NEW YORK STATE PARKS WORK

IN 1975 I WORKED WITH THE NEW YORK STATE PARKS AND REC AND I WORKED AT ABOUT 3-4 SITES WHERE WE DID MOSTLY HISTORIC EXCAVATION. THE FIRST SITE I WORKED AT WAS THE FIRST SENATE BUILDING IN NEW YORK IN A KINGSTON WITH MOSTLY STONE HOUSES. IT WAS AN INTERESTING PLACE TO DIG SINCE THERE WERE MANY TOURISTS WHO ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHY WE WERE THEIR DIGGING. IT WAS BUILT IN 1676 DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. WE FOUND MOSTLY POTTERY FROM CHINA AND WE FOUND SOME BRICK AND MORTAR, SOME METAL ARTIFACTS AND HISTORIC BOTTLE PIECES.

ANOTHER SITE WHERE WE LIVED AND CAMPED WAS NEW WINDSOR CANTONMENT NEAR HUDSON. IT WAS A REMOTE SITE WHERE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS FOUGHT. WE EXCAVATED SEVERAL TEST UNITS WHILE WATCHING THE REENACTMENT OF THE WAR BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE DRESSED FOR THE OCCASSION WITH RIFLES, DRUMS AND HORNS. AT THIS SITE WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1782 THERE WERE ABOUT 600 HUNDRED TENTS AND A LARGE LODGE, 7500 SOLDIERS AND 500 WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE STATIONED HERE IN THE WINTER. WE FOUND PIECES OF CHINESE POTTERY, BROKEN BOTTLES, SOME METAL ARTIFACTS, FIRE PITS, AND ANIMAL BONES.

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON HOUSE IN KINGSTON ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1725 - 1750 IN NEWBURGH. IT WAS HIS LONGEST SERVING HEADQUARTERS DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. IT IS THE OLDEST HOUSE IN NEWBURG. WE FOUND A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS FROM HIS ORIGINAL OCCUPATION INCLUDING CHINESE POTTERY, GLASS BOTTLES, AND CANDLE SNUFFS, AND HISTORIC METAL ARTIFACTS, AS WELL AS ANIMAL BONES.

AT CLERMONT STATE PARK WHICH IS ALSO ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER WAS BUILT IN 1728 AND WAS JOHN LIVINGSTON'S HOUSE, AS WELL AS 7 GEBERATIONS OF HIS FAMILY WHO LIVED HERE UNTIL 1962. HE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. BECAUSE OF HIS ROLE IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THE HOUSE WAS PARTIALLY BURNED BY BRITISH JOHN VAUGHAN IN 1777. GEORGE WASHINGTON AN HIS WIFE WERE INVITED HERE AS GUESTS. IT WAS REBUILT AND IS ON A HUGE TRACT OF LAND. OUR 10 X 10 X 10 FOOT TEST UNIT FOUND PRIMARILY BRICK AND MORTAR AS WELL AS A MOLDED BOTTLE WITH A 1700'S DATE ON THE SIDE, VARIOUS SCISSORS, METAL ARTIFACTS, GLASS BOTTLE REMAINS, AND CHINESE POTTERY.

ANOTHER SITE I EXCAVATED WAS KNOX'S HEADQUARTER'S IN NEW WINDSOR BUILT IN 1754. IT WAS OWNED BY THE ELLISON FAMILY AND USED IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BY HENRY KNOX IN THE 1780'S. IT WAS IN A MIXED FOREST AND WAS THE GENERAL'S HEADQUARTERS DURING THE WAR. WHILE WE WERE EXCAVATING THE TEST PITS THERE WERE MANY TOURISTS COMING BY THIS HISTORIC SITE WHO WERE FUN TO TALK TO. THEY ALWAYS ASKED US WHAT WE WERE FINDING IN OUR DIGS. THE ARTIFACTS WERE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS WHAT WE HAD FOUND AT THE OTHER SITES.