Heritage Heights (18HO149)

The Heritage Heights Site (18HO149) is a 19th to 20th century homestead located near the town of Clarksville in Howard County, Maryland, and is possibly associated with the locally prominent Warfield family. The Warfields were one of the founding families of Maryland.

The site was initially encountered by the Maryland Geological Survey – Division of Archeology (now the Maryland Historical Trust) during a Phase I survey in 1987 relating to the improvement of Maryland Route 32. At that time, several historic features were identified at the site including a structure (Feature 1), an associated brick concentration (Feature 2), and an historic trash midden (Feature 3). In addition, a prehistoric artifact scatter consisting of three quartz flakes was recovered. The Phase I survey of the site included: (1) a sketch map of site features; (2) the excavation of a total of seven shovel test pits in the northern half of the site; and (3) the surface collection of Feature 3. Twenty-five historic artifacts were recovered. Additional research was recommended by MGS in order to evaluate the significance of the site in terms of National Register eligibility criteria.

As part of the Phase II project, extensive archival research was conducted. It was possible to determine that the Heritage Heights Site represented the mid-twentieth century merger of two historic landholdings: a portion of “White Wine and Claret” and a Warfield family farm. The land transaction records, particularly the deed descriptions, are not sufficiently detailed to pinpoint the exact location of the Heritage Heights Site.

Phase II field testing at 18HO149 was undertaken in 1989 and 1990. The initial fieldwork began with the creation of a systematic site grid encompassing and oriented to Feature 1 (the historic foundation). A total of 74 shovel test pits were excavated across the site during these initial investigations. Three 1 X 1 meter test units were excavated as part of the initial Phase II archaeological study.

Upon completion of preliminary Phase II fieldwork, it was determined that the prehistoric component at the site was potentially more substantial than expected. An additional 25 shovel test pits were excavated, for a total of 99 shovel test pits excavated across the Heritage Height Site. Three additional 1 X 1 meter test units were placed in areas of high prehistoric artifact density, as determined by initial Phase II shovel testing.

Well over 8,000 artifacts were recovered during Phase II fieldwork, all but 53 of which were historic. The historic artifact assemblage included 454 activity items, 2,245 architectural objects, 40 clothing items, 37 furniture items, 4,463 kitchen-related artifacts, 17 personal items, a tobacco-related object, 9 arms artifacts, and 1,192 miscellaneous objects. All of the artifacts recovered in association with the structure (Feature 1) date to the 20th century, and appear to be related to its dismantling and/or abandonment. Inspection of Feature 2 revealed that it probably represents the results of a chimney fall on the east side of the structure. An analysis of Feature 3 indicates that it was deposited during the first half of the 20th century and was not culturally stratified.

The prehistoric assemblage included 53 artifacts. There was a quartz Piscataway-like biface, a quartzite Holmes stemmed point, a quartz LeCroy point, a quartz biface, a rhyolite biface, 39 quartz flakes, 5 rhyolite flakes, 2 chalcedony flakes, 1 diabase flake, and a piece of chalcedony shatter. The three diagnostic bifaces indicate that the prehistoric occupation of the site dates roughly from the Early to Middle Archaic Period (9,500-6,000 BP). Based on the environmental setting of the site, in conjunction with the recovered lithics, Heritage Heights probably served as a small, limited activity procurement campsite.

(Edited from the Maryland Historical Trust Synthesis Project)