A Cabin in Historic Fairfax County (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this historical marker:

A Cabin in Historic Fairfax County
City of Alexandria, est. 1749
— Alexandria Heritage Trail —

This land was once part of more than 1,100 acres acquired by the Terrett family by the mid-19th century. Within Fairfax County until annexed by the City of Alexandria in 1952, the area was primarily agricultural fields and woodlands here before World War II. Archaeological investigations discovered evidence of a two-room structure on the site. The original room was built about 1800, and the cabin was enlarged sometime after 1830 with the construction of an addition. The structure was occupied for approximately 70 years until destroyed by fire around 1870. A large stone step, door hinges, broken glass, and mortar marked locations of the cabin door, window, and chimney, respectively. While the names of the individuals living in the cabin are not known, the residents may have been African Americans enslaved to the Terretts or tenant farmers. In light of substantial 20th-century development, the site is a rare archaeological find that provides tangible evidence of historic rural life in what is now Alexandria's West End.

How do archaeologists tell a story about a place from broken bits and soil stains? Archaeologist Bob Adams determined that a fire destroyed the building when he discovered melted glass and other charred artifacts. He based the circa-1870 fire date upon the fact that the excavation did not discover any artifacts made later than that time. Historical documents state that the last Terrett family owner sold the land in 1860 to Phillip Jones, who died in 1870. The Civil War (1861-1865), the end of slavery, ownership changes, and fire ultimately led to the abandonment of the site.

[Captions:]
The excavations in archaeological grid squares yielded information leading to a conjectural outline of the two-room cabin. Hand-wrought nails found to the east (right) indicate that a 12-foot square, wood structure was built by about 1800. Archaeologists deduced a construction date of or after 1830 for the second room (left) from the presence of cut nails, which began to be made at the time with the introduction of new technology. The low number of nails recovered in the addition also suggested that it may have been constructed of logs.

International Archaeological Consultants conducted excavations from 1991 to 1993 for The Mark Winkler Company at the cabin site, recorded with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources as 44AX162. Even though trees had grown where the house once stood, the investigation discovered the structure's presence through stones demarcating one side, evidence of a drip-line from the roof, and the presence of brick fragments, window glass, mortar, oyster shells, and hundreds of broken household items used by those living here.

A fragment of an English ceramic platter like this one was found at the cabin. The platter was made between 1813-1829 and may have graced a table which also contained oysters, pork (particularly head and feet portions), beef, chicken or venison. Although isolated, the cabin's residents enjoyed a degree of sophistication with abundant English tea cups, saucers, bowls and plates. Lanterns provided light, and cooking pots hung by the fireplace. A thimble, buttons, a bracelet link, and jewelry applique speak to women's work and values. Two slate pencils attest to literacy. The thin rods would have scratched white lines, similar to chalk, on a black slate tablet. Easily erased, slate pencils and tablets were used to practice writing and arithmetic.

Erected by City of Alexandria, Virginia.