The Tree-Ring Dating of the Shelton House, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Mechanicsville, Virginia
Worthington MJ and Seiter JI. 2023. The Tree-Ring Dating of the Shelton House, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Mechanicsville, Virginia. National Park Service. Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory (Baltimore, MD)
A previous dendrochronological study undertaken in 2006-2007 (Cook et al. 2007; available at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2318763) determined that the original construction date of the Shelton House (also known as "Rural Plains") was probably during the period of 1724 to 1726. The present dendrochronological study focused on determining the construction date for a flooring structure on the second floor of the building. This flooring structure was inserted when the original staircase of the building was removed from the center of the house and a new staircase was inserted in the back passage of the house to the west of the original staircase. The present dendrochronological study has shown that the floor was constructed with a timber that was felled in the winter of 1723-1724, leading to the conclusion that the timber was likely used in the construction of the original staircase and then reused to make the flooring that replaced it at a later date.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Worthington, Michael; Seiter, Jane
- Date of Issue
- 2023-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- RICH
- Keywords
- dendrochronology, Hanover County, Mechanicsville, Richmond, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rural Plains, Shelton, Shelton House, tree rings, tree-ring dating, Virginia
- License
- Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal