Report of the Archaeological Investigations of the New Castle Court ...

NEW CASTLE COURT HOUSE PLAZA
NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
3.0 FIELD RESULTS
surrounding topsoil and extends into the underlying subsoil. Located within the drain was a
concentration of cinder and coal ash; with recovered artifacts including a coal sample, four pieces
of window glass, and one clear glaze redware sherd. Although no diagnostic artifacts were
recovered, the location of the drain at the base of the plaza fill provides a clear capping date of
1845.
3.5.2 BRICK FOUNDATION
Feature 58
Feature 58 was identified in EU 18 and represents a 1.2 ft.-wide mortared brick foundation, with
three to four extant brick courses (Plate 4). After the remaining foundation material was removed
from the west plaza, the extant feature length measured 16.8 ft. The northern edge has been
truncated by the 1845 wing construction and the southern end was cut by the circa 1820 plaza
construction (Figure 6). The wall was identified underneath the lowest fill layer in EU 18 on the
east plaza and it cuts through a large burnt area, designated Feature 93. Unfortunately, no other
section of foundation wall was identified during the current archeological work. Associated with
the foundation were two builder’s trenches (Features 59 and 60).
Feature 59
Feature 59 represents the western builder’s trench associated with Feature 58 and was identified
at the base of the lower fill layer in EU 18 (Plate 4). The southern 40 percent of the feature was
sampled within this excavation unit and only brick fragments were recovered from the screened
matrix. This feature extends the full length of the remnant foundation wall and it width ranges
from 0.6 to 1.1 ft. in thickness, with the sampled portion measuring 0.8 ft. wide. The base of the
builder’s trench extended to the bottom of the brick foundation wall, a total depth of 0.65 ft.
Feature 60
Feature 60 is the builder’s trench located on the eastern side of Feature 58 (Plate 4). This feature
was also identified at that base of the lowest fill layers within EU 18 and measures 1.1 ft. wide
and extended 0.65 ft. in depth within the sampled portion. Overall, the feature measures 17.8 ft. in
length, or slightly longer than the remnant length of the brick wall and varies in width from 0.6 to
1.1 ft. The southern 40 percent of the feature was sampled. In addition to brick fragments, one
redware sherd and a single fragment of unidentified prehistoric pottery was recovered.
3.5.3 BUILDER’S TRENCH ASSOCIATED WITH THE 1845 ADDITION
Feature 49 denotes the builder’s trench associated with the 1845 wing addition. This feature was
initially identified at the top of the circa 1820 plaza foundation sand layer within EU 13 and was
fully excavated to the base of the 1845 foundation, a total depth of approximately 2.4 ft. beneath
the plaza surface (Plate 5). The 1845 foundation is constructed of reused sleeper stones salvaged
from the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad and measured approximately 4 ft. in height. The
full length of the feature was documented after the western plaza construction material was
removed. The 1845 builder’s trench extended the full length of the circa 1820 plaza within this
area; extending from the western edge of the circa 1732 block across the façade of the 1845 wing
and it apparently terminates beneath the 1845 front steps (Figure 6). A total of 17 artifacts, in
addition to brick fragments, were recovered including one buff-bodied earthenware sherd, a
redware sherd, one porcelain sherd, four bottle fragments, three cut/wrought nails, and seven
pieces of window glass.
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