ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG AT UNDERGROUND RAILROAD BARN SET


There is a lot of excitement in  Frank and Jackie Perusse's kitchen on the Union Road in Peru these days. An archaelogical dig of an historic barn on their property (the old Stafford place) will be conducted on Saturday, April 17, 2010 and Sunday, the 18th.   Quaker  Underground Railroad agent Stephen Keese Smith is believed to have hidden fugitives from slavery in the barn. The North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association (NCUGRHA) has raised over $2,000 to stabilize the structure.  Archaeological excavations  are  being conducted  before a committee headed by architectural engineer Glenn Erb and barn restoration expert Bill Umbreit begin to remove tree stumps from the barn's perimeter and re-point its foundation. The organizer of the exploratory excavations is Archaeologist Andrew Black  of Black Drake Consulting.  Black will supervise a cadre of students from SUNY Plattsburgh and members of NCUGRHA. Students from SUNY Potsdam have been invited to also join the dig.

If any artifact deposits are found associated with the time period the barn was used for the UGRR (1830-1860), additional work may be suggested to recover the information contained in the deposits.

It is important that the search for UGGR related artifacts be completed before the barn is restored to agricultural uses.  Frank Perusse recently discovered the foundation of another out building on his property which may also get some attention.

Andrew Black asks that reporters who wish to take photographs come on Sunday. This will give his volunteers enough time to locate and identify artifacts.

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For further information about this project, please contact Glenn Erb or Andrew T. Black.

Contacts:                                                                   

Glenn Erb
Chairman, S.K. Smith Barn Restoration
Project Committee
(518) 534-4165
glenn_erb@yahoo.com

Andrew T. Black
Black Drake Consulting
(518) 569-9205
black@blackdrake.com

North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association
P.O. Box 2413
Plattsburgh, NY 12901