1998 Public Display and Private Tasks: Nineteenth Century Landscape Utilization at the Morris-Butler House

By: Deborah Rotman
Reports of Investigation 47, Archaeological Resource Management Service, Ball State University

Abstract

An archaeological excavation at the Morris-Butler House Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana was conducted under a Department of the Interior Historic Preservation Study and Planning Grant administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. The purpose of the project was to investigate loci of domestic activity in the yards surrounding the house. The museum staff seeks to incorporate exterior spaces of the property int their interpretation of nineteenth-century life at the Morris-Butler House. Preliminary investigation revealed that archaeological deposits were present in the side yard south of the summer kitchen and along the western edge of the north lot.  These areas were the focus of archaeological excavation. The artifacts and other data recovered provided additional information regarding nineteenth-century landscaped utilization at the property.  This report describes the excavation, the material recovered, and its contribution to understanding the lives of nineteenth-century residents at the Morris-Butler House.