1803 House Exploration

Location: 55 South Keystone Avenue, Emmaus PA 18049; 

Below: Archeological Dig: Lehigh University from 2015-2020, Seven Generations in 2012,
Emmaus High School Students in 1980 and Emmaus High School Key Club in 1978;

 
Elsie Yarema helping with 1st archaeological dig in 1978.

Archaeological Dig

For the past five years, Lehigh University Archaeology Professor David Small, has been working with teams of students and Emmaus volunteers on excavations at the 1803 House to understand the buried walls behind the kitchen. Lehigh's enterprise was not the first however, as Ryan Loughren, a teacher at Seven Generations Charter School, took several students to dig south of the kitchen. Excavation has uncovered what was the original foundation walls to the building and a small interior chamber. By peeling away the soil they were able to reconstruct various uses of the area. Analysis of the artifacts found, shows that the material dates within a 50-year range year 1800. In 2017, the project took on an exciting new focus. Lehigh University will be constructing an integrated, interactive website which will contain not only the information from the excavation, but the information from the 1803 House itself. This new focus is only possible through the Mellon Digital Initiative Grant, which Lehigh University helped the 1803 House procure. That same year the excavating crew uncovered a "privy". In 2019, the team completed their excavation of the site. To preserve it, they first laid protective material over the walls and then placed clean fill over the areas covered. Now, the 1803 House anxiously awaits the release of the new website being created by Lehigh University students View Dig Progress; 2019 Privy Project2019 East Penn Press Article; For all published articles Go to Resources.


Seven Generations Charter School begins Archeological Dig in 2012:

Archeological dig begins at the 1803 House...The Archeological dig was originally started in 2012 by Ryan Loughren, from Seven Generations Charter School. Ryan, took several students to dig south of the kitchen and exposed important walls to a building. So in 2012 the colonial life is being exposed under the footprints of Jacob Ehrenhardt Jr. and his ancestors. 7Gen Begins Dig at 1803 House. For all published articles Go to Resources;
 

 

Emmaus High School Students Dig at the 1803 House

1980:

In the Sprng of 1980 Emmaus High School students gathered on Saturdays for an archaeological dig at the1803 House side lawn. 2nd Dig at 1803 House in 1980;  For all published articles Go to Resources;
  
   
 

1978:

In Spring of 1978, the Emmaus High School Key Club helped remove anything inside that was not part of the original structure, which prepped the 1803 House for restoration. At the same time, a minor archaeological dig was going on in the basement which was a dirt floor.  The group spent Saturdays at the 1803 House, lead by Key Club President, Erik Brackman and junior, Paige Bausman, who did understudy work for the American University.  The first step was to mark off 4' x 4' numbered grids under the basement steps and front area.  Also pictured below is Elsie Yarema helping the students, She was a very active founder, supervisor and member of the "Friends of the 1803 House." 1st Dig at the 1803 House in 1978;  For all published articles Go to Resources;

 

1803 House & Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

Why was NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Emmaus?  His Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather was Johannes Ehrenhardt who was the father of Jacob Ehrenhardt Sr. who was the father of Jacob Ehrenhardt Jr., who built the 1803 House.   Morning Call article; or "Ramblings from the Bench";

 

1803 House Education Programs:


The 1803 House offers Educational Programs. We currently have an educational partnership with nearby Seven Generations Charter School and East Penn School District.
For more information Go To Education or contact us