Archaeological Description

No prehistoric sites are located within the district or in the general area (within one mile), however, sites may be present. Several prehistoric sites have been identified along the floodplain of the Nashua River and its tributaries including the Still River. Prehistoric sites have also been identified on upland terraces bordering the eastern margins of the floodplain. This area borders the Assabet River drainage to the east and south, all of which form part of the Merrimack River drainage, a known regional corridor of Native American settlement. Environmental characteristics of the district also include several locational criteria which are favorable for many types of prehistoric sites. Numerous well drained, level to moderately sloping terraced locales are present within the district in close proximity to wetlands. Great Brook and several of its tributaries including ponded areas are present within or near most of the district. Given the above factors, the size of the district (approximately 73 acres) and the availability of open space, a high potential exists that prehistoric sites are present.

A high potential also exists for the recovery of significant historic archaeological resources within the district. Structural remains may survive from many of the district's residential, agricultural, institutional and industrial components dating from the 18th through 20th centuries. Of particular interest is the fact that over two-thirds of the buildings standing in the district in 1831 are still extant indicating that one--third of those structures may survive as archaeological resources. Many of the structures no longer extant likely date from the 18th century settlement of the district.

Further documentary research combined with archaeological testing can identify the sites of 18th century residences located along the entire Main Street corridor. Original settlement was dispersed in -a linear pattern throughout this area as a result of the allocation of 20-acre house lots to the original settlers. Since few structures remain from this period, the potential for archaeological survivals is high. The potential for archaeological survival of 19th century residences is also high, however, in addition to single family privately owned residences, rental homes, often built by mill owners and referred to as "Corporation Houses" are also now present. At least one "Corporation House" built by Amory Holman is known to have burned in the Main Street area.

Other potential residential structures which may survive as archaeological resources include a structure which stood at the site of the present Pardee home at 608 Main Street and the original site of the William Woodbury house at 674 Main Street which was relocated to the south side of the road. Structural survivals from commercial structures should also be present in the district. Several inns dating to the 18th century were present in the Bolton area with two of the more notable inns, both of which are no longer extant, located within the district. The Holman Inn was located on the north side of the road between 711 and 715 Main Street. The Woodbury Inn originally stood on the site of 670 Main Street. The Gutterson Harness shop was present at 694 Main Street.

Archaeological survivals from industrial type sites should also survive in the Bolton Center Historic District. One of the more important areas includes the Pond Park locale which was a center of mill activity throughout most of the 19th century. As late as the beginning of the 20th century, the Sawyer Saw Mill along with two other buildings that hung over the pond were present but shortly thereafter were torn down. Surface evidence is present in this area including the fieldstone mill floor, foundations, dam abutments and retaining walls for raceways all of which are broken down in some places. These resources are located in the vicinity of a mill pond originally built by Joel Sawyer in the 1830s.

A second pond or overflow pond is located immediately below the first. Other potential industrial or manufacturing sites which may survive in the district include the Blood Hat Shop located in the turn of the 18th/19th Centuries at 579 Main Street at the east end of the district, the Cunningham Tannery originally located just north of the intersection of Main Street and Howard Road from 1806-1850s, the 3-story Holman Shoe Shop which originally stood behind 726/728 Great Road and, a relocated shoe shop which later burned at 725 Main Street.

Structural remains from several institutional type buildings may also be present in the district. Survivals from an earlier town hall (l 834) may be present at the site of the existing Bolton Town House built in 1853 at 633 Main Street. Structural survivals may also remain from the 1866 Baptist meetinghouse which was destroyed by fire in 1938. Evidence of the district's first school may survive at the site of the extant Center District Schoolhouse built in 1825 at the comer of Wataquadoc and Manor Roads. The First School was built in the vicinity of the original meetinghouse which also may survive in that area.

Outbuildings and occupational related features are yet another type of historic archaeological resources which may survive in the district. Structural survivals from barns are probably the more common type of outbuilding which survive in the district. Few, if any, barns survive from the 18th century indicating survivals from this period as particularly important.

One of the more important barns which may survive as an archaeological resource is the horse barn for the Holman Inn located near 730 Main Street. That barn was reportedly enormous in size containing up to 90 horses. The barn was likely also affiliated with the Bolton and Lancaster Stage Company which operated in 1827 and was also located at the inn. Additional types of outbuildings related to residences, agricultural uses and manufacturing should also be present. Smaller outbuildings including potash and blacksmith shops were used in the district as early as the 18th century. Occupational related features (trash pits, privies, wells) should also be present with all building types in the district locale. These features will also be present with structures still extant in the district.