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North-Central Section (44th Annual) and South-Central Section (44th Annual) Joint Meeting (11–13 April 2010)

Paper No. 12
Presentation Time: 8:30 AM-12:00 PM

ANTHROPOGENIC AND CLIMATIC WEATHERING OF A LOYALIST PLANTATION STRUCTURE: FORTUNE HILL MANOR HOUSE, SAN SALVADOR ISLAND, BAHAMAS


AGRIESTI, Keri N., Interdisciplinary Studies, Western College Program, Miami University, 701 Western Drive, Peabody Hall, Oxford, OH 45056, BERMAN, Mary Jane, Center for American and World Cultures, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, GNIVECKI, Perry L., Department of Anthropology, Miami University, 571 Mosler Hall, Hamilton, OH 45011, NIEMI, Tina M., Department of Geosciences, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 5100 Rockhill Road, Flarsheim Hall 420, Kansas City, MO 64110 and PARK, Lisa E., Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences, The University of Akron, 252 Buchtel Commons, Crouse Hall, Akron, OH 44325-4101, agrieskn@muohio.edu

The Fortune Hill Estate is one of at least eight Loyalist Era plantations occupied from 1780-1834 on San Salvador Island, Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Located on the east side of the island, it was one of the island's largest plantations. Although these sites are part of the rich cultural heritage of the Bahamas, they are rapidly disappearing due to inclement weather and lack of preservation plans. With this concern in mind, a field investigation of the Fortune Hill Manor House was conducted between May 2009 and June 2009 as part of the NSF-REU “Anthropogenic and Climate Change.” The objective of this study was to inventory, describe, and catalogue the anthropogenic and environmental factors leading to the structural deterioration of tabby and cut limestone walls and floors. To document the various weathering agents on the structure, rainwater runoff, surrounding soil, invasive plants, and microbial growth scrapings were sampled. In addition, photo documentation and growth assessments were performed for visual analysis and comparison between interior and exterior walls. Preliminary data analysis of soil exposure and rainfall shows that the structure is weathering differently between corners, windows, and directional faces. The data implies that areas with higher levels of plant invasion and wall collapse generally collect more rainwater and have less moist and more acidic soil. As a whole, the data also indicates that a black microbial growth, plaster cracking, dissolution, tabby exposure, and leaching are the greatest sources of deterioration. Since it was difficult to separate the effects of these processes, it could not be determined what was causing the most deterioration. However, these data show different microclimates affecting the structure and how vectors of weathering influence deterioration of tabby and cut limestone structures, pointing the way for an effective preservation plan for Loyalist plantation structures on the island.

Session No. 18--Booth# 12

T33. Undergraduate Research (Posters)
Monday, 12 April 2010: 8:30 AM-12:00 PM
Taneycomo A (Branson Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 42, No. 2, p.60
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