston Hall has been continuously occupied for over 250 years. The occupants subsequent to George Mason have all altered the landscape to serve their individual needs and to reflect current fashion. Buildings have gone up and come down; the use of the land has been altered to serve many different purposes. I find it remarkable that there is anything at all to be found of the eighteenth century landscape. But, bits and pieces are there to be found with diligent search in the nooks and crannies of the present day plantation.

LV: Speaking of original documentation, how helpful are John Mason’s Recollections on discovering where features are?

The archaeology program requires a lot of time and effort,
many volunteers, like this one, assist with the digging,
cleaning and cataloging of artifacts.

DS: George Mason’s son, John, wrote his Recollections late in his life to provide his children and grandchildren with an account of what life was like with their famous forbearer. As such, it is our only eyewitness account of Gunston Hall at the time of George Mason. It was not John Mason’s intent to provide a detailed description of the plantation, but he does mention in passing some of the features of the landscape. However, he does not really describe what those features looked like nor does he tell us exactly where they were located. He does suggest what we should be looking for and sometimes the general area where we should look. The usual reaction when we find something that he mentions is, “So that’s what he meant.”

LV: What has been discovered through archaeology?

DS: In the most general sense, we have come to understand that Mason himself designed the landscape arrangement that immediately surrounded the mansion, and that a great deal of care and ingenuity went into that design. To the extent that a creative person can be understood by examining that person’s creations, an understanding of this landscape gives us a better understanding of the character and thought processed of George Mason.

         More specifically, some of the major findings have been: the location of the garden walkways and the enclosing fences, which provides us with the general layout of the formal garden; the original configuration of the terrace at the end of the garden; the exact location of the cherry tree avenues that flanked the entrance drive, which provide an understanding of the optical effects that were created by the unusual layout of the avenues; a better, but not yet complete, understanding of the original layout of the kitchen yard and its relationship to the mansion and garden; the location of the landing on the Potomac River and the road which led from the landing to the vicinity of the mansion; evidence of the carriage turn-around apron  at the land front entrance of the mansion, which may or may not be part of a carriage circle; literally thousands of artifacts which have yielded a picture of the everyday objects used in the mansion and elsewhere on the plantation, some of the things that were being eaten and even some of the things that were being grown. And then there the many minor finds, some of which we don’t understand yet, and the inevitable excavations that yield nothing.

LV: Has archaeology been able to determine the presence of enslaved people?

DS: Well, we have always found a certain number of artifacts that are typically associated with eighteenth century African Americans. Examples include a certain style of beads and the presence of scales of the gar, a fish that was consumed by slaves but not people of European descent. However, the question of where the slaves were quartered is another matter. John Mason in his Recollections mentions a quarter called “Log Town” somewhere to the northwest of the mansion, and “servant quarters” to the east of the mansion. Neither of these has ever been found.

The sites where slave housing was once located are notoriously difficult to find. Masonry foundations were very rarely used. The vast majority were anchored to the ground with posts. Once the post rots, all that is left is a small patch of soil that is a slightly different color than the surrounding soil. As can be imagined, these can be extremely difficult to find if one does not have a very good idea of where to look. A better hope is to find an artifact scatter that might indicate an occupation or activity area. But, in the search for slave quarters in the vicinity of the plantation mansion, these present a special problem. This is because the artifacts left by slaves that worked in or near the mansion are nearly indistinguishable from those left by the occupants of the mansion. However, it may be possible to distinguish the two on the basis of food remains. For example, it is unlikely that the slaves would be feasting on oysters, a favorite delicacy of the Masons. So there would be few, if any oyster shells in a slave occupation area. The slaves would almost certainly be supplementing their diet with animals that they could capture themselves. Therefore, we would expect a slave quarter to have a relative abundance of fish bones and scales – including the aforementioned gar scales – and bones of game animals.

LV: What are you working on now?

DS: One of the big finds so far this season has been a plot containing fifteen burials, which may be the long lost Mason family burying ground at Newtown. I have discussed this in another post.

A recently discovered feature which may be a sub-floor pit.

We are currently in the process of excavating an area to the east of the mansion which has some very interesting features. I am not ready to declare that it is a slave occupation area, but what we have found here would be consistent with that. The features include two pits (slave cabins usually have sub-floor pits), two post molds and a rich deposit of artifacts which includes an abundance of charcoal and an assemblage of food remains similar to that I mentioned previously. We have not yet found, however, that one feature or artifact that tells us that this can only be a slave occupation. But, I do have hope…

Why I Love Gunston Hall

 When I was a young boy growing up in suburban Philadelphia, two of the things I loved most were baseball and history. 

I loved watching my Phillies (sorry Nat’s fans) on TV, scouring packs of baseball cards for Phillies players, and reading box scores every morning in the newspaper. The players were my heroes and all of these activities allowed me to connect with my team in ways there were personal, but also communal because my family, friends, and neighbors also loved the Phillies.

The best part of this shared, yet personal experience was going to Veterans Stadium to see a game. I will never forget the feeling of the summer sun, the sight of the green Astroturf and the brown base paths, the smell of hot dogs, and the sounds of the organ, conversations among fans, and the ball either hitting a bat or pounding a glove.  It was magical as a child and is still magical for me as an adult, particularly now that I get to take my two daughters to the ballpark and share my love of baseball with each of them. 

My second, but certainly equal love was history.  In this case my heroes were trappers and fur traders of the west, explorers of the oceans and continents, Civil War generals (I was a particularly big fan of JEB Stuart and even portrayed the cavalier one Halloween!), and the founders of our nation.  I clearly remember going to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Franklin Court in Philadelphia, multiple battlefields throughout Maryland and Virginia, and countless museums and historic sites up and down the East Coast. What could be more fun! 

I also read voraciously and enjoyed the complete set of the old Landmark Books series that covered a full range of fascinating historical topics.  As with baseball, these activities were deeply personal, but also communal because I experienced all of these amazing places with my family, and I remember this time as a family as much as I remember the exhibits and programs at the specific sites. Even the books had a communal element because I could not wait to share what I had read with anyone willing to listen, even if it was just the family cat.

The difference between my love of baseball and my love of history, however, was that the baseball players and the action on the field was live and in the present.  My love of history and my ability to connect with my heroes of the past, therefore, relied on places like museums and historic sites, and, it depended on books.

Fast forward to July 8, 2013. It is my first day on the job as Executive Director of Gunston Hall.  I had been to Gunston Hall on several occasions before this day, but this day was different and it is also one I will never forget.

Turning off Gunston Road, I began driving up the entrance road.  The surrounding forest is almost mystical. I turn off NPR and even though it is hot, I roll down the windows of my truck. I even stop for a minute.  I hear an assortment of noises—birds, squirrels rustling on the forest floor, a slight breeze barely moving the canopy above.

I continue driving and emerge from the forest. Before me, on either side, lay vast fields of green.  Several families of deer quietly enjoy breakfast, while also perking up at my presence.

As I slowly continue, driving over a slight crest, the very top of the mansion appears followed by a full view of this awe inspiring structure. The mansion is framed by towering cedars and magnolias, which serve to enhance the mansion’s majesty and also draw you closer both physically and emotionally.

Now I can literally feel the power and the presence of this place.  It is indescribable yet you can’t help but try because the power is so strong and so special.

After parking, I walk towards the mansion, drawn by the power of the place to get closer, to touch the brick, and I ascend the steps to the porches.  I don’t yet have keys, so after enjoying this vantage point, I walk around the mansion, meander through the boxwood gardens as I have read George Mason loved to do, and soak up the breath taking view of the river and forests below the ridge.

Later in the day, I go inside the mansion and then a new feeling overwhelms me. This place, this amazing place, is about more than a defining landscape, beautiful views, and an awe-inspiring structure. Once inside, despite the obvious grandeur of the architecture and craftsmanship, I am reminded that this place is about and defined by people, and that this place’s true power is derived through personal and communal connections with people.

And connections with stories.

Inside the Little Parlor as I look at the original furnishings I am awed by a connection to the place were Mason ran a vibrant plantation, where family occasionally dined, and perhaps most inspiring, the place were Mason contemplated and wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights.  Upstairs, I can almost hear the same sounds of my household, children getting ready for the day, playing, and preparing for bed.  Back outside in the kitchen yard, I am confronted with the reality of slavery. I can feel the power associated with the toil of work by enslaved peoples. I feel the challenging irony of a place where visionary statements of freedom and equality were developed and expressed, but also a place that was home for close to 100 slaves.

In thinking more about these feelings, I begin to comprehend why I love Gunston Hall.  First, this place is uniquely capable, at least for me, of re-connecting me with my childhood love of history and of reminding me, on a minute-by-minute basis, why I love history and why I am blessed to work as a museum professional.

But perhaps most importantly, as I watch guests—some families, some individuals, and some groups of friends—walk by my office window on their way to the mansion, I love Gunston Hall because of its diverse and compelling humanity.  This humanity is defined by stories of freedom and slavery, education and learning, family and community, citizenship and patriotism, entrepreneurialism and innovation, and by preservation and stewardship.  This humanity, and Gunston Hall, is also defined by passion and love. This is truly why the spirit and feel of this place is so powerful and so compelling. 

These personal and communal connections, powerful feelings, and compelling human stories are why I love Gunston Hall, why I am honored and excited to be here, and why I am so excited about our future.  Come on out, I welcome the opportunity to meet you, and take time to discover, explore and embrace the spirit and humanity of this amazing place.

Scott Stroh

Executive Director

Did George Mason and His Family Ever Go on Vacation?

By Frank N. Barker
Assistant Education Coordinator

An interesting question, as one conjures up images of a carriage loaded with nine children, two adults, their luggage, assorted servants, drivers, horses, picnic baskets, beach towels, umbrellas, sand toys...all headed down the King’s Highway for Virginia Beach or the Outer Banks.

But, alas, it does not seem to be. The Mason family was not destined to be tourists. There was work to be done. There were political endeavors to think about. Most recreation and visitation was kept to smaller groups rather than the family as a whole.

Besides, was a vacation really necessary? According to the Mason family biography The Five George Masons, life itself seemed to be a vacation, at least in George Mason’s earlier years as a country gentleman and squire of Gunston Hall. “George Mason was something of an outdoorsman—proud of his hunting guns, his horses, his hounds; enjoying riding out with his friends after deer or fox; shooting on the Great Marsh; or visiting his fishing stage on the Occoquan.” Do you need a vacation to get away from all this?

Another biographer and Mason relation, Kate Mason Rowland, wrote of visits to other houses and other families, and gatherings at church, at court, or even for elections.

It was a pleasant, easy, hospitable life, friends meeting first at one house then at another for long visits of several days at a time. They rode to the hunt with the hounds on one day; on the next, perhaps, they met at a vestry meeting or at court; they had the occasional excitement of an election and its attendant festivities….

Rather than extended vacations to exotic locales, the families of 18^th century Tidewater Virginia plantations seemed content with “mini-vacations” and lodging with friend and relatives.

Vacation and leisure activities might have included a hunt, followed by a
picnic.  Picnic After the Hunt, Nicolas Lancret, 1735/40.  Courtesy of the 
National Gallery of Art.

In John Mason’s Recollections, he wrote that during his childhood at Gunston Hall,

Great hospitality reigned everywhere, and besides the social and friendly intercourse of the immediate neighborhood, the habit was for families who were connected or on friendly terms to visit each other and spend several days or weeks at the respective mansions, in a circuit of fifty or a hundred miles.

The whole family probably did not go visiting at once, but one daughter may have visited the Brents while another was staying with the Blackburns at Rippon Lodge in Dumfries. At home or away, there were dances, barbecues, fish feasts, horse races, and boat races to attend—sometimes all combined into one event that may have lasted days.

At various times in his life, George Mason left home to go to Virginia’s capital, first in Williamsburg, later in Richmond. Sometimes he went as a private citizen on business; at other times he was going as an elected official. His letters from these places to family, friends, neighbors and political allies were filled with news, advice, instructions, the state of his health…seldom did they include postcard-like inscriptions to indicate he was doing anything “touristy.”

With one noted exception. Though he wasn’t on vacation during the summer of 1787, he was visiting Philadelphia for the first time. George Mason, son John, and assorted servants were in town for a Convention of some great import that would eventually hammer out a Constitution for the United States.

Mason and his son John stayed at the Indian
Queen Hotel in Philadelphia.  Courtesy of the 
Library Company of Philadelphia.

Col. Mason wrote to his son George back home in Virginia and described his travels to Philadelphia as “very expensive, from eight to nine Dollars Per Day” but that in Philadelphia “the Living is cheap. We are at the old Indian Queen in 4th. Street where we are very well accommodated, have a good room to ourselves, and are charged only 25s Pennsylva. Curry [currency] per day, including our servants and horses….”

In the same letter, Mason talked about the Virginia Delegation’s attendance at that Sunday’s service at a Catholic chapel “more out of Compliment than Religion, & more out of Curiosity than compliment.” Mason reviews the service, from the “indifferent” preacher that he believed to be “a foreigner,” to the “Solemnity of the Apparatus,” to the “exceeding fine” music. But he was “somewhat disgusted by the Tinckling of a little bell,” which reminded Mason of raising the curtain for a “Puppet-Shew.”

Following this letter, following the instructions given to the delegates, he remained mute on activities of the Convention, did not report to family any recreational matters, but he did write one long description telling George the younger exactly what was needed to plaster walls.

And what of Mrs. Mason during her husband’s summer tour of Philadelphia? She was on one of those typical 18^th century family “vacations”…visiting her sister in Dumfries.

Sources

Copeland, Pamela C., and Richard K. MacMaster. The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. Charlottesville: Published for the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall by the UP of Virginia, 1975. Print.

Mason, John. The Recollections of John Mason: George Mason's Son Remembers His Father and Life at Gunston Hall. Ed. Terry K. Dunn. Marshall, VA: EPM Publications, 2004. Print.

Rowland, Kate Mason., and Fitzhugh Lee. The Life of George Mason 1725-1792 ... including His Speeches, Public Papers, and Correspondence; with an Introduction by General F. Lee. 2 Vol. G.P. Putnam's Sons: New York; London, 1892. Print.

Rutland, Robert A., ed. The Papers of George Mason, 1725-1792. Vol. III 1787-1792. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1970. Print.

John Mason and the French Revolution

By Mark Whatford 
Deputy Director

John was the second youngest son of George and Ann Mason, born at his grandmother’s home [which still stands] in Charles County, Maryland in April 1766.  After growing up at Gunston Hall, in 1785/86 he was apprenticed by his father to the Alexandrian merchant firm of Harper and Hartshorne, commission merchants dealing in flour, bread, pork, rum, etc…  John then accompanied his father to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. George Mason saw an opportunity to introduce John to the businessmen of Philadelphia and the possibility of a partnership for him with one of the firms there. No partnerships were made in this journey.  However, a new partnership was formed, under the guidance of his father, with the brothers James and Joseph Fenwick forming the firm of Fenwick Mason & Co in Georgetown. John’s initial capital in the new firm was £1,000. They conducted an export business between Bordeaux, France and Georgetown dealing in wheat and tobacco.  They operated under the sound business advice of George Mason of “giving no credit.”  George also advised his son that “Mr. Franklin’s intimacy’s have been more with the literati than the with the merchants, he[John]  should cultivate a Correspondence with the American minister, Mr. Jefferson; which I think will be serviceable to you & give Credit to the house.’”

John sailed for Bordeaux in June 1788 with a letter from his father to Thomas Jefferson, American Minister at the Court of Versailles, with an introduction saying “I flatter myself you will find him a modest, chearful, sensible young man…”  While many of John Mason’s letters are missing, his father often mentioned the letters and the contents in his correspondence, particularly to Thomas Jefferson who would become a lifelong acquaintance to John.  George Washington thought highly of John Mason and asked, in October 1789, that the firm, Fenwick Mason & Co., conduct business for him.

Shipping Contract with James Fenwick
in September 1789.

With the convocation of the Estates-General in May 1789 and on August 26, 1789, the new National Assembly published the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which was influenced by both the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. This early period of the revolution was filled with intrigues and radicalism with building resentment against the church and dominated by struggles between various liberal assemblies and supporters of the monarchy. John was a witness in Bordeaux of many events, which likely reminded him of the early years of the American Revolution, and undoubtedly had his support as well as his father’s.  John wrote to his father, who approved, of his taking the oath under the new French Constitution, which allowed him to continue business in Bordeaux. A local British merchant refused to take the oath and was expelled from France.

In May of 1790 John wrote of “The Members of Nobility who were hung [in effigy, for supporting conservative measures in the Assembly] here were distinguished by their parliamentary robes the Clergy by a Cross on their breast & something similar the usual dress of the abbess.”  John also wrote of first rumors, then confirmation of the Counter Revolution in Mountauban, about 80 miles South East of Bordeaux, by the local aristocracy and clergy in the spring of 1790. This was soon suppressed by the arrival of militiamen formed up by a local Bordeaux “Patriot Club.”  John himself belonged to one of these patriotic organizations.

In October 1790 he wrote of the threat of war with England and Spain

The Club of this City of the friends of the Constitution (to which I told you in my last I belonged) recommended last week to the national assembly to take immediately the most energetic Steps to prepare for Such an Event- & recommended the arming in the Course of the winter completely the 45 Ships of the line before decreed, that 60,000 regular troops be held in readiness to embark & that 400,000 Volunteers of the national guard be put directly into training to garrison all the frontier towns on the borders of Germany, Italy & Spain.

            I felicitate myself very much of having been admitted a member of this Club-it is a Society formed…

Both John and his father followed the revolution with interest and hope for positive change for the French people, but also with an eye on business. John informed his father on trade issues, the French issuance of paper currency, and the sale of seized land from the clergy and aristocracy. With Joseph Fenwick appointed American consul in Bordeaux, with the assistance of George Mason and Thomas Jefferson in 1790 [Fenwick served until 1798] the business interests of Fenwick Mason & Co. would have a representative in France.  Fenwick’s appointment, the fall in business caused by the disorder of the revolution, and ill health was reason enough for John to return home in June 1791on the ship Louise XVI, arriving in Norfolk August 14. John went on to Richmond and Petersburg to build business for the firm and to conduct other business dealings for his father.

John missed the news of the Royal family’s flight to Varennes in June, marking the beginning of the end for the King and the coming wars and counter revolutions followed by the reign of terror.  Business for John continued for a short while but the threat of war and a declining exchange rate was reason to liquidate the firm of Fenwick Mason & Co. in May 1792.   

           

Sources

The Recollections of John Mason ed. by Terry Dunn

The Five George Masons by Copeland & McMasters

The Papers of Geroge Mason ed by Robert Rutland

A Conversation with Eve Watters

Musician, Vocalist, Traditional Storyteller

Interview by Susan Blankenship 

Performing artist Eve Watters.

Multi-talented artist Eve Watters will be performing at Gunston Hall on Sunday, July 14, 2013 from 6 – 8 p.m.  Her repertoire includes Celtic harp, dulcimer, banjo, vocals and “tales for your heart’s delight”.  While focusing primarily on early Virginia, she promises to also share a few international stories and songs that encourage audience participation and teach a few simple lessons about life. Bring a picnic and enjoy a family friendly evening of fun.

Who is Eve Watters?  Currently residing in Charlottesville, Virginia, she is a well-travelled, free-spirited renaissance woman who creates a timeless journey through tales and tunes from long ago.  How did she come to this place?  Read on –

S.B. – What piqued your interest in performing traditional stories and songs? 

 

E.W. – The fact that beautifully basic songs and stories have been handed down and changed with each generation. Great grandma shares a story, and tellers memorize the basic storyline. However, the details of the story are free-flowing; I personally find that audience interaction, children in particular, influence the way I tell a story at each performance.

  

S.B. – You mention children, but adult audiences also enjoy your concerts – do you sense why?

E.W. – Polar ends: simply put, adults need to be a little silly every once in a while! They may enter expecting mild amusement, but soon find that mystical connection with the past. Oral tradition has a way of relaxing and engaging all ages and walks of life.

All storytellers, Gunston Hall’s included, are fighting the good fight to keep traditional tales and music in motion; it doesn’t do it by itself.  Museums in particular are rethinking how programs are presented and offering more of this special kind of learning. In the age of new technology, sometimes the world doesn’t realize it needs an occasional step back.

S.B. – Which early Virginian has most influenced your music and stories?

E.W. – Jefferson, definitely. I have spent several years researching federal era amusements and culture. Three boxes of Jefferson music are housed at U.VA and I have found some not listed in the published index. Just fascinating. Letters describing Martha Jefferson Randolph’s sharing stories with her children, teaching the wisdom of how to save your life through simple solutions (rabbit tricks the fox from the briar patch – sound familiar?) and evidence of oral culture passing between residents and visitors at Monticello, including the enslaved.

S.B. – How and at what age did you become interested in the performing arts?

E.W. – I didn’t really fit in at school. I was more interested in the arts - design, color, sound forms - than formally structured learning.  I was “forced” to take clarinet in my pre-teens, and at 13 convinced my father to purchase a guitar.  Folk music was quite popular at the time. I taught myself to play that guitar, and discovered that I could learn under my own terms. This was when the world opened and I found my place.

S.B. – So obviously the working world of 9 to 5 is not appealing –

E.W. – Ha! Sometimes I am my own worst boss. Even without traditional office walls, I am always striving to be better. There is a lack of income and difficulties with being a freelancer, but I have probably had far more fun than any office worker. Every time I am sharing music I find a pure-hearted place.

Come join us at Gunston Hall on Sunday, July 14, 6-8 p.m. for an unplugged evening outdoors featuring artist extraordinaire Eve Watters.

Active Military Personnel and Families and Friends of Gunston Hall are FREE; $25 Family Admission; $10 Adults; $8 Seniors; $5 Students 6-18; 5 and Under Free.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.