2011 Search for Newtowne Chapel Report

Scott, J. Babock, Jim Gibb, Frankie

This year Scott Lawrence, Dr. James Gibb, Peter Quantock, and a number of volunteers searched for the 1661/2 Jesuit Chapel in the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery at Newtown, St. Mary's County, Maryland.

To view the report in Google Docs

• either select "Research by CCASM Members and Others" in the right column of this blog
  and click on "Search for Newtowne Chapel Report - 2011".
  (Good to know for future reference.)
  
• or just click here for report

The work was done for Fr. Brian Sanderfoot, Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church.  The church is getting ready to celebrate its parochial 350th anniversary.

Discovering the Piscataway Fort

Dr. King

At the November 2 meeting Dr. Julia King, Anthropology Professor at Saint Mary's College of Maryland, told about discovering the late seventeenth century Piscataway Indian Fort in the Charles County Zekiah Swamp.

Dr. King described several sites on the Wicomico River and in the Zekiah Swamp that she and her students have investigated over the last three years and how this past summer she thinks they have found the Zekiah Fort.  They did not find a palisade during their limited field session.  However, artifacts indicate that this was a contact period site, and the location makes sense.

Trade Beads
found at site

Attendance: 35