PRELIMINARY NON-EVASIVE SITE ASSESSMENT AND GIS MAPPING OF THE CHELSEA CREEK BATTLEFIELD, THE FIRST NAVAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The 1775 Battle of Chelsea Creek was the first naval engagement of the Revolutionary War and proved disastrous to British forces who suffered numerous casualties and the loss of the armed schooner H.M.S. Diana. The significance of the first offensive battle of the American Revolution has long been overshadowed by the better known Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill. However, there has been recent public support to identify the location of this important historical site and its associated cultural resources. As a result of the growing interest, the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program has supported this research.

Boston has experienced major shoreline and harbor modifications since 1775. Shallow subtidal areas have been filled to make room for development and/or dredged to facilitate commerce. A detailed geospatial analysis of historic landuses will be conducted to identify undisturbed areas related to the battle. These areas have preservation potential, and may contain cultural and archeological resources associated with the battle and provide opportunities for future research, education, and conservation.

Our study will conduct a geospatial assessment of the location, extent, and preservation potential of the Chelsea Creek Battlefield and associated cultural resources. Battlefield maps will be produced through the integration of multiple data sources including historical records and maps, aerial photographs, and LIDAR data. The study will georeference battlefield components to create a military terrain model, utilizing KOCOA system categories, in order to identify defining features of the battlefield such as areas of key terrain, obstacles, cover, fields of fire (high ground), and avenues of advancement and withdraw.

The analysis will aid in the development of long-range management strategies for the Chelsea Creek Battlefield and facilitate the assessment of threats posed by anthropogenic activities. Preliminary results show that the majority of the area that encompasses the battlefield has been heavily impacted by development. We have identified a narrow region where cultural resources may be preserved either on the active harbor floor or under several meters of fill. Detailed topographic and landuse analyses coupled with historical research are ongoing.