Project history
Archaeological investigations on the site of the new Foley Square Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street were undertaken by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in fulfillment of its obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act and related Federal legislation. The work evolved from the findings of the cultural resources survey prepared as part of the environmental impact statement by the firm of Edwards and Kelcey Engineers, Inc. (E&K). Initial fieldwork was carried out by Historic Conservation and Interpretation, Inc. (HCI) working as a subcontractor to E&K. In July of 1991, the firm of John Milner Associates, Inc. (JMA) succeeded HCI in the completion of the fieldwork. JMA has continued on with the analysis and interpretation of material recovered from the site.
Exhibit information
The artifacts presented in this website are but a small sample of the objects excavated from the Five Points site. The text and images were adapted from an actual exhibition of Five Points material which was developed for GSA by JMA, Inc. in cooperation with the design firm of Donovan and Green. Funding for this exhibit was provided by GSA.
Acknowledgments
The following are part of the original team that excavated and documented the findings from the site:
- Text and inspiration: Rebecca Yamin, Ph.D.
- Original website HTML programming: Damian Blanck and Paul Reckner
- Slide scanning: Paul Reckner and Damian Blanck
- Photography: Paul Reckner, Doville Nelson, and Dennis Seckler
- Object conservation: Gary McGowan, Cheryl LaRoche, Liz Vogel, and Janet Hawkins
- Maps and historic images: courtesy of the New-York Historical Society and the New York Public Library
Information on specific objects in the assemblage was provided by the staff at the Foley Square Archaeological Lab: Stephen Brighton (ceramics), Michael Bonasera (glass), Heather Griggs (sewing objects), Pam Crabtree and Claudia Milne (faunal), Doville Nelson (small finds), and Paul Reckner (tobacco pipes).
This website would not have been possible without the resources and support of Allan Steenhusen and Dan Roberts of JMA, and Peter Sneed of GSA. Dr. Sherrill Wilson, director of the Office of Public Education and Interpretation for the African Burial Ground, provided insightful comments during the development stages of this project.
U.S. General Services Administration