Mapping the History and Archaeology of Claude Moore Park

Goals and Objectives

Obtain GPS data for archaeological and historic resources at Claude Moore Park

Combine with GIS data from Loudoun County in ArcMap

Create maps for: Public outreach and education Informing the direction of future archaeological

investigation at the park

Sites at Claude Moore Park - 1 Vestal’s Gap Road

In use from prehistory through 1825 Major route for French & Indian War

and American Revolution: Washington, Braddock

Lanesville Heritage Area Inn & farmhouse dates to 1700s Assorted (not original) outbuildings Possible cemetery Active excavations behind the house

Photo credit Kathryn Catlin 2007

Sites at Claude Moore Park - 2 Civil War Site – both Union

and Confederate Signal station – hilltop Shebangs – partially

underground winter quarters Prehistoric quartz debitage

& spearpoints Recently discovered surface

finds Historic treeline

Possible farm road Springhouse ruins

Unknown age; shovel test pitsPhoto credit Kathryn Catlin, 2007, 2008

GPS Data Collection Garmin eTrex

Attempted to use NVCC’s Trimble, but software installation was corrupted

Park visits: July 19 and 26, 2008 Accuracy: 20 feet and below Coordinate frame:

NAD 1983 UTM Zone 18N Waypoints: sites as point data Trackfiles: paths as line data DNR Garmin

Projected shapefiles Metadata

Photo credit: garmin.com

Loudoun County Mapping & GIS Data available from the

server: Buildings Roads Soils Topology Trees Water Etc.

Data obtained via email: Hiking trails

Coordinate Frame: NAD 1983 HARN State

Plane Virginia North FIPS 4501 Feet

Metadata: Text files

Raster image: From UVA Fisher Library

website Same coordinate frame

Analysis: Preliminary

Trim all data to the borders of Claude Moore Park Census tract Buffer to include streets Trouble with raster data

Transform GPS data to State Plane Coordinate System

Create personal geodatabase to store all shapefiles

Analysis: Organization Group layers for County, GPS data Extract GPS point data into new layers by

type Trees, excavations, buildings, sites, etc Edit each point’s name in attribute tables

Extract trail data into new layers by color Clip, trim, & modify track data

One clean line along Vestal’s Gap Road Other tracks correspond to hiking trails

Trail Map Includes macro

view of sites Enhance visitor

experience

Photo credit Kathryn Catlin 2008

Lanesville Area

Treeline Shovel Tests

Behind house Behind caretaker’s

cottage Test Squares Outbuildings

Accuracy

Discrepancies between GPS and county data

As much as 25 feet off

Data not so good for predictive statistical analysis at this scale

Future Work Repeat data collection with more accurate GPS

device Statistical analysis to determine accuracy vs. county data

Correlate archaeology with soil type Historic vs. prehistoric?

Correlate artifacts and features with geographic data Predict midden or privy location behind Lanesville house Determine likelihood that treeline indicates farm road

Full extent of Vestal’s Gap Road Correlate with historic maps How much excavation and backfill of the roadbed was

carried out when the park prepared it for hiking and driving?

Conclusions Current project is a start at development of

additional archaeological outreach materials Data is not good enough yet for predictive

archaeological modeling – general estimate only. Future work needed.

Photo credit Kathryn Catlin 2007, 2008

Treeline – possible farm road East end of Vestal’s Gap Road