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Cultural Resource Investigation of the
Allied Textile Printing Site, Paterson, NJ
Supplemental Archaeological Field Investigation
DPMC #: P1047-00
March 2011
Prepared for:
Steven Sutkin, Director
Division of Property
Management and Construction
33 West State Street,
P.O. Box 034
Trenton, NJ 08625-0034
LLC
Cultural Resource Investigation of the
Allied Textile Printing Site, Paterson, NJ
Supplemental Archaeological Field Investigations
Prepared for
Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects
Prepared by
George Cress, Principal Investigator,
and
Edward M. Morin
URS Corporation
437 High Street
Burlington, New Jersey 08016
March 2011
ABSTRACT
A supplemental archaeological investigation was undertaken at the Allied Textile Printing (ATP) Site
in December 2010 by URS Corporation (URS) and Hunter Research, Inc. (HRI), working as
subconsultants to Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, prime contractor to the state of New Jersey,
Department of the Treasury, Division of Property Management and Construction, the Department of
Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Natural and Historic Resources Group, and
the Historic Preservation Office. URS and HRI carried out this fieldwork as a supplement to an
archaeological investigation undertaken in the spring of 2010.
A total of three machine-excavated trenches were completed during the supplemental archaeological
investigations at the ATP Site. Excavation yielded subsurface information on the following analytical
units: the S.U.M. Waterpower System and the Gun Mill Lot. Specific resources encountered consisted
of the following: the east and west walls and floor of the North Gates Waste Way Channel of the
Middle Raceway (lower tail race) and bridge; the Gun Mill tail race; and the Gun Mill boiler
house/blacksmith shop. Investigation of the Gun Mill lot revealed structural information on the
tailrace walls and an additional foundation of a building that spanned or was located north of the
tailrace. Remains of a brick structure—probably the Boiler House or Blacksmith Shop—were
encountered on the west side of the Gun Mill. Excavation of the North Gates Waste Way revealed
the depth, dimensions, condition, and architectural elements of the waste way walls and bottom.
Cultural Resource Investigation
Allied Textile Printing Site; Paterson, New Jersey
DPMC #P1047-00
Supplemental Archaeological Field Investigation Report
Final Submission, March 2011
Abstract – page i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... i
List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... iii
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1
A. Project Background and Scope of Work .............................................................................. 1
B. Analytical Units .................................................................................................................... 3
C. Previous Archaeological Investigations: Gun Mill Property ................................................ 3
2. Additional Archaeological Fieldwork Methodology ................................................................... 8
Excavation Location 1: North Gates Waste Way ...................................................................... 8
Excavation Location 2: Front Yard of Gun Mill ....................................................................... 8
Excavation Location 3: Rear Yard of Gun Mill ........................................................................ 8
3. Historical Background of the Gun Mill Lot .............................................................................. 10
4. Results of Additional Archaeological Field Investigations ....................................................... 30
Area 2: Gun Mill Lot, Rear Yard (Trench 36) ........................................................................ 30
Area 5: Gun Mill Tailrace/Front Yard (Trench 35)................................................................. 37
Area 6: North Gates Waste Way (Trench 37) ......................................................................... 41
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 51
5. Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 52
References Cited .......................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix A: Resumes
DPMC #P1047-00
Table of Contents – page ii
LIST OF FIGURES
1.1
Proposed trench locations .......................................................................................................... 2
1.2
Analytical unit locations ............................................................................................................ 4
1.3
Previous archaeological excavations ......................................................................................... 6
3.1
Reconstructed map of ATP Mills, circa 1875 ......................................................................... 11
3.2
Photograph of 1st Mill in Paterson, circa 1830 ........................................................................ 12
3.3
Town of Paterson, New Jersey, 1835 ...................................................................................... 14
3.4
Town of Paterson, New Jersey, 1840 ...................................................................................... 15
3.5
View of the Gun Mill and the rear of the Waverly Mill, looking southwest, circa 1865 ........ 16
3.6
View of the Gun Mill from the “Cottage on the Cliff,” looking east, circa 1868 ................... 17
3.7
Paterson, New Jersey, 1850 ..................................................................................................... 19
3.8
Detail of photograph, circa 1860, showing complex of buildings in the rear yard of
the Gun Mill ............................................................................................................................ 20
3.9
Paterson Mills, 1854 ................................................................................................................ 21
3.10
Atlas of the city of Paterson, New Jersey, 1884 ...................................................................... 23
3.11
Paterson, New Jersey, 1874 ..................................................................................................... 24
3.12
Insurance maps of Paterson, New Jersey, 1887 ...................................................................... 26
3.13
Robinson E. atlas of the city of Paterson and Haledon, 1899 ................................................. 27
3.14
Insurance maps of Paterson, New Jersey, 1915 ...................................................................... 28
4.1
Location of additional archaeological fieldwork ..................................................................... 31
4.2
View of machine excavation, Trench 36 ................................................................................. 32
4.3
Plan view of Trench 36 ........................................................................................................... 33
4.4
View looking southeast of hand excavation in progress, Trench 36 ....................................... 34
4.5
View looking east, showing Trench 36 ................................................................................... 35
4.6
View looking west of Trench 36, showing curved brick wall [203], Context 203.................. 36
4.7
View of machine excavation, Trench 35 ................................................................................. 38
4.8
Plan view of Trench 35, showing Gun Mill tail race............................................................... 39
4.9
View looking south, showing the south wall of the Gun Mill tail race [4] ............................. 40
4.10
View looking north, showing the north wall of Gun Mill tail race [3, 10].............................. 40
4.11
North wall profile of Gun Mill tail race, Trench 35 ................................................................ 42
4.12
West wall profile, Trench 35 ................................................................................................... 43
4.13
View showing masonry foundation or footing [11] adjacent to the Gun Mill tail race........... 44
DPMC #P1047-00
Final Submission, January 2011
List of Figures – page iii
LIST OF FIGURES (Cont’d)
4.14
View showing north wall of tail race [3, 11] and adjacent masonry foundation or footing .... 44
4.15
Excavation of stone concentration [12], Trench 35, north half ............................................... 45
4.16
North Gates Waste Way machine excavation (Trench 37) in progress ................................... 45
4.17
View looking south of the North Gates Waste Way channel after removal of fill .................. 46
4.18
View looking north of the North Gates Waste Way channel after removal of fill .................. 46
4.19
Overall plan of the North Gates Waste Way ........................................................................... 48
4.20
View of east North Gates Waste Way wall face and channel opening [1] .............................. 49
4.21
View of channel interior looking southeast ............................................................................. 49
4.22
View of the east North Gates Waste Way wall, platform addition, and concrete
bridge [1, 2, 3, and 10] ............................................................................................................ 50
4.23
View looking west of the west North Gates Waste Way wall [11] ......................................... 50
DPMC #P1047-00
Final Submission, January 2011
List of Figures – page iv
1.
INTRODUCTION
A.
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK
In December 2010, URS Corporation (URS) and Hunter Research, Inc. (HRI), carried out
supplemental archaeological investigation at the Allied Textile Printing (ATP) Site in the city of
Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. URS and HRI conducted this work, operating as
subcontractors to Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC (FMG), prime contractor to the state of New
Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Division of Property Management and Construction, and the
Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Natural & Historic
Resources Group, Historic Preservation Office. This investigation supplements the larger cultural
resource investigation currently ongoing for the ATP Site. The National Park Service (NPS) provided
funding for this work through the Urban History Initiative.
The promising results of historical research and fieldwork completed in the spring of 2010 suggested
numerous opportunities for additional archaeological field investigation at the ATP Site. However,
many of the locations of greatest archaeological interest are currently inaccessible due to the
existence of ruined industrial buildings and related safety concerns. The excavation locations selected
for further archaeological fieldwork in the core area of the site around the Colt Gun Mill—based on
accessibility, safety issues, and research questions that can reasonably be addressed—are shown in
Figure 1.1.
Prior to the commencement of the fieldwork conducted in the spring of 2010, URS and HRI prepared
an archaeological research design for the ATP Site. The research design was one component of a
broader cultural resource investigation of the ATP Site, forming a sub-task of the project’s second
phase, existing-conditions assessment. Specifically, the archaeological research design sought to
identify priority locations for archaeological investigations in order to effectively integrate questions
regarding standing architecture and subsurface archaeological components contained within the site.
It also served as a guiding structure for the project’s third phase, field investigation, which in turn will
inform the fourth and final phase, preservation treatment recommendations.
The archaeological research design was built on the document Factories below the Falls: Paterson’s
Allied Textile Printing Site, recently completed during the project’s first phase, historic context
development (HRI et al. 2010). This earlier document contains detailed historical data concerning the
land-use development of the ATP Site and, more broadly, places the site within an appropriate
historic setting. It addresses the historical significance of the site as a whole and offers a framework
within which the relative historical importance and integrity of surviving structural and
archaeological remains can be evaluated. It also develops a framework of analytical units for the
ATP Site within which its archaeological (and historic architectural) resources can be individually
and collectively studied and evaluated.
All elements of this supplemental cultural resource study are intended to meet the stipulations of an
amended programmatic agreement concluded in June 2002 between the NPS, the New Jersey Historic
Preservation Office (HPO), the city of Paterson, the New Jersey Historic Trust, and the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation concerning the preservation status and future of the former Allied
Textile Printing Site, Great Falls/Society of Useful Manufactures National Historic Landmark
District, Paterson, New Jersey.
DPMC #P1047-00
Introduction – page 1
Figure 1.1: Proposed trench locations.
2
The ATP Site lies within the core of several overlapping designated historic entities focused on the
rich industrial history of the city of Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey—notably, the Great Falls
of Paterson/Society for Useful Manufactures Historic District, as listed in the National Register of
Historic Places (April 17, 1970) and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (May 27, 1971); the
Great Falls/Society of Useful Manufacturers [sic] National Historic Landmark District (established in
1976); the Great Falls State Park (established in 2004); and the recently created Paterson Great Falls
National Park (designated in 2009).
B.
ANALYTICAL UNITS
A system of seven analytical units, devised as part of the historic context development phase of the
project, framed the archaeological research design. The analytical units are mapped in Figure 1.2 and
defined as follows:

Early S.U.M. Site Elements
S.U.M. Waterpower System
Mount Morris Quarry
Gun Mill Lot
Waverly and Mallory Mill Lot
Passaic Mill Lot
Todd Mill Lot
The first two analytical units should be considered as site-wide in their physical extent; the other five
units represent discrete subdivisions of the site. The additional archaeological fieldwork focused on
the S.U.M. Waterpower System and the Gun Mill Lot.
A range of property types can be applied to the ATP Site within the seven analytical units, most of
them industrial in nature and related to the manufacture of cotton, silk, and machinery, and to the
power systems that were in use. For further detail on both the analytical units and the property types,
the reader is referred to Chapter 6 of the document Factories below the Falls: Paterson’s Allied
Textile Printing Site, completed during the project’s initial historic context development phase, and
Chapter 3 of the document Volume 3: Archaeological Field Investigation, Allied Textile Printing Site,
Paterson, New Jersey, completed after the initial phase of archaeological fieldwork in the spring of
2010 (URS Corporation 2010).
C.
PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS: GUN MILL PROPERTY
This section is an excerpt from the cultural resource report document Volume 3: Archaeological Field
Investigations, Allied Textile Printing Site, Paterson, New Jersey, July 2010 (URS Corporation 2010)
and focuses on previous archaeological investigations of the Gun Mill property.
Despite being the subject of intense scrutiny by industrial archaeologists, architectural historians, and
historians since the 1970s, the ATP Site has received surprisingly little formal archaeological study.
No large-scale excavations or site-wide surveys had occurred prior to the present investigation, and
only a single brief campaign of archaeological testing had been conducted—the latter taking place in
the late summer and early fall of 1997 and confined solely to then accessible parts of the Todd Mill
DPMC #P1047-00
Figure 1.2: Analytical unit locations.
4
property. Much of what is known about the subsurface condition of the site has been cobbled
together from multiple episodes of archaeological monitoring of soil-testing activities, generally not
the most effective means of gathering archaeological data. One other monitoring action focused on
the removal of debris from the Gun Mill ruins, providing important clues to the archaeological
potential of this portion of the site.
Throughout the recent history of the ATP Site since the 1970s, the role of an eminent industrial
archaeologist, the late Edward S. Rutsch (1936–2003), and his consulting firm Historic Conservation
and Interpretation, Inc., has been pivotal. Following NPS documentation of several ATP properties in
1973–1974 (Historic American Engineering Record 1973a-e, 1974a-b) and his own researching
endeavors and archaeological explorations in the city of Paterson (Historic Conservation and
Interpretation, Inc. 1973; Rutsch 1975, 1978, 1990, 1991, 1992), Rutsch early on appreciated the
historical significance and archaeological potential of the ATP Site and its critical position within the
Great Falls/Society of Useful Manufacturers (sic) National Historic Landmark District. In the spring
of 1994, as the city of Paterson began to seriously entertain the redevelopment of the ATP Site,
Rutsch offered a preliminary study of the Colt Gun Mill Site, stressing its important historical
associations and its likely archaeological potential (Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc.
1994). No subsurface testing was performed as part of this assessment; rather, this was an initial plea
that the industrial archaeology of the site not be overlooked, even as the mills and dye houses were
crumbling into architectural non-existence and the momentum for redevelopment was building.
During the fall of 1996, SEA Consultants, Inc., undertook further soil testing at the site in anticipation
of redevelopment activity. Largely in response to the growing awareness of archaeological concerns,
this work also involved archaeological monitoring by Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc.,
and several of the test pits ended up serving in equal measure as both archaeological tests and soil
tests (Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc. 1997a; SEA Consultants, Inc. 1997). In all, some
27 test pits produced consequential archaeological data (Figure 1.3). Among the more critical
discoveries related to the Gun Mill property and the additional fieldwork were traces of a possible
wall of the North Gates Waste Way (TP 4) and the walls of the Gun Mill tail race (TP 6). Without
question, this soil-testing program confirmed the archaeological sensitivity of the site, most notably of
the Gun Mill and Todd Mill properties.
A separate program of restoration work was carried out in September and December 2002 involving
the removal of debris from the interior and west exterior of the Gun Mill, along with further
temporary stabilization of the ruins, salvage of selected structural remains and artifacts, and
documentation and analysis of the cleared mill. These actions, based on a work plan developed in
May 2001, were performed under the supervision of and monitored by archaeologists, and resulted in
a detailed technical report (Louis Berger Group, Inc. 2003). Despite the apparent comprehensive
nature of this report, criticism has subsequently been made to the effect that more information could
have been gleaned from the debris being removed and from a more thorough examination of the
cleared and stabilized building (Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc. 2004:17–21).
The debris-removal process resulted in the withdrawal of 60 tons of material from the interior and 70
tons of material from the exterior, as well as the disposal of 80 tons of lead-based, paint-coated, nonhazardous waste from the interior. In the main section of the mill building (referred to as the mill
room), the second floor had collapsed into the first floor, but the contents of this upper story had been
previously emptied out, so that the debris consisted mostly of timbers, steel girders, and rubble.
Several features were noted within the concrete floor of the mill building, including wooden machine
DPMC #P1047-00
Figure 1.3: Previous archaeological excavations (URS and Hunter Research, Inc. 2010).
6
mounts, railings, an elevator sump, a drain, and other utilities. In the wheelhouse, attached to the
southern end of the mill (referred to as the wheel room), evidence of a stone-arched tail race was
noted in the east wall and traces of the flume in the west wall. The turbine location was also
hypothesized from the arrangement of the second-floor framing. Along the western exterior of the
mill, structural supports for the loading dock were identified, while cobblestone paving was observed
both west and north of the mill building (Louis Berger Group, Inc. 2003:6–12).
No excavation took place in conjunction with the debris removal, but the potential for archaeological
remains beneath the mill building and in the immediately surrounding soils was duly noted. In
particular, the potential for remains being found of the rolling mill operation and nail factory that
preceded the Gun Mill was judged to be high. Evidence for the evolution of waterpower usage on the
site—both within the wheelhouse and relative to the preceding rolling mill and nail factory—was
considered highly probable (Louis Berger Group, Inc. 2003:16).
DPMC #P1047-00
2.
ADDITIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK METHODOLOGY
The locations of the supplemental test trenches excavated within the Gun Mill Lot are presented in
Figure 1.1. A total of three trenches (Trenches 35, 36, and 37) were excavated, two adjacent to the
Gun Mill building and one large trench encompassing the interior of the North Gates Waste Way west
of the Gun Mill, extending from the base of the bluff to the bridge that crossed the waste way.
EXCAVATION LOCATION 1: NORTH GATES WASTE WAY
Further excavation of the North Gates Waste Way was proposed between the base of the bluff to the
rear of the Gun Mill and the bridge over the waste way between the boiler house and the dye house.
This area was previously examined in 1996 by Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc (HCI)
[Test Pits 1 and 4] and more recently in the spring of 2010 by URS and HRI. In both cases, the waste
way was only partially characterized and the course, depth, dimensions, and condition of the waste
way still were not adequately understood. The additional fieldwork proposed using a 135 trackhoe
excavator and a 310 backhoe loader to remove the fill of the waste way channel between the base of
the bluff and the bridge to allow for a detailed inspection and documentation of the channel walls and
base. This approach would facilitate planning for potential rehabilitation of this critical hydropower
element of the ATP Site and the broader raceway system. Following excavation, inspection, and
documentation, the channel was backfilled, leaving the top 2 to 4 feet of the waste way walls
exposed, so that its position within the site can be understood.
EXCAVATION LOCATION 2: FRONT YARD OF GUN MILL
Excavation of a 60- to 70-foot-long north-south trench was proposed parallel to and approximately 20
to 25 feet from the front wall of the Gun Mill, extending from the tail race to the central tower. This
area was examined in 1996 by HCI and then again in the spring of 2010, with the work focusing
mostly on the Gun Mill tail race. The goals of the additional work were to expose, inspect, and
document an extended section of the tail race, to examine the relationship of cultural deposits in the
front yard of the Gun Mill to the tail race, and to search for evidence of pre–Gun Mill use of the site.
It was proposed that piles of crated-up stone masonry from the 2000–2001 removal of the upper
stories of the Gun Mill be relocated elsewhere on the site and reassessed by FMG and their
conservator to determine potential re-use for restoration and rehabilitation purposes. The removal of
the masonry pile was avoided with excavation of the southern portion of the trench relocated
immediately east of the stone pile. Excavation was conducted using a 135 trackhoe and 310 backhoe
loader. The mill tail race was backfilled, leaving the uppermost 1 to 2 feet of the sides of the tail race
exposed, so that its position within the site can be understood.
EXCAVATION LOCATION 3: REAR YARD OF GUN MILL
Excavation of two trenches was proposed in the area of the loading dock to the rear of the Gun Mill.
The area immediately to the north was briefly examined in the spring of 2010, but more extensive
trenching was recommended to fully characterize the rear yard stratigraphy, to explore the potential
for remains of a former blacksmith shop/carpenters shop/boiler house, and to test the possibility that
evidence of an earlier (pre–Gun Mill era) tailrace may also survive. A 25-foot-long north-south
trench was proposed, running parallel to and roughly 20 feet from the rear wall of the Gun Mill to the
south of the oil tanks and extending into the loading dock. A second east-west trench, roughly 50 feet
DPMC #P1047-00
Additional Archaeological Fieldwork Methodology – page 8
long, was also proposed, running perpendicular to the first trench and extending west toward the
North Gates Waste Way. These trenches were to be backfilled to existing grade. Excavation was
conducted using a 310 backhoe loader with assistance from a 135 trackhoe.
URS and HRI conducted this excavation jointly, with George Cress (URS) and James Lee (HRI)
serving as Principal Investigators under the overall direction of Richard Hunter (HRI) and Edward
Morin (URS). Field crew consisted of James Burton (URS), Andrew Martin (HRI), and Joshua
Butchko (HRI). All field staff is 40-hour HAZWOPER certified. S. L. Spaulding Co., LLC,
provided mechanical excavation services, working as a subcontractor to HRI.
DPMC #P1047-00
Additional Archaeological Fieldwork Methodology – page 9
3.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE GUN MILL LOT
This chapter provides a historical background of the Society for the Establishment of Useful
Manufactures (S.U.M.) Waterpower System and the history of the Gun Mill Lot, the location of the
additional ATP Site archaeological investigation, and is not intended to be a definitive history of the
S.U.M. Waterpower System. The historical background text and graphics were extracted from the
draft document Factories Below the Falls: Paterson’s Allied Textile Printing Site in Historic Context,
prepared by HRI, TranSystems, and URS (January 2010). More extensive historical background of
the entire S.U.M. Waterpower System is also found in the draft document Volume 3: Archaeological
Field Investigation, Cultural Resource Investigation, Allied Textile Printing Site, Paterson, New
Jersey, July 2010 (URS Corporation 2010).
The S.U.M. Waterpower System was built in phases over a period from 1792 to 1846. It was a
unique, multi-tiered raceway system that has been designated as a national historic mechanical and
civil engineering landmark. Over the 154 years it remained in existence, the S.U.M. managed the
infrastructure of the factories below the Great Falls.
Probably the most desirable mill seat on either the Middle or Lower Raceways, from the point of
view of available hydropower, was the site that stood along the eastern edge of its waste way between
Boudinot (Van Houten) Street and the Passaic River. The location was unique because of its
proximity to both the raceways and to the Passaic River. It stood on the site of a nearly 20-foot fall in
elevation between the height of the Middle Raceway and that of the Lower Raceway (Figure 3.1).
It was this location that Roswell Colt selected for his family’s first mill. Samuel Colt established the
firm of Samuel Colt & Company, with his cousin John Colt (Roswell’s brother) and his brother-inlaw Nicholas Delaplaine, to roll iron and manufacture nails. When Colt, Colt, and Delaplaine
purchased the property from the S.U.M., the property was 1.7 acres in size and included what would
later be known as the Mallory Mill Lot (Essex County Transcribed Deed D/27). The rolling mill
began operations in 1813 and the nail factory in 1814 (Nelson 1881–1883:18, 29; Clayton and Nelson
1882:438; Trumbull 1882:43; Historic American Engineering Record 1973c:3). The rolling mill may
have been oriented with its tail race perpendicular to the Passaic River or to the Lower Raceway.
The mill was described as being a small frame building with a high, peaked, shingled roof and was
whitewashed on its interior. It is almost certainly the building depicted in Figure 3.2. The firm made
shovels, spades, camp kettles, frying pans, and the like. The early success of the firm was in large part
due to the need for these supplies on the part of American militia units and the U.S. Army during the
War of 1812. The rolling mill operation was abandoned at the close of the war in 1814, when English
imports flooded the market (Nelson 1881–1883:18).
Delaplaine sold his interest in the company’s property to Samuel and John Colt in 1818. John Colt
purchased Samuel’s interest in 1822, leaving him the sole owner of the Gun Mill Lot and the nail
factory (Essex County Transcribed Deed F/121). Fisher’s census of Paterson, taken in 1825, reported
that “John Colt’s Rolling and Nail Factory employed 30 hands to manufacture 7 tons of metal
products a week” (quoted in Historic American Engineering Record 1973c:3). There is some
discrepancy in secondary sources as to the date that John Colt suspended operations at his nail
factory, but it was no later than 1829, when he transferred the land to the Paterson Manufacturing
DPMC #P1047-00
Historical Background of the Gun Mill Lot – page 10
Figure 3.1: Reconstructed map of ATP Mills, circa 1875.
11
Figure 3.2: Photograph of 1st Mill in Paterson, circa 1830.
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Company, of which he was president and a major stockholder (Essex County Deed B3/395; Trumbull
1882:59; Nelson 1881–1883:18).
The Paterson Manufacturing Company did not occupy the factory on the Gun Mill Lot; instead, they
leased it to various concerns. A map published in 1835 shows the footprint of the building that
formerly housed Colt’s rolling mill and nail works. At the time, Afflek & Company occupied the
building (marked “I”). This probably represents the firm of Affleck & Dunmire, which operated a
millwright and jobbing shop there (Trumbull 1882:78) (Figure 3.3). The rolling mill and nail factory
building was demolished in 1835 to make way for a new industrial facility.
In 1836, the Paterson Manufacturing Company leased the entire Gun Mill Lot to the Patent Arms
Manufacturing Company of Paterson (Essex County Transcribed Deed L/624). The state of New
Jersey chartered the latter company on March 5, 1836. Samuel Colt, Roswell Colt’s cousin, gave the
new company the right to manufacture his guns in return for a share of the profits of all firearms sold,
a salary of $1,000 a year and the right to subscribe to $50,000 worth of stock.
By May 30, plans and drawings of the Colt Gun Mill had been completed. It measured 134 feet, 4
inches long by 44 feet wide. A work gang was hired to take down the old building, level the ground,
and then build the foundation for the new mill (Samuel Colt 1836). The Middle Raceway was
relocated to the west to make more land available for the new mill (Figure 3.4).
A tall bell tower, topped by a gilded weathervane in the form of a Colt rifle, dominated the massive
four-story stone factory building. The attic was later converted to work space through the addition of
skylights. A number of small buildings were attached to the main mill. A fence in front of the mill
was designed with pickets in the shape of a gun. The Gun Mill was constructed in more or less the
same location and orientation as the old rolling mill. It served for many years as one of the principal
iconic landmarks of industrial Paterson (Trumbull 1882:167) (Figures 3.5 and 3.6).
The Gun Mill likely had an overshot wheel from its early days of operation. By 1887, the Gun Mill
was operating a turbine that had replaced the waterwheel. Ed Rutsch’s archaeological investigations
of the wheelhouse in the mid-1990s suggested that most of the physical evidence of the earlier wheel
had been lost, likely during the installation of the turbine and twentieth-century conversion of the
wheelhouse to other uses (U.S. Census Office 1850; Sanborn Map and Publishing Company 1887;
Susan Maxman Architects 1996:D66; Howard 1997).
Turbine technology was being enthusiastically adopted in some Paterson mills by the late 1850s and
1860s. A turbine was installed in a modified wheel pit at the Gun Mill (Sanborn Map and Publishing
Company 1887). Turbines remained important components of the ATP Site’s waterpower system
until that system was abandoned in the late 1910s. As late as 1915, the Gun Mill was using a 100horsepower turbine, confirmed by timber framing for supporting the turbine that remained in place
during investigations in 1997 (Sanborn Map Company 1915; Howard 1997).
The Patent Arms Manufacturing Company never lived up to its anticipated success. Sales of guns
were limited and the expected government contracts failed, for the most part, to materialize. By 1840,
the company was on its last legs. Disputes between Samuel Colt and company officers led to a court
decision that exposed the firm’s assets to public sale (Phillips and Wilson 1979:162–164). The
S.U.M. bought the Gun Mill Lot in 1840 and sold it to Roswell Colt (Passaic County Deeds H/426
and D/198). Throughout the 1840s, a number of industrial concerns operated out of the Gun Mill.
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Figure 3.3: Town of Paterson, New Jersey, 1835.
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Figure 3.4: Town of Paterson, New Jersey, 1840.
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Figure 3.5: View of the Gun Mill and the rear of the Waverly Mill, looking southwest, circa 1865.
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Figure 3.6: View of the Gun Mill from the “Cottage on the Cliff,” looking east, circa 1868.
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This multi-tenant pattern would prove enduring and significant in Paterson’s industrial history.
Multiple enterprises occupied different floors or different sections of the same mill buildings. They
often supplied one another with needed materials and equipment. Samuel Colt left Paterson in 1841
and began manufacturing guns in Hartford, Connecticut, with great success.
Christopher Colt, Jr.—Samuel Colt’s older brother—made the first attempt to manufacture silk in
Paterson at the Gun Mill. He relocated from Hartford to Paterson in 1840, bringing silk-spinning
machinery with him from his father’s failed company (Brockett 1876:110). He is said to have
occupied only one side of the fourth floor of the mill. The experiment lasted for two or three months,
in which time he processed only one bale of raw silk. He sold his machinery to George W. Murray,
who hired John Ryle, an English silk mill superintendent, to start up a new business in the Gun Mill
in 1840 (Brockett 1876:112; Clayton and Nelson 1882:465; Trumbull 1882:171).
In 1843, John Ryle purchased a share in the silk-thread business, thereafter known as Murray and
Ryle. In 1846, the partnership rented both the fourth and the third floors of the Gun Mill. H. M. Low
& Company engaged in cotton spinning on the third floor, while the first two floors remained vacant
in the wake of the failure of the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. In that same year, Ryle
assumed full control of his silk-making business. He had skylights installed in the fifth floor of the
Gun Mill and, in another first for Paterson, commenced the weaving of fine broad silk. The most
famous product of John Ryle’s looms was the 20-foot-wide by 40-foot-long American flag that flew
above the Crystal Palace in New York City during the World’s Fair of 1852 (Clayton and Nelson
1882:455; Heusser 1927:180). Unfortunately, the weaving of broad silk would not prove profitable
and was soon abandoned (Garber 1968:119).
In 1852, John Ryle acquired the Gun Mill leasehold (Abstract of the Title of Society of Useful
Manufactures as to Gun Mill Lot n.d.). Soon after, John Ryle expanded his operations to include the
first floor of the building and leased the second floor to H. M. Low & Company, thus fully tenanting
the available mill space. Low & Company manufactured cotton in the Gun Mill from 1842 to 1858.
During the 1860s, two cotton-making firms produced yarn in the Gun Mill at the same time. Snyder,
Rae, and Vreeland occupied the upper two stories of the building, while Benjamin Buckley and
Company occupied the ground floor (Trumbull 1882:56–57).
John Ryle constructed auxiliary buildings in the area between the Gun Mill and the Passaic River
during the 1850s (Figure 3.7). He built a silk mill immediately to the north of the Gun Mill and a dye
house up against the eastern side of the mouth of the North Gates Waste Way (Trumbull 1882:174).
A detailed photograph, most likely taken in 1860, shows John Ryle’s dye house (at the left of the
image) and the carpenter shop and boiler house that had been appended to the west wall of the Gun
Mill (lower right) (Figures 3.8 and 3.9). At this point, Ryle employed 500 to 600 hands at his silk
mill. According to Clayton and Nelson, this was the most productive silk mill in Paterson for at least
10 to 15 years (Clayton and Nelson 1882:466).
The Gun Mill played a brief but significant role in the establishment of a public water supply in
Paterson, doubling as the Passaic Water Company’s first pump house. In the early 1850s, John Ryle
took up the task of bringing drinking water to the city. Ryle negotiated with the S.U.M. for the right
to take water from behind a dam to be constructed across the Passaic River opposite the Gun Mill.
A pump was installed in or near the Gun Mill and powered by a steam engine. Water intakes were
reportedly located upstream in the vicinity of the quarry, but it is unclear from contemporary accounts
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Figure 3.7: Paterson, New Jersey, 1850.
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Figure 3.8: Detail of photograph, circa 1860, showing complex of buildings in the rear yard of
the Gun Mill.
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Figure 3.9: Paterson Mills, 1854.
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how these underground pipes traversed the quarry and the outflow channel of the North Gates Waste
Way. From the Gun Mill, the water was pumped to a reservoir located on the bluff above the north
bank of the Passaic. From the reservoir, water returned to the city via a gravity line that crossed the
Passaic on a timber-truss bridge. Around 1867, this bridge washed away and was replaced with
underground pipes. Ryle also purchased excess water from the S.U.M.’s power canal system (Fries
2008:6–17).
A new pump house was built in the 1860s on the north bank of the Passaic River and the Gun Mill
pump house remained on backup status, eventually ceasing to operate as a pump house. Buried water
mains have, however, crossed the Passaic River at the Gun Mill Lot and passed through the mill’s
yard ever since (Figure 3.10). Until the introduction of aniline dyes in the 1880s and 1890s, the vast
majority of silk goods produced in the United States were not dyed in the piece (as finished textiles)
but rather in the yarn. In the earliest days of Paterson’s silk industry, product had to be sent to
Philadelphia to be dyed because there were no local dye houses (Trumbull 1882:154, 172). If the
Paterson manufacturer wished to use his own dyed silk in his own woven goods, it was not efficient
to ship materials back and forth to Philadelphia. Silk dyeing utilized specialized processes, materials,
and expertise. Just as he was the first in the city to weave broad silk, John Ryle was also the first to
recognize this pressing need for local dyeing facilities. The dye shop he constructed in the Gun Mill
yard in the 1850s was operated as an independent business; it was dissolved before the start of the
Civil War (Heusser 1927:182–183).
The repeal of an import tariff on raw silk and increases in the tariff levied on silk goods of foreign
manufacture brought about the greatest expansion of the silk industry beginning in the 1860s
(Trumbull 1882:197; Garber 1968:133). The need for additional space to facilitate the continued
growth of the silk industry had direct ramifications for industrial organization and land-use patterns at
the ATP Site. Situated at the heart of the already extensively developed and largely occupied
industrial Paterson, the ATP Site was mostly developed by 1870. Although additional buildings were
occasionally constructed along the sides or to the rear of the mill seats between Van Houten Street
and the Passaic River, there was little room for further expansion to accommodate the growth and
needs of the silk industry (Figure 3.11).
Though John Ryle owned the rights to the Gun Mill, he reportedly removed his operations to the
Murray Mill in the early 1860s (Clayton and Nelson 1882:466; Shriner 1890:198). A number of
industrial concerns then used portions of the Gun Mill for different purposes. Snyder, Rae, and
Company (renamed May, Rae, and Company, and then again as the Enterprise Manufacturing
Company) continued in the Gun Mill on the second floor until 1881. From 1870 to 1873, Albert King
rented one of the outbuildings for his dye works. John Swinburne and Company produced cotton
goods in the mill from 1873 to 1874. The specialty silk firm of C. B. Auer & Company produced
millinery items and neck ties at the Gun Mill Lot in the 1870s. Pierre Thonnereaux and J. Hiedenrich,
silk manufacturers, made brief appearances on the site (Historic American Engineering Record
1973c:5; Susan Maxman Architects 1996:D65).
The Ryle Silk Manufacturing Company continued operating until 1872, when it became insolvent and
was reorganized as John Ryle and Sons. In 1876, this new firm merged into the Pioneer Silk
Company, which then operated a branch of its business—the manipulation of silk waste and pierced
cocoons—out of the Gun Mill until 1880 (Trumbull 1882:181, 232–233). Although the cotton and
silk industries dominate the tenancy history of the Gun Mill Lot, other manufacturing activities took
place there, as well. Some businesses were small concerns like the Malone Steam Heating firm,
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Figure 3.10: Atlas of the city of Paterson, New Jersey, 1884.
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Figure 3.11: Paterson, New Jersey, 1874.
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operating in the Gun Mill yard, and the Hart & Leeds Paper Box factory in the Gun Mill itself. While
this list of industries in the Gun Mill is extensive, due to the ephemeral nature of many of the
industries utilizing the space, it is by no means complete.
The Sanborn Map and Publishing Company’s insurance maps of 1887 do, however, provide a
complete snapshot of the site at that particular point in time (Figure 3.12). Kohlhaas Brothers,
manufacturers of ribbon looms, occupied most of the riverfront building, while the westernmost end
of that building sat vacant. The Paterson Parchment Company used the building between the main
mill and the river for processing, packing, and storage of parchment paper. Benjamin Buckley’s Sons
continued to operate on the first floor of the Gun Mill. Hart and Leo’s paper box factory was on the
fourth floor, while the second and third floors sat vacant. Three blacksmith shops, one vacant, were
attached to the Gun Mill, while several other ancillary structures also remained vacant.
After John Ryle died in 1887, his children formed the John Ryle Real Estate Association, which acted
as a holding company for the family’s property. The association continued to lease space to many
manufacturers, as had been the practice on the site throughout the nineteenth century (Figure 3.13).
In 1899, the Knipscher & Maass Silk Dyeing Company located itself in the Gun Mill yard in the
stone dye house and silk mill that John Ryle had constructed along the river’s edge and expanded the
facilities by constructing additional buildings on the west side of the North Gates Waste Way. The
Globe Dye Works took over the riverfront building Kohlhaas Brothers previously occupied. The
buildings between the river and the Gun Mill were used as dye houses and for silk storage. In 1915,
the first floor of the Gun Mill was occupied by a machine shop, the second and third floors were used
for silk throwing (Sanborn Map Company 1915) (Figure 3.14). The advent of Knipscher & Maass
was the earliest phase in the eventual reshaping and consolidation of the ATP Site by larger
companies. Already by the early 1890s, larger silk-dyeing companies had displaced many of the
single proprietor and smaller partnership firms. On January 1, 1909, the Knipscher & Maass Silk
Dyeing Company joined with five other Paterson silk-dyeing firms to form the National Silk Dyeing
Company (Heusser 1927:257).
To carry out their work, dyers needed abundant, clean, fresh water. Passaic water was considered
ideal for silk dyeing because it had little or no calcareous or ferrous impregnation. Silk dyers were
located all along the Passaic River in Paterson, but the many demands on the water—as well as dyers’
own propensity for dumping waste into the river—made ensuring an adequate supply a constant
challenge. By the late nineteenth century, this stretch of the river was often completely dry due to the
diversion of water from above the falls. In the late 1880s, Knipscher and Maass entered into an
agreement with the Passaic Water Company to take water from the company’s pipes that crossed the
river at the Gun Mill Lot. Knipscher and Maass supplemented this with water taken directly from the
river from behind a dam they built at the upstream end of the quarry. From this dam, the water ran via
gravity to a small pump house located adjacent to the North Gates Waste Way. The dyers also drove
wells located in the vicinity of the pump house (S.U.M. Papers n.d.). In 1912, the S.U.M demolished
the dam as part of its project to clear the river’s channel downstream of the new hydroelectric plant.
In 1905, Knipscher and Maass also began taking water from the so-called dyers pipe. The Passaic
Water Company laid the pipe at the insistence of the dyers, who were alarmed by an extended
drought that had occurred in the summer of 1904. The inlet was above the Great Falls, between the
S.U.M. dam and the water company dam, far above the dyers’ own waste streams. The gravity-fed
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Figure 3.12: Insurance maps of Paterson, New Jersey, 1887.
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Figure 3.13: Robinson E. atlas of the city of Paterson and Haledon, 1899.
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Figure 3.14: Insurance maps of Paterson, New Jersey, 1915.
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main was a 42- to 48-inch-diameter steel pipe that ran along the north bank of the Passaic River.
Knipscher and Maass received water from the dyers pipe via a 16-inch-diameter pipe connection that
branched from the main line on the north side of the Passaic opposite the Colt Gun Mill Lot and
crossed under the river. Water from the pipe was used for fire protection and manufacturing purposes
(S.U.M. Papers 1913, 1915; Sanborn Map Company 1915; Heusser 1927:295).
Another source of water to the dyers was the S.U.M.’s raceways. By the mid-twentieth century,
Allied Textile Printers was taking water from the Middle Raceway via a cast-iron water main that
connected to the company’s storage and filter tanks located in the old Knipscher and Maass dye
house. From about 1916 to 1958, steam was also supplied to the Gun Mill from a central steam plant
the S.U.M. operated (Eastern Inspection Bureau 1950; SEA Consultants, Inc. 1994:23).
Reportedly, the first attempt to introduce electric light in Paterson was made at the Gun Mill in 1883.
A small dynamo, powered by the Gun Mill’s water or steam-power system, provided arc lighting. The
dynamo was moved to another mill and the Gun Mill used a gas lighting system. The twentieth
century witnessed many changes to the Gun Mill. In the 1920s, its upper two floors were deemed
unsafe for heavy machinery and demolished. Sometime before 1931, the blacksmith shops were
demolished; between 1931 and 1937, additional building elements were constructed on the south and
west facades of the Gun Mill, altering the building’s footprint (Susan Maxman Architects 1996:D65).
In 1933, the John Ryle Real Estate Association sold the lease to the S.U.M., which ended the
leasehold and vested full title in the S.U.M. (Passaic County Deed O37/147). Thereafter, the S.U.M.
leased portions of the mill lot to various concerns, including the Habsug Holding Company, the
Vulcan Print Works, and the Audubon Piece Dye Works (Passaic County Deeds X38/557; S39/108).
By 1951, Allied Textile Printers’ Standard Dyeing and Finishing Division occupied the Gun Mill.
Like other portions of the site, the Gun Mill remained in use until a series of fires occurred in 1983.
Thereafter, ownership transferred to the Paterson Renaissance Organization, a development
corporation operating in Paterson under agreement with the National Preservation Institute (Passaic
County Deed Q111/208). The Paterson Renaissance Organization planned a $20,000,000
development of the Great Falls Historic District (Society for Industrial Archeology 1983). These
plans never materialized, however, and the city of Paterson acquired the property through foreclosure
in 1991 (Passaic County Deed L130/222).
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4.
RESULTS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
Supplemental archaeological excavation at the ATP Site was carried out within the Gun Mill Lot and
S.U.M. Waterpower System Analytical Units, encompassing areas previously investigated during the
spring 2010 fieldwork. The additional excavation efforts were all located around the Gun Mill
building and consisted of the following areas: Area 2 encompassed the section of property adjacent to
the west Gun Mill wall, where previous machine excavation encountered fuel tanks opposite the
northwest corner of the building; Area 5 encompassed the tail race previously exposed during the
spring 2010 investigations located opposite the southeast corner of the Gun Mill; and Area 6
comprised the North Gates Waste Way channel west of the Gun Mill, at the base of the bluff, also
previously investigated during the spring 2010 fieldwork (Figure 4.1). Context identification
numbers are shown in brackets; e.g., [3].
AREA 2: GUN MILL LOT, REAR YARD
Excavation in Area 2 consisted of a machine-excavated trench (Trench 36) oriented roughly
perpendicular to the east Gun Mill wall (Figure 4.2). The area immediately to the north was briefly
examined in the spring of 2010, but more extensive trenching was recommended to fully characterize
the rear yard stratigraphy, to explore the potential for remains of a former blacksmith shop/carpenters
shop/boiler house, and to test the possibility that evidence of an earlier (pre–Gun Mill era) tail race
may also survive.
The south wall of Trench 36 was formed by the concrete wall [201] of a twentieth-century loading
dock constructed roughly perpendicular to the Gun Mill wall, 37 feet south of the northwest corner of
the Gun Mill. The loading dock I-beam frame support was cut into the stone foundation wall of the
mill (Figure 4.3). The east wall of the trench was located approximately 5 feet west of the Gun Mill
wall, with the entire trench extending approximately 30 feet to the west. The trench was
approximately 10 to 14 feet wide (Figures 4.4 and 4.5). The removal of fill deposits consisting of
stone and brick building rubble, quarried stone, coal ash, and sandy silt exposed the remnants of a
mortared brick structure that extended east-west across the entire trench. The brick foundations
exposed in the east half appeared more structurally sound than the foundation remains encountered in
the west half of the trench. The foundation in the west half had deteriorated or was disturbed to an
extent that the wall immediately collapsed with the removal of fill deposits. The deep trench for the
placement of fuel tanks immediately north of this portion of the trench may have weakened the
foundations. The south end of a metal fuel tank was exposed during excavation and was immediately
reburied.
The plan view in Figure 4.3 shows the brick foundations encountered in the east half of Trench 36. A
curved brick wall [203], three brick courses wide (top=62.24 feet above sea level [above sea level]),
was exposed at the east end of the trench, extending north-south approximately 7 feet. The south end
was cut by the twentieth-century concrete loading dock platform foundation, with the north side
ending at a narrower brick foundation [204], 3.5 feet in length and two courses wide, oriented
perpendicular to the curved wall (see Figure 4.3; Figure 4.6). The remains of Wall 203 extended
vertically 3.2 feet (base=59.04 feet asl), with Wall 204 extending to 3 feet (base=59.04 feet asl) in
height. Both walls were partially constructed onto silty sand or clay matrix [208], with portions of the
walls apparently built directly onto loose quarried stone fill.
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Results of Archaeological Field Investigations – page 30
Figure 4.1: Location of additional archaeological fieldwork.
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Figure 4.2: View of machine excavation, Trench 36.
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Figure 4.3: Plan view of Trench 36.
33
Figure 4.4: View looking southeast of hand excavation in progress, Trench 36.
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Figure 4.5: View looking east, showing Trench 36.
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Figure 4.6: View looking west of Trench 36, showing curved brick wall [203],
Context 203.
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A second intact brick foundation [205, 209] was exposed 4 feet west of the curved brick wall [203]
and 3 feet (59.24 feet asl) lower in elevation. This foundation consisted of two walls or footings.
Wall 205 was oriented northwest-southeast and was at least three courses wide. The northeast portion
of the wall was disturbed, with brick removed. This wall appeared to be constructed directly onto the
quarried stone fill. Wall 209, two courses wide, was located abutting the center of Wall 205 on the
southwest side, oriented perpendicular to and extending under the concrete platform foundation. This
footing was set into a clay and silty sand matrix [208] (see Figures 4.3 and 4.5).
The west half of the trench was excavated to a depth of 8 feet below ground surface to identify
remains of a tail race related to the earlier rolling mill/nail factory that may have been located in this
area (see Figure 4.3). No trace of the earlier raceway was encountered, and loose quarried stone fill
extended to at least 8 feet below the ground surface. Excavation was discontinued at this depth due to
the unstable condition of the loose stone.
Excavation of Trench 36 in Area 2 revealed brick foundations and footings probably related to the
boiler house shown on the Paterson Mills map of 1854 (see Figure 3.9) or the blacksmith shop shown
on several maps of the Gun Mill property dating from 1884 through 1915 (see Figures 3.10–3.13).
Comparing the angle of the foundations in relation to the Gun Mill wall and the illustration of the
buildings on historic maps suggests a stronger connection to the earlier boiling house. It is also
possible the boiling house foundations were later incorporated into the blacksmith shop buildings.
AREA 5: GUN MILL TAIL RACE/FRONT YARD
The excavation of Trench 14 in Area 5 aimed to expose, inspect, and document an extended section
of the tail race previously examined in the spring of 2010. The purpose of the additional excavation
was to examine the relationship of cultural deposits in the front yard of the Gun Mill to the tail race,
and to search for evidence of pre–Gun Mill use of the site. The additional proposed trench location
was to expand on Trench 14 within the tail race and to extend in a straight line across the yard in front
of the Gun Mill. It was proposed that piles of crated-up stone masonry from the 2000–2001 removal
of the upper stories of the Gun Mill spanning the tail race over the excavation area be relocated. Field
inspection of the area adjacent to the masonry pile revealed an open area that did not contain stone
immediately to the east of the masonry. The southern section of Trench 35 was located in this area, 13
feet east of Trench 14, with the northern section excavated in alignment with Trench 14. An east-west
trench was excavated, connecting the two sections north of the masonry pile (see Figure 4.1; Figures
4.7 and 4.8).
The southern section of the trench revealed the continuation of the tail race walls initially identified in
the spring of 2010 (see Figure 4.1). The south tail race wall consisted of an exposed section of
brownstone wall [4], 3 feet long (top=67.7 feet asl), that aligned with the south wall exposed in
Trench 14 (Figure 4.9). The 2-foot-wide mortared wall extended to a depth of approximately 3 feet
(64.7 feet asl) and turned to the southeast in the direction of the lower tail race. This section of wall
was largely disturbed by an intrusive pipe trench and may have extended to a greater depth during
operation of the tail race. A twentieth-century concrete footing bordered the east wall of the trench
(see Figure 4.8). The north wall of the tail race was exposed 11 feet north of the south tail race wall
and consisted of a section of brownstone wall [3], approximately 2.5 feet wide, extending west under
the north edge of the stone masonry pile. Wall 3 (top=69.7 feet asl) was in alignment with the section
of north tail race wall exposed in Trench 14 (Figure 4.10). This stone section of wall continued to a
depth of 6.5 feet (63.2 feet asl) and extended approximately 8 feet west. At this location, the masonry
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Figure 4.7: View of machine excavation, Trench 35.
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Figure 4.8: Plan view of Trench 35, showing Gun Mill tail race.
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Figure 4.9: View looking south, showing the south wall of the Gun Mill tail race [4].
Figure 4.10: View looking north, showing the north wall of Gun Mill tail race [3, 10].
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pile covered the wall. A poured concrete section of tail race wall [10], 1 foot wide, abutted the north
end of the stone wall oriented southeast, parallel to the south section of wall that turned toward the
Lower Raceway (see Figures 4.8 and 4.10; Figure 4.11). The concrete section extended to a depth of
6.5 feet (63.2 feet asl) below the top of the wall. Figure 4.12 shows the west wall of Trench 35 tail
race in profile, with stone rubble and silty loam fill layer [13] extending 5.5 feet below the top of the
north tail race wall [3] and overlying the south tail race wall [4]. Although a solid stone floor of the
tail race was not encountered, as in Trench 14, a deposit consisting of slag and silt loam [14] was
identified beneath Context 13 fill, probably deposited during the operation of the tail race.
A masonry foundation or footing consisting of large stone blocks [11] was exposed less than 1 foot
north of the north tail race wall (see Figure 4.8; Figure 4.13). The foundation was comprised of
sandstone blocks of similar size, approximately 3 x 2 feet, forming a linear foundation 15 feet long
and oriented east-west, parallel to the north tail race wall (Figure 4.14). Wall 11 appeared to be a
complete foundation and not a portion of a longer wall. Machine excavation along the north side of
the foundation revealed the wall probably extended one course below the exposed wall. The
foundation may have supported a building of various functions that straddled the tail race or was
located north of the tail race. The Robinson 1899 atlas of the city of Paterson and Haledon 1899
shows a building spanning the tail race and extending to the north, probably a copperworks related to
the John Ryle Real Estate Association (see Figure 3.13).
The north half of Trench 35 continued the alignment of Trench 14 and extended north-south 32 feet
(see Figure 4.8). Machine excavation removed concrete flooring and mixed silty loam and stone
rubble fill, approximately 2 feet thick, revealing no surviving yard deposits or surfaces. A 10-footwide concentration of quarry stone debris [12] was exposed in the center of the trench (Figure 4.15).
Removal of a portion of the stone to a depth of 1 foot revealed a pocket of oil buried under the stone.
The remainder of the north section of the trench was comprised of loose quarried stone debris
extending to an indeterminate depth. Excavation was discontinued, as it appeared the stone debris
was used to cap an oil disposal pit.
After the completion of the excavation, the mill tail race was backfilled, leaving the uppermost 1 to 2
feet of the sides of the tail race exposed, so that its position within the site can be understood.
AREA 6: NORTH GATES WASTE WAY (TRENCH 37)
Additional excavation of the North Gates Waste Way was proposed to allow for a detailed inspection
and documentation of the channel walls and bottom, as well as hopefully provide valuable
information on the course, depth, dimensions, and condition of the waste way. In the spring of 2010,
URS and HRI conducted an investigation of the waste way through the excavation of four trenches
(Trenches 4, 5, 24, and 25) that partially exposed the east wall, west wall, bridge, and platform
addition to the east waste way wall (URS Corporation 2010). The base of the channel was not
encountered, as the depth was beyond the reach of the machine excavator. It was proposed to
completely remove the fill of the waste way channel between the base of the bluff and the bridge to
allow for a detailed inspection and documentation of the channel walls and base.
Machine excavation removed fill from within the channel, consisting largely of quarried stone debris
and exposing the deteriorating bedrock floor of the channel (Figure 4.16). Figures 4.17 and 4.18
show the floor of the waste way channel with a large amount of loose stone debris due to the
fragmentary nature of the bedrock. Attempts at removing the loose material from the floor with the
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Figure 4.11: North wall profile of Gun Mill tail race, Trench 35.
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Figure 4.12: West wall profile, Trench 35.
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Figure 4.13: View showing masonry foundation or footing [11] adjacent to the Gun
Mill tail race.
Figure 4.14: View showing north wall of tail race [3, 11] and adjacent masonry
foundation or footing.
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Figure 4.15: Excavation of stone concentration [12], Trench 35, north half.
Figure 4.16: North Gates Waste Way machine excavation (Trench 37) in progress.
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Figure 4.17: View looking south of the North Gates Waste Way channel after
removal of fill.
Figure 4.18: View looking north of the North Gates Waste Way channel after
removal of fill.
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trackhoe resulted in more loose stone. Figure 4.17, looking south, shows a deep water, eroded, basinlike feature (filled with water) cut into the bedrock floor of the channel, with the deepest portion at
elevation 50.66 feet asl, 16 feet below the top of the existing east waste way wall and 30 feet below
the top edge of the bluff (80 feet asl). This feature was probably formed via the water flowing off the
top of the bluff from the Gun Mill flume and Gatehouse carving a basin into the bedrock. The angle
of the basin appears to mirror the orientation of the Gatehouse flume. Figure 4.18 is a view looking
north from the top of the bluff, showing the east half of the waste way basin floor to be higher than
the west half of the channel and also considerably irregular. The northern portion of the east half is
characterized by a raised section of bedrock with an elevation of 60.04 feet asl. South of this outcrop,
the elevation drops to 58.39 feet asl to the base of the bluff. The lower elevation of the west half is
possibly related to the water flow from the top of the bluff eroding the bedrock, or the west half may
been cut deeper than the east half to facilitate flow straight to the river.
The east wall of the waste way [1] (2.5 feet thick) exhibits a decorative facing characterized by etched
stones with parallel lines typical of the walls of the waste way and Gun Mill property buildings
(Figures 4.19 and 4.20). A small section of the south end of the wall was exposed during the spring
2010 field investigation, revealing the decorative portion of the wall constructed directly onto
bedrock. Complete exposure of the east face revealed the majority of the wall was constructed as two
separate sections. The upper portion exhibits decorative stone to a depth of approximately 7.5 feet
from the top of the existing east wall. This section of the wall is set onto a rough cut sandstone
foundation with no decorative façade, presumably because this portion of the wall was underwater
and not visible. A tunnel outlet opening for a secondary drainage channel was constructed into the
center of the east wall, measuring roughly 3 x 3 feet, with a large cut stone lintel (4.5 x 1.5 feet) over
the opening. The drain channel opening straddles the upper decorative portion of the wall and the
rough cut foundation below. The interior of the drain channel is stone lined with a stone slab roof and
a floor also comprised of flat shale slabs (Figure 4.21). The channel turns to the southeast, just past
the opening, and appears to follow the alignment of the east waste way wall angling to the southeast.
The raised bedrock section of the floor located adjacent to the opening of the drain channel may have
served to direct or deflect water exiting from the drain channel into the main waste way channel or
may have been eroded by the water flow from the channel.
Figure 4.22 shows the stone and concrete pad addition [2, 3] to the east waste way wall that was
partially exposed during the spring 2010 investigation. The platform walls were further exposed
during the additional excavation (see Figure 4.19). This addition was constructed abutting the east
wall and exhibits the characteristic decorative stone facing. The west wall of the platform extended to
the concrete bridge [10] visible in the background on the left side of the photograph. This platform
housed a water pump house related to the Knipscher and Maass Dying Company that entered into an
agreement in the late 1880s with the Passaic Water Company to take water from their system.
Knipscher and Maass supplemented this loss with water taken from the North Gates Waste Way via
the small pump house platform (see Figure 3.14).
The west wall of the waste way [11] was more substantial than the east wall, constructed with a
combination of large cut stone blocks up to 3 feet wide and 4 feet long and existing bedrock, with the
surviving wall extending 6 to 9 feet high from the basin floor (Figure 4.23). Large sections of
bedrock were apparently left in place, with the cut stone wall constructed on top of the bedrock. The
west wall was located approximately 60 feet west of the east wall when measured along the base of
the bluff/cliff, and extended 50 feet from the bluff to the concrete bridge crossing the channel. The
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Figure 4.19: Overall plan of the North Gates Waste Way.
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Figure 4.20: View of east North Gates Waste Way wall face and channel opening [1].
Figure 4.21: View of channel interior looking southeast.
DPMC #P1047-00
Figure 4.22: View of the east North Gates Waste Way wall, platform addition, and
concrete bridge [1, 2, 3, and 10].
Figure 4.23: View looking west of the west North Gates Waste Way wall [11].
DPMC #P1047-00
waste way channel narrowed to 18 feet between the west wall and the pump house platform (see
Figure 4.19).
The east and west walls of the waste way were completely exposed between the bluff and the
concrete bridge (see Figure 4.19). During the period the Gun Mill flume and North Gates Waste Way
were in operation, both walls extended up the face of the bluff, creating a deep basin for the water
flowing over the edge of the bluff from the Gatehouse (see Figure 3.6).
SUMMARY
The supplemental archaeological excavation efforts carried out in December 2010 revealed important
new details of the North Gates Waste Way and the Gun Mill property. Trench 35 exposed a section
of the eastern end of the Gun Mill tail race at the point where the raceway angles toward the Lower
Raceway. A section of the north wall was exposed, constructed of poured concrete and probably
replacing an earlier section of stone wall. A linear masonry foundation was also exposed north of the
tail race, consisting of large stone blocks that probably supported a structure, possibly a copperworks
that spanned the tail race in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Trench 36, excavated in
the yard area west of the Gun Mill, revealed the probable brick foundation remains of a midnineteenth-century boiler house or late nineteenth-to-early-twentieth-century blacksmith shop. The
North Gates Waste Way bottom was revealed with the removal of fill consisting of quarry stone
debris between the base of the bluff and the concrete bridge that crossed the waste way channel. The
floor of the waste way was comprised of uneven bedrock, with a deeper basin at the foot of the bluff
eroded via water falling from the Gatehouse. Architectural elements of the east and west walls were
also revealed. A secondary drainage channel was exposed in the east wall, consisting of a square
opening probably constructed concurrently with the east wall. The drainage channel tunnel appeared
to follow the alignment of the east wall, angling toward the southwest. This feature was possibly
related to the earlier pre-1840s Gun Mill tail race oriented along the east wall of the Gun Mill. In
order to provide additional space for other buildings adjacent to the Gun Mill, the earlier tail race may
have been closed off and water temporarily directed into the waste way channel during the transition
from the earlier tail race to the Gun Mill flume and North Gates Waste Way, or as an overflow
conduit originating from other areas of the Gun Mill property. Exposure of the west wall revealed
larger cut stone blocks constructed onto large sections of bedrock. The stone and concrete platform
feature previously encountered in the spring of 2010 was further exposed during the additional
excavation. Complete removal of fill from the North Gates Waste Way between the bluff and the
bridge has provided information on depth, dimensions, and wall construction, along with a detailed
photographic study of this massive ATP Site feature.
DPMC #P1047-00
5. CONCLUSIONS
Supplemental archaeological investigation of the ATP Site undertaken in December 2010 provided
important supplemental information to the initial investigation carried out by URS and HRI in the
spring of 2010. A total of three trenches were excavated, two directly related to the Gun Mill
(Trenches 35 and 36), and a complete removal of fill from the North Gates Waste Way, designated
Trench 37. The two trenches excavated on the Gun Mill property revealed detailed structural
information on the Gun Mill tail race and secondary buildings within the Gun Mill lot. Additional
detailed structural elements of the North Gates Waste Way—the depth, dimensions, and architectural
elements of the waste way walls and floor—were also revealed. The Gun Mill tail race trenches and
the North Gates Waste Way were backfilled; however, the upper 1 to 2 feet of the walls were left
visible to provide orientation for future excavations and mapping.
Subsurface investigation has again confirmed that many historic elements of the ATP Site survive
belowground, ranging in date from the early nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century. This
additional excavation was supplemental to the spring 2010 investigation that focused on the safest
and most easily accessible areas within the mill complex. After the site has been stabilized and larger
areas are made safer for excavation, future investigations will almost certainly reveal more about the
manufacturing processes and waterpower systems that were essential to the success of this historically
significant industrial complex.
DPMC #P1047-00
Conclusions – page 52
REFERENCES CITED
Abstract of the Title of New Jersey General Security Co. and The Society for Establishing Useful
Manufactures as to Mallory Mill Lot
n.d.
On file, Paterson Museum, Paterson, New Jersey.
Abstract of the Title of Society of Useful Manufactures as to Gun Mill Lot
n.d.
Abstract of the Title of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (John Ryle Real Estate
Association)
n.d.
Brockett, Linus Pierpont
1876 The Silk Industry in America: A History Prepared for the Centennial Exposition. George F.
Nesbitt & Co. (printers), New York, New York.
Clayton, W. W., and William Nelson (compilers)
1882 History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey. Everts & Peck, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Essex County Deeds
On file New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.
Essex County Transcribed Deeds
On file, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey
Fries, Russell I.
2008 To the Health and Comfort of the Citizens: John Ryle, The Passaic Water Company, and
Water Supply for Paterson, NJ, 1790-1900. On file, Paterson Historic Preservation
Commission, Paterson, New Jersey.
Garber, Morris William
1968 The Silk Industry of Paterson, New Jersey, 1840-1913: Technology and The Origins,
Development, and Changes in an Industry. Ph.D. Dissertation, Rutgers University, New
Brunswick, New Jersey.
Heusser, Albert H. (editor)
1927 The History of Silk Dyeing Industry in America. Silk Dyers’ Association of America,
Paterson, New Jersey.
Historic American Engineering Record (National Park Service)
1973a Great Falls S.U.M. Survey. A Report on the First Summer’s Work. Washington, D.C. On
file, Paterson Historic Preservation Commission, Paterson, New Jersey.
1973b Essex Mill, HAER No. NJ-6. Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
DPMC #P1047-00
References Cited – page 53
1973c Allied Textile Printers (The Gun Mill), HAER No. NJ-17. Historic American Engineering
Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
1973d Franklin Manufacturing Company: Waverly Mill, HAER No. NJ-7. Historic American
Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
1974a Todd and Rafferty Machine Company, HAER No. NJ-5. Historic American Engineering
1974b Great Falls S.U.M. Power Canal System, HAER NJ-2. Historic American Engineering
Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc.
1973 Archeological Survey of the Valley of the Rocks, Great Falls Historic District, Paterson, New
Jersey. Prepared for the Paterson Museum, Paterson, New Jersey. Copy on file, New Jersey
Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1994
A Preliminary Study of the Gun Mill Site, Landmark Industrial District, Paterson, New
Jersey. Copy on file, Hunter Research, Inc. Trenton, New Jersey.
1996
Proposed Research Design for a Cultural Resources Survey of the Allied Textile Printing
(ATP) Site in Paterson’s National Historic Landmark District. Prepared for Regan
Development Corporation, Yonkers, New York. Copy on file, New Jersey Historic
Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1997a Industrial Archeological Observations of Environmental Soil Tests Made at the Allied Textile
Printers Site in the Great Falls/S.U.M. National Historic Landmark District, Paterson, New
Jersey. Prepared for SEA Consultants, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts. Copy on file, New
Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1997b Cultural Resources Survey of the Allied Textile Printing Site, In-Progress Report No. 1,
August 22, 1997. Prepared for Regan Development Corporation, Yonkers, New York. Copy
on file, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1997c Cultural Resources Survey of the Allied Textile Printing Site, In-Progress Report No. 2,
September 11, 1997. Prepared for Regan Development Corporation, Yonkers, New York.
Copy on file, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1997d Cultural Resources Survey of the Allied Textile Printing Site, In-Progress Report No. 3,
October 15, 1997. Prepared for Regan Development Corporation, Yonkers, New York.
Copy on file, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
1997e A Summary and Archeological Assessment of Potential Impacts Resulting from Soil Tests
Conducted on Nov. 19-20 and 25, 1997 at the ATP Site, Part of Paterson’s Great Falls
Historic National Landmark District. Copy on file, Hunter Research, Inc. Trenton, New
Jersey.
DPMC #P1047-00
2004
Revised Research Design for a Cultural Resources Survey of the Allied Textile Printing
(ATP) Site in Paterson’s Great Falls/S.U.M. National Historic Landmark District. Prepared
for the City of Paterson Historic Preservation Commission, Paterson, New Jersey. Copy on
file, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
Howard, Robert A.
1997 Letter, Robert A. Howard to Edward Rutsch. June 17, 1997. On file at Hunter Research, Inc.,
Trenton, New Jersey.
Hunter Research, Inc. et al
2010 Factories Below the Falls: Paterson’s Allied Textile Printing Site in Historic Context.
Prepared for Farewell, Mills, and Gatsch (FMG) Architects
Hunter Research, Inc., TranSystems and URS Corporation
2010 Draft Report, Factories Below the Falls: Paterson’s Allied Textile Printing Site in Historic
Context. Prepared for Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, Princeton, New Jersey. Copy
on file, New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
Louis Berger Group
2003 Monitoring of the Debris Removed at the Colt Gun Mill, Paterson, New Jersey. Copy on file,
New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJDEP), Trenton, New Jersey.
2005
River Wall Stabilization, Preliminary Report, Task A – Former Allied Textile Printers (ATP)
Site. Copy on file, Hunter Research, Inc. Trenton, New Jersey.
Nelson, William
1881- History of Paterson [Manuscript]. On file, Manuscript Group 43, New Jersey Historical
1882 Society, Newark, New Jersey.
1881- Conversation with John Colt. On file, Manuscript Group 23, New Jersey Historical Society,
1883 Newark, New Jersey.
1887
The Founding of Paterson as the Intended Manufacturing Metropolis of the United States.
Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society 2(9):175-191.
Passaic County Deeds
On file Passaic County Clerk’s Office, Paterson, New Jersey and New Jersey State Archives,
Phillips, Phillip R., and R. L. Wilson
1979 Paterson Colt Pistol Variations. Published for Woolaroc Museum by Jackson Arms, Dallas,
Texas.
Robinson, E.
1899 Atlas of the City of Paterson and Haledon. E. Robinson, New York, New York.
DPMC #P1047-00
Sanborn Map and Publishing Company
1887 Insurance Maps of Paterson, New Jersey. Sanborn Map and Publishing Company, New
York, New York.
Sanborn Map Company
1915 Insurance Maps of Paterson, New Jersey. Sanborn Map Company, New York, New York.
SEA Consultants, Inc.
1994 Preliminary Assessment of the Former ATP Processors, Ltd Site. On file, Paterson Historic
Preservation Commission, Paterson, New Jersey.
Shriner, Charles A.
1890 Paterson, New Jersey: Its Advantages for Manufacturing and Residence: Its Industries,
Prominent Men, Banks, Schools, Churches, etc. The Press Printing and Publishing Company,
Paterson, New Jersey.
Society for Industrial Archaeology
1983 Paterson’s Landmark Mill District Torched. Society for Industrial Archaeology Newsletter
12(2-3):1.
S.U.M. (Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures) Papers
On file Paterson Museum, Paterson, New Jersey
n.d. Knipscher & Maass. Folder 615. 1792 Letter, William Hall to the S.U.M., July 9,
1792. 1899 Letter, John H. Cook to E. LeB. Gardiner. December 30, 1899. 1903 Letter,
William Ryle to E. LeB. Gardiner. February 25, 1903. 1904a Letter, John H. Cook to
Liberty Silk Dyeing Company. March 16, 1904. Folder 270. 1904b Letter, John H.
Cook to Liberty Silk Dyeing Company. December 3, 1904. Folder 270. 1906 List of
Equipment in Dye Room of the Waverly Mill. February 1906. Folder 270. 1909
Neuberger Mill File. Folder 391. 1910 Letter, E. LeB. Gardner to Charles L. Corbin.
April 7, 1910. 1911a Letter, John Ryle Real Estate Association to the S.U.M. December
6, 1911. Folder 758. 1911b Letter, Baker & Scofield to John H. Cook. January 7, 1911.
Folder 270. 1911c Letter, E. LeB. Gardner to Charles L. Corbin. March 17, 1911.
1912a Letter, S.U.M. to the John Ryle Real Estate Association. December 2, 1912.
Folder 758. 1912b Letter, John Cook to the John Ryle Real Estate Association. July 2,
1912. Folder 758. 1913 Historical Data Relating to the Associated Water Companies in
New Jersey, controlled by the New Jersey General Security Company. February 19,
1913. Folder 865. 1914a Rents at Gun Mill. October 29, 1914. Folder 758. 1914b John
H. Cook to Baker & Scofield. November 24, 1914. Folder 270. 1914c S.U.M.
Memorandum on Installation of Electric Power in the Mallory Mill, November 25, 1914.
1915 National Silk Dyeing Company vs. Jersey City Water Supply Company, et al.
Folder 966. 1917a John H. Cook to Standard Silk Dyeing Co. January 22, 1917. 1917b
John H. Cook to Standard Silk Dyeing Co. June 15, 1917. 1917c John H. Cook to
Standard Silk Dyeing Co. December 21, 1917. 1918 S.U.M. Records of Electric Current
Sold. 1924a Letter, Wm. Gavin Tayler to New Jersey General Security Company.
October 9, 1924. 1924b Letter, John H. Cook to Wm. G. Taylor. September 15, 1924.
1924c Letter, John H. Cook to Wm. G. Taylor. December 10, 1924. 1924d Standard
Silk Dyeing Company to S.U.M. October 30, 1924 1924e Letter, S.U.M. to Standard
Silk Dyeing Company. November 5, 1924. 1925 Letter, S.U.M. to Standard Silk Dyeing
DPMC #P1047-00
Company. July 8, 1925. 1926a Memorandum, John H. Cook to Tenants of the Mallory
and Waverly Mills. April 6, 1926. 1926b Letter, Standard Silk Dyeing Company to
John H. Cook. June 17, 1926. 1930 Annual Report of the S.U.M. to the New Jersey
Department of Banking. 1931 Standard Silk Dyeing Company Bankruptcy Proceedings.
Folder 270. 1932 Sale of Dye Plant of Standard Silk Dyeing Corp. Folder 270. 1945
S.U.M. Mill Rentals as of July 1, 1945. Folder 727. Soo, David 1998 Memorandum from
David Soo to File, Re: ATP Site – Todd Mill – Wheelhouse. On file, Paterson Historic
Preservation Commission, Paterson, New Jersey. State of New Jersey 1854 An Act to
incorporate the Franklin Manufacturing Company. In Acts of the Seventy-Eighth
Legislature of the State of New Jersey, and Tenth Under the New Constitution, pp. 241244. Moreton A. Stille (printer), Mount Holly, New Jersey. 1860 An Act to incorporate
the Passaic Manufacturing Company. In Acts of the Eighty-Fourth Legislature of the
State of New Jersey, and Sixteenth Under the New Constitution, pp. 459-463. Andrew
Mead (printer), Paterson, New Jersey.
URS Corporation
2010 Volume 3: Archaeological Field Investigations, Cultural Resource Investigation, Allied
Textile Printing Site, Paterson, New Jersey. Prepared for Farewell, Mills and Gatsch (FMG)
Architects.
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APPENDIX A:
RESUMES
DPMC #P1047-00
George Cress, M.A., RPA
Senior Archaeologist
Areas of Expertise
Cultural Resource Management
Studies
Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act
Archaeological Surveys and
Excavations
Artifact Identification and
Interpretation
Background Project Research
Years of Experience
With URS: 2 years
With Other Firms: 24 years
Education
M.A./History/California State
University/2000
B.A./1980/Temple
University/Archaeology,
Anthropology
A.A./1978/Geology/Stockton
State College
Continuing Education
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120
HAZWOPER 40-Hour
Certification Course (8-hour
OSHA HAZWOPER Refresher
Training Course, March 2010)
Overview
Mr. Cress joined URS Corporation in 2008 and has over twenty-five years
experience in archaeology and cultural resources management. He has
participated in the excavation of sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region,
Tennessee, and in England, and has served as Principal Investigator and
Field Director on numerous and varied Phase I cultural resources surveys,
Phase II site evaluations, and Phase III data recovery investigations. As a
Senior Archaeologist with URS, his responsibilities include the conduct of
historical research, the development and scoping of research designs, the
direction of fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and report preparation, and project
management. Mr. Cress is the primary author of more than 50 technical
reports and professional papers, and his experience encompasses
prehistoric, historic, urban, and mortuary archaeological investigations.
Examples of Relevant Projects
Archaeological Data Recovery at Site 33PE839, Rockies Express
Pipeline-East (REX-East) Project., Perry County, Ohio. Principal
Investigator for a Phase III Archaeological Data Recovery located along a
proposed reroute of the Rockies Express-East pipeline. The site consisted
of lithic reduction loci short term habitation with Early Woodland and
Transitional period occupations.
Archaeological Data Recovery at Site 11PK1771, Rockies Express
Caprock Pipeline (Segment 2), Pike County, Illinois. Principal
Investigator for a Phase III Archaeological Data Recovery located along
the proposed pipeline and HDD well pad. The site consisted of woodland
period pit features, and a (potentially earlier) chipping cluster. The
Woodland Period features contained food waste including fish and bird
bone as well as nut hull fragments and other faunal material. Excavation
of 40 one meter square units was also carried out along the edge of a creek
floodplain.
Spray Irrigation Disposal Site Phase I Archaeological Survey,
Harrington City, Kent County, Delaware. Principal Investigator for a
Phase I Archaeological Survey at Blessing Farm in Kent County.
Prehistoric and historic artifact concentrations identified. Prehistoric
artifacts recovered consisted of Late Archaic projectile points, bifaces,
cores, and thermally-altered rock. A mid-to-late 19th century farmhouse
site was also identified.
Salem River Public Access Boat Ramp Data Recovery, Mannington
Township, Salem County, New Jersey. Principal Investigator for a
prehistoric data recovery excavation along the Salem River. Multiple Late
Archaic hearth features and living floors were identified beneath the
plowzone. Late Woodland artifacts consisting of projectile points and
ceramics were recovered from the plowzone.
Cabot Oil and Gas Pipeline, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
Principal Investigator for a Phase I archaeological investigation on the
proposed Cabot Natural Gas Pipeline Project in Susquehanna County,
Pennsylvania undertaken on behalf of Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation. The
overall project consisted of roughly 43 miles of proposed gas pipelines that
will connect new wells with existing pipelines. A Phase IB (subsurface
testing) survey was conducted on areas determined to be of high and
moderate potential for archaeological resources.
Red Rose Transit Authority, Lancaster Intermodal Transportation
Center, Lancaster, PA
Principal Investigator for a Phase IA, Phase IB/II and Phase III
archeological investigation conducted for the Red Rose Transit Authority
(RRTA) at the proposed site of the Lancaster Intermodal Transportation
Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. An assessment of the project site’s
potential for subsurface archaeological deposits was undertaken in
conjunction with a comprehensive geomorphological study to define the
depth of significantly disturbed and recent fill soils. Data Recovery
excavation focused on 18th and 19th century resources such as a redware
kiln, wood box and barrel privies, and an 1859 railroad depot.
Archaeological Investigation at Historic Morven, Princeton, New
Jersey.
Principal Investigator for multiple phases of archaeological excavation in
conjunction with potential additions to the historic garden area behind the
Morven mansion, formerly the New Jersey Governor’s Mansion and 18th
century home of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence. Archaeological investigation focused on the identification
of historic landscaping features such as garden plantings and footpaths.
Archaeological Data Recovery at the St. Georges Blacksmith Shop,
St. Georges, New Castle County, Delaware.
Principal Investigator for a data recovery excavation of a mid 19th to early
20th century blacksmith shop complex. Foundations of the blacksmith
shop structure were exposed consisting of three sections and a forge base.
Numerous blacksmith related artifacts were recovered.
NJ Route 29, Archaeological Data Recovery Project, Mercer County,
Conducted for the New Jersey Department of
New Jersey.
Transportation. Supervision of multiple prehistoric and historic data
recovery excavations along the Route 29 corridor in Trenton, New Jersey.
Prehistoric sites excavated consisted of Late Archaic and Middle
Woodland features. An early 18th century house site was also excavated.
Monitored construction in archaeologically sensitive site areas along the
entire construction corridor yielding numerous 18th century manufacturing
and (stoneware kiln, fish processing/cooper shop), and merchant
storehouse structures along the Delaware River bank.
2
African-Baptist Cemeteries, Vine Steet Expressway Project,
Philadelphia, PA. Supervised data recovery excavation of an early-to-
mid 19th century Trinity House courtyard neighborhood with an early 19th
century African-Baptist burial component of approximately 95 individuals.
Convention Center Excavation, Arch Street between 10th Street – 13th
Street, Philadelphia, PA. Supervised data recovery excavations in the rear
yards of mid-to-late 19th century “Doctor’s Row” along Arch Street.
Excavation yielded medical artifacts that provided information related to
mid-19th century medical practices.
Phase I, II and III Archaeological Investigations, River Bend
Prehistoric Site, Hazlet Township, Monmouth County, NJ. Principal
Investigator on a short term Late Archaic camp site consisting of lithic
debitage and fire-cracked rock.
Archaeological Investigation at the Invention Factory, Thomas A.
Edison Laboratory Site, Thomas A. Edison State Park, Menlo Park,
Edison Township, Middlesex County, NJ. Principal Investigator of
archaeological investigations at the Edison Laboratory Site. Excavation
located outbuilding foundations and support piers related to the operation of
the factory site and a large refuse pit containing artifacts directly related to
the operation of the Edison laboratory.
Phase I, II and III Cultural Resources Investigation, Heritage at
Lederach Golf Club, Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County,
PA. Principal Investigator supervising the excavation of prehistoric and
historic sites within a 75 acre project site. Mid-to-late 18th and 19th century
farmstead sites were investigated. Late Archaic projectile points and other
lithics were also recovered.
Archaeological Data Recovery at the DeKalb-Lafayette Street Block
Site, Norristown Transportation Intermodal Parking Facility
(SEPTA), City of Norristown, Montgomery County, Pa. Principal
Investigator supervising the excavation of mid-to-late 19th century dwellings,
yard deposits, and brick privy shafts. A Middle-to-Late Archaic prehistoric
component was also identified.
Professional Societies/Affiliations
Society for Historical Archaeology
Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology
Archaeological Society of New Jersey
Philadelphia Archaeological Forum
Presentations
“Colonial Industry on the Delaware.” Society of American Archaeology.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Something’s Fishy on the Waterfront: The Fish Processing Industry at
the Falls of the Delaware.” Archaeological Society of New Jersey,
3
“The Archaeology of the Lambert-Douglas Plantation and Rosey Hill.”
Archaeological Society of New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey
“George Peter Hillegas and Michael Hillegas: German Immigrant Potters
in Colonial Philadelphia.” Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology,
Wilmington, Delaware and the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chronology
2008 - URS Corporation
1991 - 2008 Hunter Research, Inc.
1983 - 1990 John Milner Associates, Inc.
1981 – 1982 Louis Berger and Associates
1978 – 1980 James Strothers Associates, Surveying
1974 – 1975 City of Winchester Rescue Unit, Winchester, England
1973 – 1974 University of Tennessee Archaeology Unit, Knoxville,
Tennessee
4
Edward M. Morin, RPA
Principal Archaeologist
Areas of Expertise
Cultural Resource Management
Studies
Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act
Archaeological Surveys and
Excavations
Historic Preservation
Regulatory Agency Liaison and
Coordination
Public Outreach
Years of Experience
With URS: 12 Years
With Other Firms: 20 Years
Education
M.S./1980/Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute/Archaeology
M.A./1978/St. Louis
University/American Studies
B.A./1975/Westfield State
College/History
Continuing Education
OSHA 8-Hour Annual Refresher
Course (URS H&SE, 3/23/2010)
OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety
Training (Clicksafety, 7/15/08)
Two-Day Seminar in NEPA, Project
Development & Section 4(f) (FHWA,
Trenton, New Jersey, 2002)
Cultural Resource Management in New
York State (Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic
Preservation, Niagara, Canada,
2001)
Section 106 Principles and Practices
(SRI Foundation, Dover,
Delaware, 2000)
Registration/Certification
Register of Professional
Archaeologists
Overview
Mr. Morin has over 30 years of experience in conducting and supervising
cultural resource investigations. He has directed archaeological and
historical assessments, National Register evaluations, and archaeological
data recovery efforts. Mr. Morin’s particular expertise is in the area of
urban archaeology and nineteenth century farmsteads, domestic deposits
and structural remains. Although much of his career has been in
consulting, he also has seven years of experience as a Staff Archaeologist
for the National Park Service. Current project experience in Massachusetts
includes serving as Project Manager for the data recovery at Faneuil Hall
for the National Park Service. Mr. Morin’s particular expertise is in the area
of historic archaeology, but he has conducted a number of survey
investigations of prehistoric sites.
Northeastern project experience includes:
Archeological Investigations in Support of the Transportation and
Information Hub Project, Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts,
conducted for the National Park Service. Project Manager responsible for
project oversight and agency coordination for the investigation of a new
egress stairway on the northern side of Faneuil Hall. Fieldwork identified and
recorded previously unknown architectural feature associated with the
Faneuil Hall structure itself (a possible builder’s trench connected to the
construction of the 1805 addition to Faneuil Hall), layered historic fill
deposits, and possible cribbing related to the Town Dock.
Phase III Archeological Investigations in Area 7 of the Saugus Iron
Works National Historic Site, Saugus, Massachusetts, conducted for
the Denver Service Center. Project Manager responsible for project
oversight for the investigation within the footprint of proposed impacts
associated with a connector building between two park structures. Fieldwork
recovered a substantial sample of prehistoric artifacts and documented a
number or prehistoric cultural features.
Archeological Investigations for the Accessibility Project, Saugus Iron
Works National Historic Site, Saugus, Massachusetts, conducted for
the Denver Service Center. Project Manager for conducting investigations to
provide sufficient information on the nature, condition, location, and
integrity of possible below ground archeological resources that might be
impacted by proposed ground-disturbing modifications to make the site
accessible for the physically disabled and associated utility installation. The
delineation of subsurface resources would provide the information needed to
ensure that the final design was developed to avoid, to the maximum feasible
extent, impacts to significant archeological remains.
Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Field
Maintenance Shop, Camp Curtis Guild, Reading, Wakefield,
Lynnfield, and North Reading, Massachusetts, conducted for the
Massachusetts Army National Guard. Principal Investigator responsible for
conducting background research and authoring the cultural resources
sections of the report.
Environmental Consulting Services Contract - Massachusetts,
Statewide, conducted for the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Project
Archaeologist responsible for preparing cultural resource studies for
Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Notification Forms
(ENF) for proposed National Guard projects. Conducting EAs and ENFs
will enable the Guard to follow the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)
requirements as they apply to proposed projects.
Phase I Intensive Survey of the Heath Brook Plaza Project, Tewksbury,
Massachusetts, conducted for Quincy & Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
Principal Investigator for conducting investigations in order to identify and
evaluate an Archaic through Middle Woodland habitation site, in addition to
late-nineteenth century domestic deposits.
Preliminary Cultural Resource Assessment of the Quabbin, Ware and
Wachusett Watershed Lands, conducted for the Watershed Management
Division, Metropolitan District Commission, Boston, Massachusetts. Principal
Historic Archaeologist responsible for the survey, identification and location of
eighteenth to twentieth century sites within the project area in addition to
developing sensitivity maps for potential archeological sites.
Cultural Resource Management Plan for the Boston Metropolitan Park
System, conducted for the Metropolitan District Commission, Parks and
Recreation Division, Boston, Massachusetts. Principal Investigator responsible
for in identifying the range and types of below ground resources known or
likely to exist within the park system; develop a context for these resources;
determine the considerations that must be addressed in assessing integrity;
provide an analysis of existing conditions with regard to these resources and
cultural resources management within the park system; and provide
recommendations on the need for a comprehensive, system-wide survey,
develop methods and procedures for management and the staffing
requirements.
New Hampshire Department of Transportation – Statewide Cultural
Resources Contract, Principal Historical Archaeologist responsible for
conducting a variety of archaeological survey and testing projects for road
corridors throughout the state.
Archaeological Assessment and Testing for the Proposed Drainage
Field, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New
Hampshire, conducted for the Denver Service Center. Principal
Investigator responsible for determining construction impacts to potential
archeological resources.
Archeological Assessment and Testing for Phase I Development at
Various Sites, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine, conducted for
the Denver Service Center. Principal Investigator responsible for
determining construction impacts to archeological resources associated with a
prehistoric site and nineteenth century farmsteads.
Historical and Archaeological Assessment of the Exchange Building,
New Haven, Connecticut, conducted for Smith Edwards Architects,
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Hartford, Connecticut. Project Manager responsible for project oversight in
determining the significance of potential nineteenth century deposits and
commercial structural remains.
Phase I Archaeological Reconnaissance for the Proposed Medium
Intensity Lighting System (MALS) at Groton-New London Airport,
Groton, Connecticut, conducted for Urbitran, New York, New York.
Principal Investigator responsible for the testing and identification of a
prehistoric site of an unknown cultural period.
Phase IA Archeological Investigation, Rehabilitate Battery Weed
Seawall and Dock, Fort Wadsworth Unit, Gateway National
Recreation Area, Staten Island, New York, conducted for the, Denver
Service Center. Principal Investigator responsible for project oversight and
developing a program for the assessment of archaeological resources at
Battery Weed in Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York. The goal of the
investigation was to collect and synthesize documentary information
regarding the prehistory and history of the project area; prepare a series of
recommendations for further archaeological work, to include field testing if
required; and to prepare a project report documenting the investigation for
use by National Park Service personnel.
Modified Phase IA Cultural Resources Inventory, Floyd Bennett Field,
Jamaica Bay Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, New
York, conducted for the Denver Service Center. Principal Investigator for a
Phase IA inventory to 1) identify areas of disturbance and fill that may be
excluded from further investigation; 2) delineate areas with the potential for
prehistoric or historic sites that should be avoided or mitigated during
replacement of the electrical cables; and 3) assess the significance of historic
fill episodes.
Phase I Archeological Investigations for the Proposed Multi-Use
Pathway, Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit,
Monmouth County, New Jersey, conducted for the Denver Service
Center. Principal Investigator for archeological investigations along 13
selected sections of a proposed 5,470-foot long multiple purpose pathway.
Phase I Archeological Investigations within the Gateway National
Recreational Area at the Jacob Riis Bathhouse, Jamaica Bay Unit,
New York, conducted for the Denver Service Center. Principal Investigator
for identifying the presence of potential archeological resources within the
area proposed for development.
Archeological
Monitoring
for
the
Dry-Laid
Stonewall
Stabilization/Restoration Project, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
National Historical Park, Georgetown, District of Columbia,
conducted for the National Capital Region. Principal Investigator, for the
recordation and evaluation of structural remains and deposits associated
with the restoration of the towpath stone retaining wall between 33rd and
34th Streets.
Various Archeological Assessment and Testing Programs at
Gettysburg National Military, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, conducted for
Gettysburg National Military Park. Principal Investigator, for the
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determination of construction impacts to archeological resources associated
with nineteenth century farmsteads and battlefield related activities.
Professional Societies/Affiliations
Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology, Board Member
Society for Historical Archaeology
Society for Industrial Archaeology
Chronology
1999- present: URS Corporation
1991-1999: National Park Service
1983-1991: Louis Berger & Associates, Inc.
1980-1983: American Resources Group, Inc. 1980 - 1983
1980: Macon County Conservation District
1980: Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University
1979-1980: Turner Construction Company 1979-1980
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