2004 Field School & Industrial Archaeology Project-West Point Foundry Michigan Technological University

Posting July 1, 2004 by Arron Kotlensky

Following on the heels of a very successful field school, Michigan Tech IA graduate students and professors continued their work this week at the West Point Foundry. Excavations begun during the field school will continue for the next six weeks, allowing Tech students greater time to answer intriguing questions about the Foundry's past. Of particular note for this week, three additional crew members were welcomed into this summer's projects. Pat Baird, a second-year IA graduate student, Ed Tennant, an incoming first-year IA graduate student, and Paul White, an IA alumnus, will all be working at the Foundry for the remainder of the field season. Each one brings unique talents to the work underway and we are quite happy to have them with us.

Mentioned in previous updates, excavations this summer have focused on two areas that were vitally important to the Foundry's operations-the boring mill and the blowing engine of the blast furnace. Groups working in both areas have made excellent progress this past week and the work done at each place deserves attention. At the boring mill this week, excavation was focused in two areas. In the first area, a large oval-shaped stone-lined structure resembling a well was partially excavated. The "well" lies within the center of the boring mill complex but its original purpose has remained a mystery so far. Speculations on the original use of the structure have ranged from a pit for vertically boring cannons to a "surge" tank for the waterwheel that powered machinery in the boring mill. Hoping to finally determine its purpose, excavation of the structure began and progressed for a couple of feet beyond excavations last year. However, work was halted because as the excavation grew deeper, ground water seeping into the structure made digging impractical. With regards to the second area, students are continuing to investigate the arrangement of machinery and work space in the north end of the boring mill. In one part of this area, students have been gradually unearthing a stone base that may have supported a machine or a crane. Around this stonebase are varying layers of soil, arranged in a manner suggesting that operations at the boring mill may have changed several times over its long life.
	This week at the site of the blast furnace's blowing engine, excavation continued to focus on finding the placement of the waterwheel and its drainage system. Two areas are being scrutinized in particular because they appear to have been key components to the waterwheel's structural foundation. Excavation during the past six weeks in the first area has focused on determining if and how water was directed under the blast furnace. During the past week in particular, evidence has been found in this area that suggests water was indeed directed under the blast furnace through a channel that rested on granite bedrock. Excavation around this area will be expanded next week to gain more insight into this channel and any associated structures. Only a few yards north of this area, excavations are being expanded to find the "pit" in which the waterwheel would have operated. Several structural foundations have been unearthed and when mapped out and seen on paper, these foundations appear to have been built at the same time and served a singular purpose. To figure out this purpose though, further excavation in this area will follow in the coming weeks. Please check back with us next week to see how we've come along and feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you might have. Arron Kotlensky
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