Archaeology at James Madison's Montpelier Zoom Talk

This is the beginning of a series of posts about archaeology at James Madison's plantation called Montpelier. Over the summer I told Jen, professor of public archaeology at Rowan University, that friends often ask me how they, too, can become involved with public digs and I tell them about digging at Red Bank. She misunderstood my comment, and replied the best program she knows about takes place at Montpelier, their Archaeology Exploration Program where ordinary people can participate on a dig.

This time it was my turn to misunderstand her. I thought she was sending me to a program in Montpelier, Vermont.

A quick google search and I was on track. I looked at the list of dates for the 2026 digging season and decided on the week of September 28-October 2. Temperatures should be cooler. It is a quieter time of year.

I invited Don to join me, but he had another plan. He decided to ride the Great Allegheny Passage to the C&O Rail Trail that week instead. He promises me a blogpost that will be shared HERE. The plan then became we would both do something we loved: me digging, him riding, and meet up in Virginia on Friday afternoon.

I asked Martha P. (I have several Marth archaeology friends), one of my Newlin Grist Mill archaeology friends if she wanted to join me. She jumped on the opportunity. We shared a hotel room about ten minutes away in Orange, Virginia.

Two and a half weeks before our adventures we had a zoom call. We were also sent readings to help us prepare for our trip.

From the Zoom talk, led by Matthew, the head of the Archaeology Program. He said Montpelier offers weeklong, and two-day programs. Alumni are allowed to stay in Arlington House, which he described as a dorm/barracks, or in Constitutional Village. There are other hotels and Airbnbs in the area. He does not recommend staying in Richmond as the commute would be too long.

We would start with a breakfast on Monday morning. A change from the Sunday evening welcoming reception we had read about. 

There would be a link to a Google folder with information about the staff, readings, and a packing list.

The list of what to pack did not surprise me: gloves, hats, sunscreen, bug spray, pants, work boots/tennis shoes, layers. Then he added clean shoes for when we go in the house because archaeologists always bring with them a layer of dirt. The other important reminder was that everything we wear will end up covered in Virginia red clay soil that is very hard to get out. Basically be prepared for "heavy gardening."

Bring a water bottle, pack a lunch each day.

Ticks are an issue, especially on our walking tours in the woods.

We will receive a schedule before our week. 

Montpelier is in Northern Central Virginia in the Piedmont Mountains. Orange is about five minutes away on Route 20. It is near Charlottesville and Fredericksburg, about 90 minutes from Washington, DC without traffic. The property is 2,650 acres (later we learned the original plantation was about 5,000 acres). 

In 1987 Montpelier joined the National Trust when the property was gifted by the DuPont Family, the last owners. The trustees decided to bring it back to how it looked in the 1820s when James and Dolley Madison were entertaining guests in his post-Presidential years. The large DuPont-era addition was removed. A visitor's center was added. The area from the Madison family cemetery to the Temple, where we would be working, make up the main part of the tourist sections of the land. Across the street is the 1870s-1880s Gilmore Cabin. The Community Archaeology Lab at Montpelier is also across the street.

Our readings would give us a sense of the history of the site.

In 1811 the neoclassic Temple was built by slaves on the 18th century 
blacksmith.  

The goals are the meet the needs of Montpelier Foundation to understand what was here in the 18th to 19th century. There is the Southern Yard, where some of the enslaved live, and the Mere Distinction of Colour exhibit in the basement of the mansion. Both were created based on archaeological finds.

Recently, the 18th century blacksmith
complex was found using metal detecting surveys and a heat map that marked the hits. They did not dig out each hit. The area is marked off with a 10x10 grid using blue flags.

We will work on shovel test pits and units during our week.

For the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, excavations were started this spring around the 18th century blacksmith shop. During the Revolutionary War materials were made for the Continental army. The 1776-1784 ledger book kept by Moses, the enslaved blacksmith, is one of the only ledger books to survive. It has a wealth of information.

A project was started a decade ago to match blacksmith customer names with deeds from the time. This was a focus of one of the lunchtime lectures we received a link to watch. Ten years later, they are able to identify where 180 of the 250 customers lived. It was quite a hub of activity.

During the Revolutionary War James Madison, Sr. was in charge of the local militia. He had to figure out how to deal with the loyalists, the politics of living during those days, how the enslaved population is connected. Other family members also owned plantations in the area.

The restoration of the Temple and the ice house that is 25 feet underground has been an on-going project. Through this they have discovered the 1820s road network. The blacksmith shop used to be where the Temple now stands. It was moved in the 19th century closer to where the visitor's center now stands. They would like to reconstruct it.

During the time of the American Revolution this area had a gully where slag and debris were thrown. In the early 1800s, the blacksmith ship was moved and the area was repaved with a road. Wagon ruts have been discovered from the time before another road was put on it. There is a layer caking of the landscaping features. Time travels 200 to 2,000 years in three inches of dirt. 

The area is rich in artifacts of trash that remains from the 1840s. We'll have a chance to explore the ice house.

Why was the blacksmith shop moved and the temple built?

When the main house was expanded it was moved to the Home Farm. The house house had issues with penetration. The slag deposits allowed the soil to be drained, similar to house a French drain works. James and Dolley Madison expanded the formal landscape gardens to form neo-Georgian look. The work area had to move away from the house to segregate from parties to show they were prospering. 

There were levels of people who used this space. 

Do the readings. They will help prepare us. On the other hand, they will meet us where we arrive.

Back to the logistics for the week. Bring a car. The campus is 3/4 of a mile. Uber does not really exist in this area.

Heinz 57 Birthday

This year my birthday fell on a Sunday. The birthday itself felt like a bit of a boo hoo day. Nothing bad, but really nothing special happened. 

I recently read an Instagram story where the husband asks the wife what she wants for her birthday. She says nothing, and he takes her at her word. What she meant was she still wanted to feel special, but did not want to spend a lot of money to make that happen. Make it so she is not in charge of fixing dinner that night, have the kids make a homemade card, be a little extra nice. Make the day feel less like every other day.

That's how I felt this year.

I suggested a walk on the Asbury Park/Ocean Grove boardwalk. That morning I added in a trip to the new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music. I also suggested lunch at the Starving Artist in Ocean Grove because I knew the longer day would make us both peckish. 

All to be capped off with dinner with mom at her house  which would be a little sad because it is the first one without dad being there, too. The first one with a card signed Love, mom, and not Love, mom and MNG. MNG stood for Mr. Nice Guy, one of dad's many nicknames.

What I wanted was for Don to call and make a lunch reservation so we didn't lose 30 minutes waiting for a table. I wanted the earrings he bought for me that are two weeks later are still sitting in a gift bag on the kitchen table (I picked them out a week earlier, he wants to swap the backs for the ladderbacks I prefer). I wanted him to pay for lunch, instead I paid half of it because the place prefers cash. Don has not paid me back. His response when I made a comment was "I could have charged it." That's besides the point. 

In the end, I didn't feel special on my special day.

The birthday greetings on Facebook, texts, and emails were lovely, but the wishes to have the best birthday ever sets the bar a little high.

Bruce Springsteen Center of American Music (at Monmouth University)

Not quite three months ago, the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music opened on the campus of Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ. Looking for something fun to do on my birthday, I suggested to Don that we add it into our already planned walk on the Asbury Park/Ocean Grove boardwalk. The boardwalk stroll has become something of a regular walk for us. So far this year, we went in February to see snow on the beach, on Mother's Day to spend time with Ashley, in July for the Color and Light Festival. It is just over an hour away by car and feels like a complete change of scenery.

I checked their website to see if there were tickets available, then suggested the outing to Don. It has been on our wish list since their June 13, 2026 grand opening. I was pleasantly surprised to see tickets available for every time slot despite it being Labor Day weekend.

By the time we drove to Ocean Grove, waited 30 minutes for lunch, and ate lunch, we arrived at the center with barely two hours to enjoy it. Based on things I had read, I thought that would be enough time. 

I was wrong.

A highlight of the museum (especially locals familiar with the area) is the 25-minute movie narrated by The Boss himself. Filmed over the winter in Asbury Park, it shows Springsteen driving familiar streets in his tiny two-seater convertible with the top up, stopping inside the Casino, a diner, and a record shop to talk about the trajectory of music. I know it was filmed in the winter because I saw snow on the Boardwalk, similar to our February visit.

The first floor has a rotating temporary exhibits in the far corner. We saw the exhibit entitled Chimes of Freedom: Protest, Patriotism, & the Power of Song dedicated to American protest music from 1776, when the patriots sang Yankee Doodle Dandy, to this year's Streets of Minneapolis, written and performed by Springsteen. Our nation has a long history of protest music.

The middle section is a high level room filled with evolution of American music over the centuries. In the Jon Landau American Music Gallery, I noted many of the iconic costumes are from Hard Rock International. The room brings to life the trajectory of American Music that Springsteen talks about in the movie. The roots of rock and roll stem from earlier musical influences including gospel, blues, spirituals, doo wop, jazz, country, hip-hop, etc. Each panel brings back memories. I did not see a Dolly Parton or Taylor Swift costume, both of which would fit in the room. There were a couple of items from Lady Gaga, Cher, and other superstars.

Upstairs on the Columbia records level is the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street
Band room with displays arranged by decade. These are the rooms most Springsteen fans travel to see as if it was a pilgrimage site. Well, to those traveling from afar, it is. People tour the museum, then head to the Shore to see the corner of E Street and 10th Avenue, the Stone Pony, and any other Boss reference they can think of. Inside are his Grammys and even his Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Don's favorite part was the exhibit highlighting Bruce's education, or rather his self-education. There is a table with raised shapes on it that change as Bruce talks about the books that most heavily influenced him. The room feels like a static library with pictures, and glass cases containing some of his influences. I wish I had brought my notebook to jot down titles. Don has always been impressed his wordsmithing, especially

considering he barely survived high school, and only went to the local community college for a semester (where he thrived in Creative Writing, and nothing else).

My big takeaway from the day was that Bruce
Springsteen was a packrat. The items inside the cases are all from his private collection, including keys from mid-level hotels he stayed at during his early tours. I shared a picture of his key collection on social media. Uncle Tom confirmed that was a thing in those days. Mom suggested women threw the hotel keys at him while he was on tour as an invitation. Elizabeth said she worked in a similar level hotel in the late 80s, early 90s, and said they had a key cutter in the back because keys always disappeared. Still, he saved these 50 years later not knowing someday they would be in a museum.

I am glad he saved the cheap notebooks he used to write music. His writing all his songs (seems he has the same process now) shows the evolution from the initial thought through minor changes in wording to the final product. Students will be studying his craft for decades.

In the corner is a room called "Inside the Magic" where his bandmates explain their role in the performance. You can even try to make sounds on a drum, keyboard, etc. It was lonely being in the room by myself. It begs for a group of friends to jam as they learn. Yes, there are headphones so the noise should not become too overwhelming.

A room we spent much too much time in
was "In Concert." On a very large screen a dozen (or so) of her concerts are projected in chronological order. The walls are filled with (silently) screaming fans holding signs and fully engaged in the moment. You can suspend belief and imagine yourself in the room where he is performing. The most recent was earlier in the year at Monmouth University.

In another corner are the archives. When purchasing your ticket you are given the option of archives, or no archives, with a time stamp. That feels intimidating. Both prices are the same. Select with archives. Don't worry about the time stamp unless they are crowded. Inside the room are fan scrapbooks you can touch. They remind me of the scrapbooks I created about my college years. Ones I have not looked at in years. They have newspaper and magazine articles, ticket stubs (remember those?), and other ephemera. There are also screens you can use to do a deeper dive into his music. Just add the archive room even if you only spend a few minutes inside it feeling overwhelmed, as I did.

I also enjoyed the room with famous portraits, such as ones that became album covers.

Downstairs there are large windows filled with proof that Bruce spent time performing at Monmouth University, plus his hard hat showing he was hands on with the building of the center. 

See, you need more than two hours if you want to feel completely immersed in the world of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Things that Unite Us

I feel like we are living in very divisive times. Times where no matter what I say, someone disagrees with me. I mean ADAMENTLY disagrees with me. The divisions make it hard to have a conversation with a new person. 

Here is my list of topics we can all agree on:

1) Dolly Parton was inspirational

2) Eclipses are cool

3) Betty White was sweet

4) We need to cocoon elderly icons, such as Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke so they can live longer

I'm not sure where to go with this list. We need to learn to listen to each other and have real conversations without screaming. 

It is hard.

While at a protest I spoke with a woman who shared a recent experience she had while traveling. She and her husband were overseas. They met another American couple about their age (I'm guessing in their 70s). The other couple was from Texas and the opposite of them politically. They had a debate. The other couple was willing to listen to views that were completely at odds with theirs. In the end, the Texas couple paid for the New Jersey couple's meal as they left. The staff commented they had never seen a dialogue like that and were in awe. I'm in awe each side could calmly share their views with the other. 

No matter where you stand on issues, I hope you can agree the nation is a mess. We need to come together to rebuild. It won't be quick, and it certainly won't be easy, but we owe it to ourselves to try.

Please list more uniting thoughts in the comments -- things we can all agree on.

Paramus Disney Store

Back in May Debbi told us Paramus would be getting a Disney Store. After college in early 1990's, Debbi worked for the Quaker Bridge Disney Store. She worked at Walt Disney World, too. Her favorite character is Figment.

The announcement about the Paramus store opening in the fall added that a store would be opening in Pittsburgh in May. Though we would be in Pittsburgh in May, we were leaving the day before the store opened. We did drive to the mall to see the outside for ourselves. 

There weren't any holes giving us a glimpse at the magic. The CBS news story said a child would be chosen to put the key in to unlock the the magic at 10 am. They also said there will be QR codes to book a time to enter the store. I'm happy to say the Paramus store did not involve that hoop for entering.

Fast forward to the fall. I learned the Paramus Disney Store would be opening on September 3. I read it would only be open for three weeks. Not sure where I read that, since other reports said it would be open through the holiday season, which makes much more sense. On our drive north, Debbi said the store won't open until 4 pm, or about 15 minutes after Mapquest said we would arrive.

The Paramus store is located inside Garden State Plaza, a far larger mall than the Ross Park Mall on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. I didn't give this plan much thought. After going to Frank's funeral the night before, seeing Don's busy work schedule, and knowing I potentially have jury duty the following week, I just made plans to drive up after having brunch with a different friend. Nothing like cramming too much into a day.

Debbi and Don were good sports about the drive. They also graciously accepted I was too tired for much more than driving to Paramus and back.

The wait was long and not well organized. In front of the store was a grid designed to resemble a theme park switchback line. The lines were too tight and narrow for strollers, and too flat to keep us from simply moving forward. Unnumbered blue wrist bracelets were handed out to prove you were in line. The line stretched past Macy's. I felt they were unprepared for the crowd since the line ended at Macy's, where two more lines formed to join the back of the official line. Perhaps we should have been given different colored wrist wraps, or something with numbers on them. 

We gave up on the chaos and merged into a hole in the official line while the cast member kept shrugging and saying "what do you expect me to do, I'm all alone." He had mall security with him to figure out the best way to organize a line. Finally they moved the line up to the second level and had it continue so they were not blocking the entrance to stores. I'll assume the line will not be this long again, though the Paramus malls did get super crowded in the holiday seasons of my youth.

While the grand opening ceremony was taking place, Debbi and I stood across the hall to watch. I did not notice a child with a large key, but other bloggers captured the moment a mini-Sleeping Beauty opened the store. Evidently, a child will be given this task every day. I'm glad to be past that stage in life where I drive my child to the mall in the hopes she is chosen.

Opening took place a few minutes after four. They kept the line moving fairly quickly. The line for the register also grew pretty quickly.

Now for the store. This write up from Disney Parks Blog is a lot more comprehensive and upbeat than I could ever be. We enjoyed the New Jersey theming attempts, even if we feel there is more to the Garden State than pizza and bagels. 

I did not appreciate the limited edition merchandise that was unveiled at D23. Evidently that and the Halloween merchandise were hot stuff. 

I saw the New Jersey themed t-shirts ($29.99) and flat tote bag ($24.99) and left them behind. The quality did not justify the prices. The Alice in Wonderland merchandise was harder to resist, but I did. The three of us, who 15 years ago I would have described as diehard Disney fans, all left empty-handed and a little sad. We were glad to see the store, but missed plush mountain and the Disney stores of the 1990s and early 2000s. According to this blog there are still 20 stores in the United States, mostly outlet stores, including one in Elizabeth, NJ at the Jersey Fresh Outlets. I thought all but the flagship location in New York City were closed.

We left happy that we made the trip. In true Disney fashion, as we waited Cast Members tried to make the line experience fun. They handed out green headbands with eyes on them from a movie I did not recognize, postcards, and Celebrating stickers. I was happy with the postcard. 

The spin through the store was a brief step back in time. That said, none of us plan on returning.

Another Funeral

Why do funerals begin with the letters F-U-N? They are not fun. Yes, it is nice to see people we have not seen in years. Though seeing them is a reminder we need to get together under happier situations more often.

Frank brought us together. 

The priest reminded us a person dies twice. The first is when they leave their physical body. The second is the last time someone says their name.

Frank

Carina Hope

Peter

Xavier

Charlie

Children of friends who died much sooner than they should have. They leave behind giant holes.

The priest added we will all be changed by Frank's death. Maybe we'll take life a little slower. Maybe we'll push someone to vote (Frank was a Poli Sci student at our alma mater who wanted to become Chief of Staff). I know I've reminded people stressing about a typo or something trivial to put it in perspective. I try to say it gently. I'm sure one day I'll snap.

After the service a bunch of us gathered at a restaurant. I was at a table with Kappas Dave, Pete, Marc, and Steve, plus spouses Don, Tammy, and Michelle. Since graduating from college in 1992, I only remember seeing Dave and Pete each once, and I have never seen Steve and Tammy. I do keep in touch with Marc and Michelle. 

The people still married to their college sweethearts brought them to the funeral. The others didn't. I would have enjoyed meeting them.

Five founders, including me, Steve, Marc, Chris Smith, and Pete. Some Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Espilons. The largest gathering of Kappas (probably) ever. I was struck by how much we still looked like we did in 1992. I was also struck by how we fell into easy conversations. 

Politics were left off the table. I didn't want to know.

No old fights were brought up or even any old grudges.

We learned about the time Steve was held up at gunpoint. He shared his story in such a practiced voice I suspect he has shared it over the years. Down to the teenage thieves stealing the beer along with his wallet and wedding ring. A call to the police quickly brought the SWAT team who was in training a couple of miles away. They caught the kids. Steve got everything back, except for two beers that broke during the chase.

Dave shared a little about his grandchildren. Sheesh! Grandchildren? 

Pete's daughter is at the college Ashley attended. She mentioned Ashley's name and it was recognized by an upper classman. It is sweet they remembered the college Ashley attended.

Marc and Michelle I keep in touch with more often, but they still shared some top secret news.

Many congratulations over Ashley and Anna's news.

It was nice to see everyone. It was an awful reason to gather.

Frank's parents, Darrel and Karin, lost their only child. They are at different stages of grief. I pray they don't lose each other, too. 

Other Kappas I remember seeing:

Sandip

Kathy and Scott

Theresa

Gail

Jeff

George

Maybe not quite the 25-30, but maybe in the past week I've forgetting some names. In the moment, it felt like quite the Kappa reunion. If anyone reading this wants to add names, I would be most grateful.

Wednesday night when we came home from North Jersey I had more thoughts. These are the ones that stayed with me.

Hug your children tighter. Take time to listen to them and be with them, especially when life feels too busy.

Honoring Dolly Parton

I recently saw a meme that said: In a world of Donalds, be a Dolly.

It seems the world has lit up in pink and purple in honor of Dolly Parton. First it was the Empire State Building, then I noticed more places.

I had heard the Delaware River bridges were going to light up on Friday and Saturday night in honor of Dolly. As I was driving home from the Thunder game on Friday night, I could see the lights on the Trenton Makes bridge. It was stunning. I could not figure out where to stand to get the shot. I wasn't about to park on the Route 1 Bridge, which does have a fabulous vantage. 

After driving around for about a half an hour I gave up and went home. My consolation prize was seeing town hall decked out in pink.

The next night I had the chance to try again. Don suggested photographing it from the Pennsylvania side, so I drove across the bridge.

Not quite the image I was looking for, bet better than nothing.

When I woke up I saw a professional photographer posted his picture. 

I'm challenging myself to figure out where he took that picture so the next time it is lit up I can take my own. Thanks for sharing Josh Friedman.