Archaeology at Sunnyside

Archaeological excavations are one of the ways to learn about the past, especially when there are limited or no written records. The first excavations were performed in the 1970s, and the 2022 renovation of the house and park has provided a great opportunity for further investigation. Two excavation units were dug in front of the log cabins and recovered a range of nineteenth and twentieth century artifacts, including artifacts from the Battle of Nashville, such as a fragment of a cannonball. 

Other excavation units were placed near the outbuildings and next to the main house. These archaeological excavations revealed several exciting discoveries including stone flakes and an arrowhead dating from over 3,000 years ago, as well as a bone toothbrush, clothing buttons, a wide assortment of dish fragments, and more Civil War-era bullets. These artifacts, many of which are displayed inside, span the human occupation of Sunnyside representing the lives of Indigenous peoples and later Sunnyside residents. By analyzing the artifacts and the soil in which they were found, we can date them and understand what people ate, what they wore, and even some of the activities they enjoyed. 

During the Sunnyside renovation, two excavation areas were placed within the smokehouse structure below the floorboards. What is a smokehouse you ask? After meat was butchered, it was heavily salted to draw out moisture and then hung in a smokehouse where slow-burning wood smoldered the meat for weeks. The smoke encased the meat, which preserved it for years. Pork and beef were popular choices for this process. The use of smokehouses declined with advances in refrigeration, but if you’re trying to think of a modern-day comparison, think about beef jerky! But back to Sunnyside, the archaeological excavation revealed that the existing building was not the original smokehouse, but instead, the location of an earlier domestic structure!

Further from the house, utility trenches revealed the presence of a rifle pit from the Battle of Nashville as well as the remains of a painted floor of the Park’s public swimming pool. The excavation also uncovered the presence of two underground cisterns, which were used for holding and storing water. Taken together, these discoveries provide a window into the exciting history and changing nature of the property from a rural farm to an urban estate to a popular public park. Archaeology continues to document this history and shed light on the lives of all of the people who have lived and worked at Sunnyside.

Continue clockwise around the house to the next interpretive panel.