Colonial People of Pensacola Project

Project History:

The Colonial People of Pensacola public history/archaeology project in downtown Pensacola focused on the civilian residents of colonial Pensacola. Almost all of the existing information about colonial Pensacola concerned the military community. Very little was known about the people who lived outside the fort walls between 1750 and 1821 when Pensacola was the capital of the 14^th British colony of West Florida and then of Spanish West Florida. These civilians were the forefathers of modern-day Pensacola.

There were over a hundred colonial residences outside the fort walls shown on colonial maps. Since archaeologists can often accurately correlate colonial and modern maps, project participants were able to pinpoint the locations of some of the former colonial residences. Two areas with residences and good preservation were Plaza Ferdinand and the Barkley House parcel. In fact, Ferdinand Plaza, where a large Spanish residential compound was located between about 1750 and 1765, had been a protected open public space for 235 years! The Barkley House parcel had nine colonial residences along Zaragoza and Florida Blanca Streets. The remains of one of these houses was located in 1984.

Project Principals:

Dr. Judy Bense, Principal Investigator
Dr. Elizabeth Benchley, Principal Investigator
Ms. Margo Stringfield, Public Archaeologist
Ms. Jan Lloyd, Laboratory Director
Dr. Jay Clune, Historian

Partners:

UWF Archaeology Institute, City of Pensacola, Historic Pensacola Preservation Board (now West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc.) and the Pensacola Archaeological Society. In May 1999, the City of Pensacola Council and the Pensacola Historical Preservation Board passed resolutions to be supporting partners and committed in-kind matching funds.

This project was also sponsored in part by a grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources (now the Office of Cultural and Historical Preservation), assisted by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Purposes:

Community: To conduct an archaeology project that promotes heritage tourism and public involvement through volunteering, observation and on-site tours. In addition, to augment the downtown Colonial Archaeological Trail.
Research: To obtain the first substantial information about the civilian community outside the fortifications in the old colonial town of 1750 - 1821.
Education: To teach archaeology field methods to UWF and Washington High School students and volunteers and to inform the general public about Pensacola's rich history.

Goals:

To conduct excavations at the sites of colonial residences located in what is now Ferdinand Plaza (city-owned) and the Barkley House parcel (state-owned and managed by HPPB).

Funding:

A state grant and in-kind matching funds from UWF, HPPB and the City of Pensacola. The funds were used for historical research, student assistants, supplies, public handouts and information, exhibit design and installation and publication preparation.

Grant: Special Category Matching Grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
In-Kind Match: UWF - salaries for principals; HPPB - office and equipment space; City - heavy equipment for soil removal and filling, security, engineering plans and information; the Pensacola Archaeological Society - public interpretation such as site tours, visitor information and artifact displays.

Excavations:

Excavation began with small test pits (5 x 5 ft.) in each area to locate intact deposits; larger units such as trenches and blocks were opened to expose house foundations and adjacent yard deposits. All units were barricaded and posted during non-work hours. All units were filled upon completion of excavation.

Public Archaeology Features:

Live action webcam
Guided site tours
Public information on site at all times including handouts, updates, newsletters, books, etc.
Media coverage such as regular news coverage of finds and exhibit dedication
Public information in visitors' centers and on local radio stations
Public Events in September and October

Post-excavation

The artifacts recovered were processed and placed in curation at the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute. The artifacts and documentary information are available to researchers and the public. Displays of artifacts and other information were installed at the T.T. Wentworth Museum and the Archaeology Institute.

Site Design by Suzanne Bushway.
ColdFusion by William Hair.