www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 28, 2006 - 7 Unearthing the mysteries of the past from Erchless By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ever so slowly, Erchless Estate continues to relinquish its secrets after an archaeological team surveyed the historic lakefront property last week. Its members did so through a systematic examination of the site in conjunction with reference to old maps and photographs to determine how the landscape has changed through time and what it looked like in different periods. This was done under the eye of Wilfrid Laurier University Archaeology professor Dr. John Triggs who along with three employees of his private consulting firm Historic Horizons Inc. first familiarized themselves with the estate with relevant documents then set about probing the property. They did so by digging small test pits in a five-metre grid pattern all over the manicured lawn to discover any artifacts or other features layer by layer. Based on this sampling, the team can then determine the most interesting spots to return to and dig further. Considering he's already aware of 33 "things of interest" that have left their imprint on the site, Triggs is hopeful that will happen. "I'd like to come back," he said, explaining he will be recommending as much to Oakville Museum manager Susan Crane. Triggs originally spent time in October 2004 with field archaeologists Shan Ling and Andrew Howes digging around Erchless' western porch after several features of inter- LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SIFTING THROUGH THE PAST: Archaeologist Jacqueline Fisher sifts through soil from a test pit in search of artifacts from the grounds of the Erchless Estate. est were accidentally uncovered by a construction crew. Their research determined that what lay under the porch including a cistern is part of an "undocumented" build- ing, possibly an original Customs House. "Not everything is recorded," said Triggs. Since then, he's thoroughly researched the property and seen how fluid its use has been, from a customs facility in its formative days to a grand estate in the 1850s and finally an idyllic country retreat in the early 1900s. A "gold mine of information," said Triggs, was a professional photo shoot conducted at Erchless sometime between 1906 and 1910, the resulting photographs from which showed everything from stables and a water tower to a windmill to pump water from the creek. Also seen was a carriage way on the property. "Photographs are better than maps," said Triggs. "It's good to know what you're looking for." Last week's team (Ling, Jacqueline Fisher and Ruth Macdougall) came across something of interest in virtually every test pit they dug, including ceramics, nails, window glass, bricks and based on soil compaction a road. In fact, says Triggs, there is evidence that both Front and Water Streets actually continued onto the property. On the formerly marshy land at the base of the hill near the creek, Triggs knows of at least five buildings (an icehouse, fishhouse and more) that once existed there. In one of the test pits, they also found cobblestones, likely from a road. The team also found pre-contact artifacts circa 1000 AD such as pottery and tools to make arrowheads and cutting implements mixed with evidence of European settlement. Further investigation could find proof of thousands of years of occupation on the site, said Triggs. One key to narrowing timeframes, he explained, is by closely examining soil layers in the test pits and the clear horizons seen between them. "The layers are everything," added Triggs, saying he's pleased to recommend further investigation. Crane, too, is delighted by Triggs' findings, saying every new shred of information is a valuable piece of Erchless' historical puzzle. The money necessary to pay for more digs is the question. "It all comes down to funding," said Crane. Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate is a four-acre home and gardens set at the foot of Navy Street. It preserves and interprets the town's history through the heritage and home of Oakville's founding family, the Chisholms. Today, visitors to the Oakville Museum can take a guided tour of Erchless, the Chisholm family home, which was completed in 1856, but authentically restored to its 1925 appearance. Visitors can also experience the Custom House, once home to a bank, general store and Oakville's Custom Offices, which now houses the Museum's temporary exhibits, and boasts a beautiful view of Lake Ontario. The estate is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, "Conservation of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest." Howard Mozel can be reached at hmozel@haltonsearch.com. For more news about your community visit www.oakvillebeaver.com OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 140 Rebecca St. OAKVILLE 844-7728