BACKGROUND

At the request of Leah Whitehead, Executive Director of the Peel Foundation, the UAF Station of the Arkansas Archeological Survey conducted a preliminary field survey of a small brick outbuilding located just 4.5m west of the southwest corner of the Peel Mansion on February 13, 2002.The roof had collapsed and two trees had grown adjacent to the brick outbuilding damaging the north wall. Plans to reconstruct the outbuilding by the Peel Foundation have been considered provided historical and/or archeological research can document that the building was constructed in conjunction with the Peel family occupation of the house. Since the reconstruction would require digging around and within the foundation of the building, we were asked to provide recommendations regarding the archeological impact of the project as well as to ascertain the potential for determining the age and use of the building. The UAF Station agreed to conduct small-scale excavations inside and adjacent to the building.

Jerry Hilliard and Molly Kerr pay an initial visit prior to
excavation of icehouse in Febuary 2002.

A primary research goal was to determine the function of the outbuilding and the date it was built. Older area residents, according to Leah Whitehead, had various opinions regarding the function of the building, some noting its use as an early icehouse, others saying it was a smokehouse, and other informants noted later uses as a coal bin and tool shed. Two days of excavation and mapping were conducted in August 2001 which resulted in determining the age and use of the building.

James Davidson beginning excavations inside the Peel icehouse.

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