The Hunt for ANDERSON’S Garrison

aka the  JACOB ANDERSON Dig Site, Flying Point, Freeport (formerly) North Yarmouth, Maine, USA

PART 6: October, 2024

Summer has turned to Fall and we are excavating deep inside the cellar of the circa 1747 Jacob Anderson homesite at Flying Point. The northeast corner of the formerly “lost” location was discovered last year by chance when a new water line trench was dug to connect water to a new building on the old Anderson farm. That trench reveled a stone foundation about 22 feet wide. This summer we have extended our methodical dig westerly in hopes of learning details of the building size, structure, use, and the activities of its former inhabitants. Much of the south cellar wall is now in view, as is the pile of brick and stone from the fallen chimney and myriad artifacts from a century of living on the property that were sealed inside the soil that filled the old cellar and hid it completely from modern view.

As we approach what appears to be the rubble of the old chimney base, some very interesting artifacts are being found: what appears to be a comb made from baleen; a piece of broken slate with the letters “E” and “M” still visible etched into the slate; an ax head with a round handle hole; and three very fragile iron pots of different sizes that need to be carefully removed and conserved. The record history of the current property indicates that the northerly section where we now are working was purchased and lived on by Jacob Anderson and that the southerly portion was originally part of Jacob’s father, James Anderson’s, 200 acre homestead that was once developed as a separate parcel. A walk over of the land south of our active dig site revealed a low rise and brick rubble that might be evidence of a second previously forgotten building. A series of test pits across this newly discovered “mound” has uncovered what looks like a potential second building foundation. So, we are flooded with good, new, information to conserve, study and analyze during the winter months ahead! ~JTM. 12-28-2024 MUSP Archaeological (surveyor’s) Report