The Phoenix Courthouse Project: Layers of History in an Urban Setting

1995-1998

Plans for construction of the new United States Federal Courthouse for Phoenix on two of the original city blocks led to archaeological testing of the area. A variety of prehistoric and historic-period archaeological features were discovered beneath the asphalt parking lot that covered the area. Section 106 compliance was achieved through a 2-month data recovery program that uncovered dozens of features and thousands of artifacts.

Many artifacts were found on historic Blocks 72 and 73 in Phoenix, lying hidden in outhouses, wells, and a cellar.

German and French dolls were once played with by Ruth and Rema Dorris, the daughters of a grocery store owner, in the early 1900s.

Few people brushed their teeth prior to the 1920s. Toothbrushes found at the Phoenix Courthouse site suggest some residents were concerned with dental hygiene.

A Victorian curiosity or natural history collection was found in an outhouse. It included stalactites, rocks, seashells, and pieces of coral.

An elaborate Chinese vase was dropped into an abandoned outhouse. The vase has brightly colored, hand-painted scenes, birds, and insects.

Archaeologist Derek Morgan uncovered a medicine bottle discarded in an outhouse. Tin cans and a tall pickle jar lie nearby.

A surprising number of features and artifacts lay hidden on the two blocks. A well-preserved Red Mountain phase pithouse, dating to circa A.D. 110-310, provided valuable data on this inadequately understood time period. Much more extensive were the remains of Territorial era homes, businesses, and industrial buildings. Excavation of foundations, wells, outhouses, and trash-filled pits allowed for a close examination of the diet, health care, and living and working conditions of residents of the two blocks.

The project was well covered by the Phoenix media, with a front page article in the Arizona Republic and numerous television stories. For safety reasons, public tours of the site were not possible. A lecture on the project at the Pueblo Grande Museum was attended by over 100 people. A later exhibit at the museum on the historical archaeology of Phoenix included many artifacts recovered during the project.

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