Uncovering History

One of the big stories today was really a big story of yesteryear. Michael Terranova, a Beacon Hill homeowner, was renovating his property when he uncovered a cache of 19th century artifacts. Robert Roberts (the man so nice they named him twice) was a free black man living in Boston serving the governor in the early 1800's when he built his home, the home that Terranova now inhabits. Boston University Archeologist, Ellen Berkland was called in to the site when Terranova stopped the contractors he had hired from cementing over a small space holding the artifacts. The small space in the basement of the rotting shed had once served as a latrine and catch-all waste bin for the 3 ½ story house since it was built around 1840. Archeologists are excited by the find of everyday life items of a free-black family. From pottery fragments to marbles to leather shoes the find is a look into the everyday items that were commonplace in the time, though there is little if any documentation for these items belonging to a black family of the time in this area. Everywhere you look in Boston there seems to be a historical site, stories of the past, and those pesky NPS folks dressed up in their colonial garb. It is somewhat surprising that in an area so rich with history that there is little regulation and obligation for private owners to notify historical societies of such finds. The Big Dig's archeological efforts may have uncovered a volume of artifacts greater than this find – but so far they have found over 1,000 individual pieces and have employed a large number of volunteers to help them sift through what once was, well, a pile of crap.

The house pictured isn't the house that Robert Roberts built - it is, however, a site on the Black Heritage Trail also located on Joy St.