In 2018 the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park began the process of building a Master Plan for park development. One of the early goals was trying to locate the first Church or Praise House erected in Mitchelville. Read this Collection to learn more.
Spring 2018
Archaeologists preparing the magnentometer for survey in the first Praise House Exhibit.
The team getting ready to survey wearing clothing with no metal.
New MPP Executive Director Ahmad Ward and Binghamton archaeologists reviewing the survey area
Archaeologist using a magnetometer to search for evidence of Mitchelville structures
Binghamton University archaeologists and students preparing for survey.
Mapping a quadrant of the survey area.
A graduate researcher teaching an archaeology student how to work the magnentometer.
Archaeologists setting up survey grid around first Praise House Exhibit.
Resitivity suvey being conducted near Coggins Creek in the Park
Archaeologists using a Resistivity Meter.
Student Wei Hoa Ng helping to map the survey area.
Archaeologists using a total station to set up a map grid for the first time in the park.
The first area to be surveyed in 2018 for archaeology at the request of the Mitchelville Preservation Project.
Report on The Chicora Foundation Work
This is a report describing Chicora’s work and findings. This report is a synthesis of the long-form, scientific report the Chicora archaeologists wrote in the 1980s.
Archival Highlights
On the Reasoning for the Formation of Mitchelville
""[t]he present negro quarters- a long row of partitions into which are crowded young and..."
New York Times
"The Negroes"
""[some wholesome changes are contemplated by the new regime General O.M. Mitchel, who assumed command..."
The New South
On the Layout of Mitchelville
"“..unfortunately laid out on too contracted a scale. The plot of ground assigned to each..."
Nordhoff
Describing Mitchelville
"“[t]he town is on a broad sandy plain, bordered by groves and thickets of live-oak,..."
Coffin 1866:231-232
On the function of Mitchelville
"“Mitchelville, then, was much more than a refugee camp or holding area. It was a..."
Trinkely, Chapter 1, p.84
Mitchelville residents selling at Fort Welles
"“[t]he Subsistence Department will purchase all the Potatoes, Onions, Turnips and Cabbages they may have..."
The Free South, February, 1864 p.2
M. A. Burnett, AMA Teacher on Mitchelville
"“[t[here are several large plantations upon which are small settlements, (on Hilton Head Island) but..."
M.A. Burnett