Archeology at Frayser’s Farm

On June 30, 1862, Robert E. Lee had his best opportunity to inflict catastrophic damage to George McClellan’s Union army at a place called Frayser’s Farm, or Glendale. The Union army was moving towards the James River, stretched out and vulnerable, while McClellan was at the river looking for a new base of operations. Poor execution by the Confederates, combined with solid work by Union division and brigade commanders staved off catastrophe for the Federal forces.

Much of the action occurred at a place known locally as Frayser’s Farm, though at the time the place had been sold to the Nelson family. The Nelson farmhouse became the headquarters of Union Gen. Edwin “Bull” Sumner of the II Corps. The house survived the war, only to burn down in 1907. It was replaced by a more modern structure by 1920, but that building eventually fell into disrepair and was torn down.

Today, there is nothing left of the farm except for an interesting foundation. It was too small to belong to the house…. but what kind of outbuilding was it? Archeologist Lexi Lowe of the Richmond National Battlefield Park wanted to know and was determined to find out. What secrets of the farm and its history could this structure unlock? In late May 2025 Lexi and a team of archeologists, NPS employees, and volunteers descended on the property to try to find out.

Archeology is hard, serious work. Great care is taken to investigate every layer of soil. Each small layer is analyzed separately. What does the color and texture of the soil tell us? Artifacts are carefully extracted, bagged to show their location, and sent off to be analyzed. Digging slowly and carefully, sifting each shovelful, the archeologist looks for clues to tell the story. Shards of glass, pieces of brick, nails, other fragments…  any or all can be critical. Sometimes, as in this case, even bullets are found… but why were they behind and on the side of the building?

Lexi’s team worked the site for a week, with amazing care. Maps were made of each section dug, and the artifacts will be cleaned and analyzed. What will it all tell us? The process will be slow, but it could be fascinating. Stay tuned!