Projects & Sites

Field-Bickford Garrison Site

                                                               Damm Garrison

The Field-Bickford Garrison was initially built prior to 1638 as a pioneer homestead, ordinary (tavern) and ferry landing. It served as a key point of entry to the Oyster River Plantation, one of the first English settlements in New Hampshire. The site was one of the fortified structures attacked in the famous Oyster River Plantation Massacre of 1694 and survived a determined assault by an Abenaki force through the brave and clever actions of Thomas Bickford. The structure however has a far wider history, having been the property of Darby Field, famous as the first European to have summited Mt. Washington, and as a major economic nexus for the emerging colony. A preliminary inspection of the site has identified the probable house cellar and artifacts on the adjacent shore that date to the period in question.

The specific research objective for the 2008 field school is to continue work on the Bickford Garrison, define the limits of the structure, identify associated outbuildings and related ferry facilities, and establish a baseline of information for a broader investigation of this and related Oyster River Plantation sites. The field investigations will incorporate standard archaeological field excavation techniques, working with a rigorously defined grid system and employing ground penetrating radar and other remote sensing equipment. This investigation will specifically lay the groundwork for longer range research over the coming years.

The ultimate goal is to bring to light an immensely important and complex, though poorly understood, era of New Hampshire’s early colonial history. Previous research and publication by Craig J. Brown has gone far to clarify the circumstances of this site and its associated history, however only a small portion of the historic potential has been revealed. The archaeological investigations will add considerable empirical data to the historic record.