Van Winkle's Mill Initial Mapping & Testing Project: 1997-2000

Beginning in October of 1997 an extensive mapping and limited archeological testing project was conducted at Van Winkle's Mill by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Station of the Arkansas Archeological Survey.

This project was initiated by personnel at the recently formed Beaver Lake State Park (now integrated into the Hobbs State Park and Conservation Area) who had written to the State Archeologist requesting guidance concerning the documentation and historic interpretation of the mill and related features. This original mapping project established the landscape approach to the site and identified 24 major cultural features associated with the Van Winkle's Mill community. These features included elements of the main house, a raised garden terrace, a stone-lined springhouse, a brick privy, elements of the mill complex and a chimney fall associated with a possible worker's quarters.

During the initial phase of the Van Winkle project field work concentrated on mapping the cultural features in the hollow and assessing how intact the archaeological deposits were in the main house area.

The large, raised, formal victorian-style garden across from the home (Feature 1) was the place we started. We placed the center point for our excavation grid (N100/W100) and began our careful clearing and mapping.

At the site of the Van Winkle home we mapped all of the above-ground remnants of foundations and chimneys. A series of test excavation units and backhoe trenches were placed at the former location of the 1870s home.

In March of 1999 and March of 2000 two testing programs were conducted at Feature 9, a suspected mill worker's quarters. These "spring break" excavations were undertaken by a mix of AAS personnel and students enrolled at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Excavations established the domestic character of Feature 9 and provided us with some basic architectural and chronological information.

The mapping project and excavations conducted at Van Winkle's Mill between 1997-1999 were conducted gratis by the UAF Station of the AAS, but Arkansas State Parks provided money for the analysis and write up of the 1997-1999 work (Brandon et al. 2000).