Ryon Site (18PR934)

The Ryon Site (18PR934) lies within 2.42 acres of the Washington Post Property, between Forestville Road and the Capital Beltway in Forestville, Maryland. It contains the foundation ruins of the 19th-century frame Ryon Farmhouse structure (demolished in the 1980s) and associated outbuildings, was used for agriculture until the late twentieth century, and served as the main residence of a parcel of land known as Covert Farm. The former fields are currently overgrown and most of the property is wooded, with a moderate to very dense understory. Other features related to the farmstead include a sunken field and concrete outbuilding, both located east of the house.

Previous research indicates that the property was patented as early as 1716 and that the Ryon Farmhouse (MIHP PG:75A-5) was likely constructed by Fielder Ryon after he acquired the property in 1840 and occupied by his descendants until about 1986. A two-story addition dated to 1912. A 1974 photograph shows the house standing along with a garage and barn located on the terraces to the east. The barn may be the building that appears on a 1938 aerial photo of the property.

This site was initially identified in February of 2008 by Applied Archaeology and History Associates, Inc. (AAHA) during a Phase I survey of the Washington Post (Jemal's Post) Property. Phase II exploration of the property, also conducted by AAHA, consisted of the excavation of 8 1x1 m excavation units and a partial (1 m x 20 cm) excavation unit. Additional Phase II work conducted in 2014 by AAHA had a total of 182 shovel test pits, 11 1x1 m excavation units and 1 2x1 m unit. Phase III work in the summer of 2020 by the same firm explored areas where features had been identified in the Phase II work. Most of the work was targeted towards Feature 10/106 and a smaller exploration of a possible precontact lithic cache behind the farmhouse ruins.

The stratigraphy across the Phase III excavation area was generally characterized by topsoil fill-over-subsoil, with most features identified at the base of topsoil. A historic yard activity surface/sheet midden was also present in portions of the site. The Phase III investigation resulted in the excavation of 30 TUs and the identification or re-identification of 13 features, including one infilled free-standing root cellar (F.10/106) and one larger infilled cellar likely belonging to a residence predating the Ryon farmhouse (F.109). The prevalence of cut nails associated with this feature, with the corresponding absence of hand-wrought nails, suggests this residence was constructed in the nineteenth century, and the ceramic types and decorative styles in the fill suggest it was demolished and filled during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. The free-standing root cellar, by contrast, appears to have been in use at least until the 1840s. A possible buried yard surface just north of Feature 109 appears to be related to the demolished residence. Other features reflect possible structural elements relating to Feature 10/106 or Feature 109.

The distribution of artifacts recovered from the Phase II 182 shovel tests revealed what appears to be a re-focusing of activity areas from north/south to east/west at about the time the Ryon family acquired the property in the mid-19th century. It also revealed extensive landscaping in the area east of the farmhouse.

There are clearly two historic occupations of the Ryon Site; one dating to the late 18th to early 19th century and represented by Feature 10, and the other dating from the mid-19th to the late 20th centuries, represented by the foundations of the Ryon farmhouse. The early historic occupation may be associated with either tenants or Dr. Mitchell, his family, and slaves, while the second is surely associated with the long-term occupation of the Ryon family.

In total, 2,910 historic artifacts were recovered from 18PR934 during the Phase III fieldwork. Architectural, activity, domestic, personal, clothing, miscellaneous, faunal, and floral groups were present. The artifacts generally seem to reflect a modest household utilizing domestic stoneware and earthenware rather than more expensive and higher-status serving wares such as imported porcelain. A broad array of decorative styles was identified, most of which were manufactured in the second or third quarter of the nineteenth century. This suggests that the height of the occupants’ affluence occurred around this time, which neatly fits census record indicating that the valuation of Thomas Ryon’s estate, including Site 18PR934 and its associated farm, fell during the final quarter of the nineteenth century.

There also appears to be a potentially intact prehistoric component within the site. One 2 square meter excavation unit was excavated behind the Ryon Farmhouse, where a concentration of precontact artifacts had been identified during the Phase IIB. The prehistoric lithics recovered possibly represent a prehistoric hearth. This unit was characterized by approximately 50 cm of fill over subsoil.

(Written by Patricia Samford, from archeological site survey form, Maryland Historical Trust)