Home Foxhall Project Project History FAQ’s Fact Sheet BZA Application Traffic Reports Environmental Info Archaeology Arborist Reports Operations Plan CHNA Provisions Key Team Members Barnes Vanze Elm Street Development Wells & Associates Sasaki Associates St. Patrick's About St. Patrick's Contact Us	Archaeological Survey of 1801 Foxhall Road Qualified professional archaeologists under the direction of Senior Archaeologist Christy C.V. Dolan, M.A., R.P.A. conducted a cultural resources survey of the property at 1801 Foxhall Road, also known as the former Brady Estate, in northwest Washington, D.C. This letter summarizes the work conducted and reports on the results. DESIGN, PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTS WORLDWIDE 601 Prince Street Alexandria Virginia 22314 Tel 703 836 1414 Fax 703 549 5869 www.edaw.com Project Background The Friends of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, LLC (FOSP) proposes to develop their 17.3-acre property at 1801 Foxhall Road. FOSP has gifted a portion of the property to the Vestry of St. Patrick’s Parish for the construction and operation for a new Day School (grades 7-12) and plans to sell a portion of the property to a private residential developer of detached, single-family homes. FOSP is a consortium of parents of students at the current Day School, which purchased the project site from the Casey Mansion Foundation in 2004. FOSP has voluntarily prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to identify the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures associated with the proposed development of the property. This project does not involve a federal action and, thus, does not require National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review. Similarly, there is no federal or local requirement for a cultural resources survey. The work reported herein was conducted to support FOSP’s voluntary EA. Dr. Clarke graduated from Georgetown Medical School in 1857 and was a long-time resident of the District (Washington Star, 1939). An undated, unscaled sketch of a plat map provided by the D.C. city archaeologist shows a house on the property approximately 350 feet northeast of the corner of Foxhall Road and Hoban Road (Anonymous n.d.). Since no maps dated subsequent to 1903 show a building in this location, it is possible that this plat map refers to an earlier structure on the site. It is also possible that the plat map is not accurate in its depiction of structure locations. Sometime between 1904 and 1907 Ellen M. Morse (probably Dr. Clarke’s daughter, who was married to Alexander Porter Morse) became the owner of the land. At that time, there were two structures on the property. A 1903 map (Baist 1903) shows the main residence to be in the same location as the subsequent Brady mansion, approximately 550 feet northeast of the corner of Foxhall and Hoban. A secondary structure (possible guest house) appears approximately 200 feet further to the northeast. By 1936, when heiress Elinor Morse Ryan (granddaughter of Ellen Morse) obtained the property, it contained a dwelling and two other structures. She razed the buildings and built her own mansion. Ryan married naval officer Parke Howell Brady in 1939. During their marriage, the couple spent much time abroad and rented the home to a series of tenants, including cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post who lived there while her own estate on Foxhall Road was being built. In 1996, the property was bought by Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabar Al-Thani, foreign minister of the emirate of Qatar and a member of its ruling family. At the time, Al-Thani said he would renovate the mansion and live there. He did not, and the property went on the market in July 2000. The Casey Foundation purchased the property in 2001. The Brady Estate structures were demolished and removed from the property at that time. Items Related to the House and Other Structures • Main dwelling – Although the main dwelling is gone, remnants of it, such as the retaining wall and graded pad, still exist. • Guest House – Like the main dwelling, the guest house is gone. Remnants of this structure include a brick patio floor, and steps leading to the main dwelling. • Dwelling – A third small dwelling is shown on Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps southeast of the guest house. The main evidence visible on the ground surface of this structure is construction rubble. • Fountain and possible cistern – Adjacent to the main road leading to the property are two round areas, approximately 12 feet in diameter. The one closer to the main dwelling is clearly a disused fountain. The other is covered over by slate, which is obscured by grasses. It may have functioned as a cistern/well or it may have been a second fountain. • Spring House – Remnants of an apparent spring house are present. The u-shaped, large cobble and mortar structure is built into the side of a slope and has several inches of water on the floor. • Greenhouse – Ruins of a rectangular brick and mortared cobble structure is located near the main dwelling. It measures approximately 8 feet by 15 feet. A Sanborn Fire Insurance map calls it a greenhouse. • Trough with pipes – The west edge of the property contains a concrete trough with a Y-shaped 6 inch metal pipe leading to it. Artifact Concentrations • Two artifact concentrations were observed on the property during reconnaissance. One is a concentration of brick and slate, possibly representing refuse from the construction of a retaining wall and pathway. The other is a trash scatter that appears to date to the 1940s or 1950s. • In addition to the historic materials, some fractured quartz and quartzite cobbles and flakes were observed. Dr. Steven Potter (personal communication, 2005) had previously observed possible evidence of prehistoric quartz quarrying on the property while conducting a site visit on the adjacent National Park Service land. In light of these observations, EDAW recommended that Phase I archaeological survey and shovel testing be conducted in undisturbed areas of the property prior to development. Phase I Survey and Shovel Testing The field reconnaissance revealed that, of the 17 acres within the project area, approximately 8 acres have been previously disturbed or are unlikely to be affected by the proposed project. A Phase I archaeological survey, including shovel testing in areas of poor ground visibility, was conducted on the remaining 9 acres in October, 2005. EDAW placed Shovel Test Pits (STPs) at regular intervals and excavated these to a maximum depth of 80 centimeters (cm). STPs were excavated in 9 blocks of typically of 6 STPs per block. Block 6 contained only 4 STPs due to the topography. Attachment 1 provides a map of the locations subjected to shovel testing. Blocks 1 through 5 were placed on a relatively undisturbed knoll in the northwest corner of the site. Blocks 6 through 8 were placed along the eastern boundary of the site, adjacent to NPS property. Block 9 was excavated south of Blocks 1 through 5 to determine whether cultural material extends in that direction. The STPs measured approximately 30 x 30 cm and were be excavated in 10 cm increments. All soil excavated from the STPs was screened through 1/8-inch hardware cloth and examined for artifacts, faunal remains, or other evidence of cultural activity. Once the STPs were completed, and their locations mapped using a hand-help GPS unit; map locations were verified by hand-measuring to previously mapped trees that had been identified by the project arborist. Cultural materials were transported to EDAW’s archaeological laboratory for processing and cataloging. Cultural material, either prehistoric or historic, was found at 49 of the 52 STPs (see Attachment 2 for photographs of representative examples). As discussed more fully below, prehistoric material was confined to flakes, cores, and angular chunks of locally occurring quartz with a small amount of quartzite. Historic material includes fragments of glass, ceramics, metal and building materials, primarily, if not exclusively relating to the 20th century occupation of the site. Attachment 3 provides a catalog of materials recovered from the STPs. Prehistoric Materials Recovered Locally available quartz and quartzite were utilized by Native American groups in the Washington, D.C. vicinity in the production of stone tools. These igneous and metamorphic raw materials are more difficult to work than are cryptocrystalline silicates, such as chert and flint, which are better known as prehistoric toolstones. Quartz in particular tends to fracture along fault planes within the parent material or along planar surfaces that correspond to the crystalline structure of the raw material. As a result, culturally modified quartz flaking waste or “debitage” often lacks the conchoidal fracture lines that are typically used by archaeologists as hallmarks for purposes of distinguishing culturally modified artifacts from naturally fractured rocks. For this reason, it is difficult to distinguish actual prehistoric artifacts at the project site from the naturally occurring quartz and quartzite rocks that are present in the underlying geology. A simple core/flake technology was the only type of prehistoric tool production that was evident at the project site. In this technology, usable tools were made by striking a sharp-edged flake off an angular cobble of parent material. Flakes could have been used unmodified as expedient edge tools, or retouched to produce a projectile point, blade, scraper or other formal tool type. There is no evidence of retouch on the project site, however. Most flakes and cores at the site appeared to have been discarded as production waste; there was no evidence of on-site use of flaked stone tools. For purposes of this report quartz and quartzite artifacts were classified into two types: • Flakes (see Attachment 2a) – To be classified as a flake, a piece of quartz had to be thin relative its length and width and have clear evidence of both a dorsal and a ventral surface. These criteria were used to distinguish true flakes from angular production waste and naturally occurring fractured quartz. A total of 82 flakes were recovered from the 52 STPs excavated at the project site. Flakes ranged from under 2 cm in length to 7.5 cm. • Cores/angular chunks (see Attachment 2b) – These pieces are thick relative to length and width and have evidence of one or more flake negative scars. Some naturally occurring fractured quartz may have been placed in this category as it is nearly impossible to distinguish simple cores with one or a very few flake removals from naturally fractured quartz cobbles. The 275 cores/chunks recovered from the STPs ranged from 2.2 cm in length to 9.2 cm. There was no evidence of tool retouch or bifacial thinning in the assemblage. The overall ratio of flakes to cores/chunks was 0.3, a low ratio that indicates that intensive toolstone acquisition and reduction did not occur at the site. Identifiable cores had only a few unpatterned flake removals. There was little evidence of core preparation, beyond the breaking of a cobble and use of an appropriately angled corner as a striking platform. All of these characteristics are indicative of casual testing of raw materials and acquisition of flakes for expedient use or subsequent reduction off-site. There does not appear to have been much focused quarrying or complex lithic reduction, both of which would have produced more abundant flakes. In sum, the evidence of prehistoric stone-tool manufacture, while present, was quite limited. Prehistoric materials were found in all 9 of the STP blocks. However, flakes were most common the northwestern area tested by Blocks 1 through 5. Within this area the densest concentration flakes and highest flake-to-core ratio was found in Block 2. Prehistoric material was also relatively abundant along the western boundary of the site in Blocks 6 through 8. Here, however, the site has been more heavily impacted by historic activities as indicated by the presence of abundant historic artifacts, especially building materials. Beyond the quartz and quartzite debitage, no other prehistoric materials were encountered on the project site. Hence, the artifactual evidence is restricted to information on lithic reduction practices. There is no evidence of domestic activities or habitation and no evidence of the presence of any materials that would be useful in placing the site within a chronological framework. In the absence of (1) focused tool production, (2) evidence of prehistoric habitation, and (3) datable materials, the prehistoric component of the site does not contain sufficient informational values to qualify it as a significant resource. Historic Materials Recovered Historic materials recovered included bottle and window glass fragments, ceramic sherds, metal fragments, building materials such as brick and slate shingle fragments, chunks of coal, and shell fragments. Almost all of the historic material is very fragmentary in nature. No evidence for the disposal of large amounts of household refuse was found. None of the material is diagnostic of a manufacture- or use-date prior to the 1880s and most appears to have been 20th century in origin. Historic material was found in all of the STP blocks, but was clearly most abundant along the eastern boundary of the site, which would have been behind the mansion and guest house. This would have been an unobtrusive location for residents or staff to dispose of small amounts of unwanted debris. The late date of the materials recovered, their fragmentary character, and the lack of abundance all indicate that the historic refuse on the site does not offer significant information about the historic occupants or their activities. None of the material is strongly associated with the people or historical importance of the site. Hence, the historical period materials do not qualify as a significant resource. Possible Location of Early Valley View Farm Structures As noted above, a plat map of Valley View Farm at the Historical Society of Washington (Anonymous n.d.) indicates the possible location of two structures approximately 200 feet southwest of the location of the residence shown on 1903 Baist map and subsequent maps of the property. By referencing property lines and the alignment of Foxhall Road, this location was transferred to a modern geo-referenced aerial photograph of the site. This research reveals that the plat map location corresponds to what used to be a terraced vineyard associated with the Brady Estate. This location was inspected by EDAW archaeologists, and no evidence of an earlier structure was found. The preparation of the terraced vineyard probably destroyed any previous historical features that may have been present. Also, as noted above, the plat map may not have been accurate in its depiction of building locations. Conclusion and Recommendations 1 None of the archaeological materials identified at the project site meet the standards of significance established for the National Register of Historic Places, and hence, do not pose a constraint on the development of the property. 2 This report and site records should be submitted to the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) as a professional courtesy so that the information gathered during the Phase I survey is available to archaeologists in the future. 3 The artifacts recovered are the property of FOSP. If you desire, the artifacts could be transmitted to the DC SHPO. 4 There remains a potential that archaeological features related to the original Valley View Farm (pre-dating 1887) remain on-site obscured by subsequent developments. Voluntary archaeological monitoring for a limited duration (probably less than 1 week) during initial grading in the vicinity of the previous farm structures/mansion would facilitate the recovery of potentially useful information and reduce the potential for a construction delay to evaluate any finds. We have appreciated the opportunity to assist FOSP in evaluating the archaeological resources on the project site. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Sincerely, James H. Cleland, Ph.D. Principal Christy C.V. Dolan, M.A. Senior Archaeologist References Anonymous n.d. Approximate Site of Valley View Farm. Sketch redrawn from plat map on file at Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Manuscript provided by Nancy Kassner, City Archaeologist, Historic Preservation Department, Washington, D.C. Sent via fax April 8, 2005. Baist, G.W. 1903 Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Washington, District of Columbia. Kassner, Nancy. 2002 Archaeologist. DC Office of Planning. Historic Preservation Division. Phone and Email Correspondence. August 2002. McCalla, John Moore 1887 Mentions of Valley View Farm (Foxhall Road and Hoban Road) in the Unpublished Diaries of Dr. John Moore McCalla. Manuscript provided by Nancy Kassner, City Archaeologist, Historic Preservation Department, Washington, D.C. Sent via fax April 8, 2005. Potter, Stephen 2005 Personal communication. Regional Archaeologist, National Capital Region, National Park Service. Email correspondence to Christy Dolan, EDAW, Inc., April 14, 2005. United States Geological Survey 1882 Trigonometric Map of Washington, D.C. On file, Library of Congress, Washington 1893 Quadrangle Map of Washington, D.C. On file, Library of Congress, Washington. 1898 Quadrangle Map of Washington, D.C. and Vicinity (15 minute series). On file, Library of Congress, Washington. Washington Star 1939 Family of Dr. Morse Associated with G.U. Since Its Founding: D.C. Physician Grandson of Student 150 Years Ago. Washington Star June 2, 1939. Back To Top - - Friends of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School LLC (“FOSP”) is a private, limited liability corporation which was formed to purchase the property at 1801 Foxhall Road, N.W. in order to donate it to the Vestry of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Parish (“Parish”) for the purpose of building a middle school/high school campus for St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School (“School”).  FOSP has donated approximately one-half of the property to the Parish and intends to sell the remainder to a for-profit developer for the construction of a residential development.  Neither the Parish nor the School are members of the FOSP and neither have any control, direct or indirect, over the FOSP or the construction of the residential development.