Historic Christ Church-Archaeology: 1959 Excavations on Churchyard Wall

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Investigations on Original Churchyard Wall-October 1959

In October of 1959, Dr. J. C. “Pinky” Harrington of the National Park Service conducted archaeological investigations to determine the location and design of the wall which originally enclosed Christ Church. Over the course of the three-day dig, Harrington and his team uncovered the footings of the brick wall, which encompassed an area around the church nearly 200 sq. ft. Harrington identified the boundaries of the original wall, its thickness, and the bond used in the brickwork (Flemish above the watertable and English below). He found specially shaped bricks used to create a watertable near the base of the wall, and he confirmed that molded curved coping bricks were used to finish the top. He also found that the four corners of the wall were curved. The bricks used were identical to those in the church itself. Harrington felt they came from the same kiln, supporting the idea that the wall was constructed during the same period as the church.

Dr. J. C. Harrington (left) and Foundation Secretary Charles G. Dawe inspect portions of the original churchyard wall. In the background is part of an iron fence put up around the churchyard in 1927.

The inward curving brickwork on the west entrance of the churchyard wall can be seen in this photograph.

Harrington’s most important find concerned the west entrance. Although the north side had been used as the main entrance since the nineteenth century, digging revealed that the west side--aside from its obvious architectural significance--had actually been the primary gateway to the church. Harrington uncovered the original location of the north and south entrances and determined they were small, 5 ½ feet openings. At the west entrance, however, he found a far more elaborate design: two inward turning ogee curves formed a 10 ft. 10 inch. opening flanked by a pair of gates.

Harrington’s work provided the impetus for the first major restoration initiative undertaken by the Foundation. The archaeological evidence established a firm basis for reconstructing the churchyard wall. In 1965, the wall was rebuilt on the original brick footings, making it a more accurate reconstruction and enhancing its overall character.