During the early spring of 1988 plans were in the
works to install a new ground water drainage system about the historic
Frazee-Hynton House within Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.
That National Register property, which is reputed to be the second
oldest extant brick residence in the region, was subject to preliminary
archeological testing in 1984. Those investigations demonstrated
the existence of dense cultural deposits at the site. Therefore,
it was necessary to perform additional excavations in advance of
the proposed ground disturbance.
The archeological team collected nineteen excavation units in
addition to the three units excavated in 1984. Each drainage line
unit laid out in 1988 straddled the proposed path of that system.
The majority of units, however, fell to the rear of the house,
where cultural materials were most concentrated. Additional investigations
were carried out in the kitchen crawlspace and against the kitchen
Excavations at the Frazee-Hynton House resulted in the recovery
of a large artifact assemblage representing the entire range of
historic occupation. In addition, the investigations produced
evidence of a prehistoric component at the site. Several historic
features, including a stone foundation and an apparent privy vault,
also were discovered.
Based upon preliminary evaluation of the archeological findings,
recommendations for slight shifts in the drainage system alignment
were made to planners. When the development plan was implemented
in the fall of 1988 archeologists monitored all trenching operations.
Collections and records generated at that time are incorporated
into this report.