Montjoy (18HO254)

The Montjoy Site (18HO254) is situated within the north-central portion of Howard County, Maryland. The site contains 19th century components connected with the occupation of the Montjoy farm, a historic property composed of a mansion and several outbuildings. The building is a two-story, L-shaped dwelling composed of stone, brick, and stucco. The main block of the house is thought to have been built between 1810 and 1835, with additions and modifications made between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. A circular drive leads to the westward-facing front of the mansion. Three contemporary and/or related outbuildings were identified directly north of the mansion house, including the kitchen/slave quarters, a smokehouse, and a garage/work shed.

A Phase I archaeological survey was conducted on the entire Montjoy property (not just the immediate environs of the main house) between June and July of 2003 and included historical research, a pedestrian survey, and shovel testing. A full summary of the history of the property can be found in the complete report. Numerous 19th and 20th century structures, and cultural features, were identified within the study area. These historic resources included the mansion house, 2 tenant houses, a smoke house, a stone kitchen, a garage/work shed, 2 barns, a drive-through granary, a chicken coop, a razed 20th century outbuilding, a well, and several pet burials. Shovel testing followed the pedestrian survey. It was determined that five archaeological sites were present within the survey area, including 18HO254. It was recommended that a Phase II archaeological evaluation be completed near a well feature directly west of a 19th century tenant house on site, and in the side/rear yards and possible cellar interior of the garage/work shed.

The Phase II fieldwork completed for the archaeological evaluation of Site 18HO254 was composed of shovel testing and test unit excavation. A total of 142 shovel test units and 9- 3x3 foot test units were excavated in the various yards surrounding the mansion and associated outbuildings. Eight cultural features were identified including: Feature 1, a domestic artifact midden; Feature 2, a fieldstone garden patio or walkway; Feature 3, an isolated concrete mass; Feature 4, a C-shaped line of brick; Feature 5, a cellar hole with a stone-lined floor; Feature 6, a small buried trash pit; Feature 7, a fieldstone walkway between the mansion and outbuildings; and Feature 8, a possible trench.

The 3,249 pieces of historic material encountered at the site included activity items, architectural artifacts, clothing objects, kitchen-related items, tobacco-related artifacts, an arms object, and miscellaneous objects. A wood button carved with the date ‘1851’, and a stamped brass button dating between 1837-1865 were among the items recovered.

The Montjoy Site is believed to have important historical and archaeological research value, particularly towards better understanding of the lifeways of those occupying Montjoy during the early-to-mid 19th century.

(Edited from the Maryland Historical Trust Synthesis Project)