A geophysical survey of the courtyard of the old Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse and the grounds surrounding the Customs House

Lawson, Charles; Cissell, William; Anderson, David; Cornelison, John

This report includes history and archaeology of the Danish West India and Guinea company Warehouse, and research using ground penetrating radar survey. As part of an ongoing attempt to gather historical information concerning the Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse before its proposed restoration and rehabilitation, Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI) enlisted the assistance of the Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC) to conduct a geophysical survey of the Warehouse complex's courtyard. SEAC performed a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey in the courtyard that incorporated approximately 330 square meters. Twenty-five transects were run with the equipment inside the complex and approximately 100 radar anomalies were identified. These anomalies included known and probable utility lines, possible foundation remnants from non-extant structures, and various other unexplained subsurface features. Some of these anomalies may stem from features associated with the early construction and use of the warehouse complex. In addition to the various individual anomalies identified, evidence of what appears to be a second surface directly below the existing asphalt pavement was detected. This surface is assumed to be the historic patterned brick courtyard surface, and it appears to be mostly intact, directly under a large portion ofthe modem floor. Upon completing the survey in the warehouse's courtyard, two additional areas within CHRI were examined with GPR in order to add to the archeological information available to the park. These areas included the majority of the green space surrounding the Customs House and limited testing of a proposed path for a new utility line along a parking lot access road at the north end of Queen Street, south and east of Fort Christiansvaem. Nothing of archeological significance was detected in the utility line route; the area appeared to be somewhat disturbed by the construction of the road and other utilities running alongside it. However, GPR survey around the Customs House, which encompassed approximately 1200 square meters of survey over which 21 GPR transects were run and over 120 anomalies were detected, was more productive. In addition to identifying numerous utility lines and other modem features, some evidence suggesting that subsurface remains of a baking house and Negro quarters depicted on an 1803 plan of the warehouse complex may still exist outside the Customs House. This preliminary GPR survey of the modem warehouse complex and Customs House has proven that ground penetrating radar is a viable information gathering technique at Christiansted and that various cultural disturbances are present under the warehouse courtyard and in the grassy area surrounding the Customs House. This project suggests that significant archeological resources are likely present under the modem asphalt surface in the warehouse courtyard, and that archeological investigation should precede any renovation projects undertaken at the complex. A more in-depth GPR study, making use of modem equipment and plan map producing software, followed by archaeological testing of pinpointed anomalies is also warranted in the area south and east of the Customs House.