Archives for 2000:
Cemetery Explored
December 9, 2000
On the evening of August 23, 2000, the Elk Run Church Site Preservation Committee received permission from William and Jacqueline Patton to search for the Church Cemetery on their adjoining property.
On December 9, 2000, the search for the suspected adjacent Church Cemetery begins by using a backhoe with a smooth blade to dig shallow parallel trenches to expose possible graves. By late afternoon, the first gravesite was confirmed, was photographed and the measurements documented.
Foundation Develops
November 18, 2000
By June 10, 2000, the exposed foundation corners confirm the Greek cross structure of the Elk Run Church.
By October 20, 2000, an electric service is established and the exposed Church foundation was cleaned for viewing.
On November 18, 2000, hay and straw is placed over the exposed foundation and covered with heavy black plastic to protect it from the winter weather.
Highway Marker Planned and Dedicated
October 21, 2000
Elk Run Church Historic Highway Marker package is submitted to Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources on March 13, 2000, for consideration at the Board Meeting on June 15, 2000.
On June 14, 2000, The Virginia Board of Historic Resources approved the Historical Highway Marker for the Elk Run Anglican Church Site to include the new information on its structure.
By mid-September 2000, preparations began for the Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony.
On October 21, 2000, the Virginia State Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony was held at the Elk Run Church Site. Descendents of the Church’s first Rector, the Reverend James Keith, participated in the Ceremony. Carl R. Lounsbury of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation gave the Historical Address.
To read more about the Virginia State Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony, click here.
First History Sign Installed
October 7, 2000
On October 7, 2000, the first Interpretative Sign frame for the history of Elk Run Village was installed.
Summer of Discovery at Elk Run
September 6, 2000
From The Fauquier Times-Democrat, Wednesday, September 6, 2000 (with permission)
By Edward Dandar
It was one year ago last month that members of the congregation of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Catlett were convinced that the site of the old Elk Run Anglican Church - the colonial “mother church” of the Episcopal churches in this region - should be saved.
The late Edward Parry Browning, III, a descendant of the Rev. James Keith, its first minister, donated the 100 ft. x 100 ft. lot to St. Stephen’s Church to be preserved as a historic site.
Since that time, a number of preservation tasks have been accomplished.
Beginning in late April 2000, a group of volunteers, assisted by volunteer archaeologist, Dr. John Eddins, has engaged in archaeological excavations at the site of the old Elk Run Church.
The dig participants have opened 19 excavation units of varying sizes, exposing sections of the stone foundation of the church, including a number of interior and exterior corners.
Much has been learned about the ancient church, and others like it. Historic documents and recent excavations have indicated that the Elk Run Church was a cruciform or cross-shaped building.
The relative positions of the exposed interior and exterior foundation corners as well as the uncovering of the entire south transept segment of the Church foundation validates the unique Greek-cross shape of the church.
At least two other 18th century pre-Revolutionary Anglican churches in northern Virginia, the Aquia Church and the Abingdon Church were built with cruciform plans.
Of the two, only Aquia Church is a true Greek-cross church, a variant of the cruciform shape with symmetrical and equally sized extensions on all sides. Rough measurements taken thus far of the uncovered Elk Run Church foundation strongly indicate that it is a smaller, but Greek-cross structure.
Both the Aquia and Elk Run Churches were built in the 1750s. While Aquia is still an active Church in Stafford County, Elk Run Church was abandoned sometime after 1806.
We are learning more about the fate of Elk Run Church. After abandonment, the building fell into decay, and the brick, wood, and other materials that made up the church were carried off for use in other structures in the area.
What remained fell into the earth and was eventually buried beneath pasture and cedar trees. The Church foundation and other artifacts have been hidden from view for about 170 years.
The main goal at this point in the project is exposure of the entire foundation, including the main walls, the North and South Transepts, any entrances, stairways, and other architectural features.
The excavators are also trying to recover any artifacts that would illustrate activity inside and outside the church. In many parts of the site, this has proven more difficult due to the amount of rubble from fallen walls, tree roots and other disturbances.
Historical research documentation submitted by the Preservation Committee to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources was approved in mid-June for an Elk Run Anglican Church Site Historical Highway Marker. A community ceremony is planned at the Elk Run Church Site for 21 October at 11 AM.
Our continuing research strongly indicates that a cemetery may have been adjacent to the Elk Run Church.
Permission to conduct archeological work on the adjoining property to confirm the existence of the cemetery has been granted by the property owners, William C. and Jacqueline E. Patton of Elk Run, Virginia. Archaeological search for the cemetery will begin later this fall.
Meanwhile, the elder Pattons, A.W. and Pheobe Patton, have given permission to the Preservation Committee for parking on their property across the road from the Church Site to accommodate parking for the highway marker dedication.
GROWING INTEREST
Artifacts uncovered thus far include: pieces of glass from the church windows, plaster fragments from the interior walls, locally made bricks of different color and composition, a large assortment of hand-made nails, broken ceramic dish fragments, a few pre-historic arrow heads, an 1841 dime, and buttons from possibly Colonial-era clothing.
All will eventually be cleaned and labeled and made available for display throughout the community.
Local citizens, Church youth groups and members, Boy Scouts, 4H Club, high school and college students, recent graduates, and out-of-state visitors have participated in this community historical project.
Others wishing to assist at the Elk Run site dig on Saturdays may call St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Office at (540) 788-4252 to leave their name and phone numbers.
Additional project information, initial church foundation measurements, color photos of ongoing archaeological fieldwork and key events can be found at our new Web site address.
The site’s new Web master is David Buckwalter, a graduate of Liberty High School and a first year Freshman at Penn State University. Buckwalter has added some new features to help users navigate through the site’s holdings, including new information on genealogy discovered through Committee research, and the addition of some useful external links.
Donations to support and sustain this preservation effort can be mailed to Treasurer, Elk Run Church Site Preservation Fund, 8538 Greenwich Road, Catlett, Virginia 20119.
Guest Historians Visit
August 30, 2000
On August 30, 2000, Carl R. Lounsbury and two associates from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation visits the Elk Run Church Site to discuss its significance and contribution to Virginia’s Colonial Church History.
Highway Marker is Approved
July 5, 2000
From The Fauquier Times-Democrat, Wednesday, July 5, 2000 (with permission)
The Board of Historic Resources recently approved the Elk Run Anglican Church Site historical marker. This sign documents the history of the Fauquier County church, which existed before the Revolutionary War and was abandoned by 1811. Its first permanent minister was the Rev. James Keith, grandfather of Chief Justice John Marshall.
The Elk Run Church Site Preservation Committee at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church is sponsoring this marker. Edward F. Dandar, Jr. and Jackie Lee researched and assisted in writing the marker text.
The proposed location for the sign is on Route 806 near the intersection of Route 610. The Virginia Department of Transportation will determine the exact site of the marker with the sponsors’ assistance.
Funds for new markers come from private organizations, individuals and local jurisdictions.
Volunteers Dig Into History
June 14, 2000
From The Fauquier Times-Democrat, Wednesday, June 14, 2000 (with permission)
Led by volunteer archaeologist, Dr. John Eddins, an enthusiastic team of citizens and Boy Scouts from Troop 1177 has been working on a dig at the site of the old Elk Run Anglican Church since late April.
The volunteers are searching for the remains of the old Church, which was built in the 1750s.
Abandoned sometime after 1806, the brick, wood and other materials that made up the church building were carried off over the years. What remained fell into the earth and became buried beneath pasture and cedar trees. The church foundation and other artifacts have been hidden from view for about 170 years. It is suspected that the original building was of traditional cruciform design.
“The goal at this point in the project is to find the outline of the foundation, including the main walls, the transepts extending out on two sides, any entrances, stairways, and other features,” said Eddins. “Also sought are any artifacts that would illustrate activity inside and outside the church.”
In many parts of the site, this has proven more difficult due to the amount of rubble from fallen walls, tree roots and other disturbances.
READING BETWEEN THE GRID LINES
The first volunteer archaeologist, Dr. Pat Curry set up a site grid system last November. The research team uses the grid to help track the spatial relationships of everything found at the site.
Excavation units are positioned in relation to the grid, and the architectural features and other evidence of human activity are mapped in relation to it.
The research team began their work this year by probing the soil with tile probes. “Starting from a section of stonework exposed in a test trench dug last December, members of the crew assisted in trying to locate the inner and outer edges of the foundation,” noted Eddins.
Orange pin flags marked locations where team members thought they had isolated edges and corners. The brick and stone rubble across the site made this a difficult task.
“Part of the fun of the work has included group discussions about the significance of the resulting patterns of flags, and the best place to put in excavation units to test hypotheses about the shape of the church,” said Eddins.
The volunteer members of the research team have assisted in laying out excavation “units” and have oriented to the site grid, using measuring tapes, corner spikes, and string. They have also set up a datum near each unit to record elevations of the different soil layers and architectural features.
The units are dug with shovel, trowel, and whiskbroom. As each successive layer of soil is removed in a unit, a crew member helps to take notes recording descriptions of the layers and other observations.
All the soil removed is screened through 1/4 hardware cloth so that large and small artifacts are recovered. Artifacts are then placed in bags labeled with the number of the excavation unit and soil level.
The artifacts so far uncovered — including pieces of window glass, an assortment of hand-made nails, broken ceramic dish fragments — will eventually be cleaned and labeled and made available for display throughout the community.
The research crew has opened 9 excavation units so far this summer, exposing a number of interior and exterior corners and sections of wall foundation.
However, the exact layout of the church is still uncertain since there are no historic records of the design of the church.
EXCITEMENT OF DISCOVERY
“The volunteers look forward to their Saturdays at the site with great anticipation, trying to solve an historical mystery right in their own community,” said Eddins.
“Often, when a new piece of the puzzle is being uncovered, many want to keep working past quitting time so they won’t have to wait a whole week to find out what it was they had encountered.”
Local citizens and youth groups wishing to assist at the Church site dig may call St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Office at (540) 788-4252 to leave their name and phone numbers.
They will be notified when the next Saturday dig will be scheduled. Summer “dig hours” are from 8 AM until 2 PM.
Donations to assist in this effort can be mailed to Treasurer, Elk Run Church Site Preservation Fund, 8538 Greenwich Road, Catlett, Virginia 20119.
Dr. Eddins Joins the Project
April 29, 2000
A volunteer archaeologist, Dr. John Eddins, notified the Committee that he would assist in the efforts this year. Work began again on April 29, 2000.
Archaeological Proposal Selected
April 13, 2000
Archaeological Statement of Work for soliciting proposals for continuing archaeological work on the site is completed by the Committee on March 15, 2000.
On April 13, 2000, the Committee reviewed three archaeological proposals and selected one, but the cost exceeded available funds. Submitting firms were thanked for their efforts and proposals.
