Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Archeologists Report On Canehill Methodist Manse
RECORDS SHOW CHURCH WAS BUILT LATER THAN BELIEVED
FAYETTEVILLE — The historic Methodist Manse in Canehill possibly was twice the size when it was first built, had a fire at some point and was constructed about 20 years later than originally believed.
These are some of the findings from an archeological excavation last spring and subsequent historical research on the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The manse was used as a church for about 20-30 years before the congregation outgrew it, according to Bobby Braly, executive director of Historic Cane Hill, a non-profit organization revitalizing historic buildings in the community. The church relocated to a new woodframe facility and the manse was used as a home for the pastor. Later, it was used as a private residence until the late 1900s.
Today, it sits in disrepair on Highway 45 in Canehill.
Archaeologists from Historic Cane Hill, Arkansas Archeological Survey at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., excavated on site at the Manse from March 23-27, 2015. About 50 volunteers helped with the dig, many were college and high school students on spring break.
James Brandon, research station archaeologist with Arkansas Archeological Survey, recently presented findings to the Ko-ko-ci Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society. More than 30 people attended the meeting, including several from Canehill.
The Methodist Manse was the first Methodist Church in Canehill. Manse is actually a word from Presbyterians that describes a parsonage for a pastor. Canehill was settled by Cumberland Presbyterians so it was interesting, Brandon said, that Methodists used a Presbyterian word for their building.
The structure’s entry in the National Register of Historic Places is only two paragraphs long and says the manse was built in 1834, which would make it the oldest building in its original location in Washington County, Brandon said.
Researching historical documents, though, archaeologists found the deed for the property and the construction contract. The deed states that James T. Carter entered into a contract for the M.E. Church South in 1859 (not 1834, as believed) for a church building that would be 32 feet wide and 50 feet long. That building was to be made of “good brick” and 17 feet tall.
That’s not what the archeological survey found, Brandon said.
Based on their work on site, the building was 32 feet long and 23 feet wide, an odd size for a church, Brandon said.
Volunteers also found scatterings of bricks in front of the building and in an area away from the structure. In another area, they found rocks going under the foundation, possibly indicating a change in the dimensions of the building. They encountered foundations that continued past the exterior wall.
The findings “caused us to scratch our heads,” Brandon told members of the Arkansas Archeological Society.
“We had lots of questions so we hit the historical document trail,” he said. The document trail is what led researchers to the construction contract for the building.
Findings on site obviously pointed to signs of a fire in the late 19th century, Brandon said. Volunteers found charcoal and ash, burned soil, burned nails and burning around the foundations at the bottom of the walls.
Brandon said there are two theories on why the evidence on site does not match the original contract. His theory is that the church was built to its full specifications and then the fire or later renovations caused a “massive downsizing” of the building.
Another theory, Braly said, is that the threat of a Civil War may have stalled construction or affected money available for the church, requiring members to reduce the size of the building.
Both Brandon and Braly said they plan future excava- tions to try to answer some of their questions. Brandon said he wants to see if he can find the rest of the building.
“It’s important to get the history right,” Braly said after the presentation. “A lot of the history of Canehill is based on historical tradition, not records.”
The most important fact found from the research, Braly said, is that the Methodist Manse was built in 1959, not 1834.
“That goes against the National Register nomination,” he noted.
Archeological surveys fill in gaps, telling about everyday life. Some of the items found during the survey last spring included squarecut nails used in the 19th century, broken bottlenecks from the 19th century and pieces of Boonesboro stoneware. A Boonesboro pottery store was open near Canehill during the 19th century.
Historic Cane Hill plans to install a floor and renovate the outside of the building. Visitors will not be able to go inside but an interpretative sign out front will give information about the history of the manse.