Excavation at the Humphreys House
The David Humphreys House
The David Humphreys House is a National Register listed structure and home to the Derby Historical Society. The house was constructed in 1698 and is the birthplace of David Humphreys, aide-de-camp to George Washington during the American Revolution, and the young nation’s first ambassador. Humphreys is also famous for importing the first merino sheep from Spain which resulted in a transformation of Connecticut’s landscape as the new fine-fleeced flocks soon dotted the countryside. Work was conducted at the site because of proposed drainage improvements that threatened to disturb the buried archaeological record behind the house. The archaeological work conducted here by volunteers uncovered evidence of a forgotten rear lean-to, as well as the remnants of daily life between ca. 1700 and the 20th century. Among the most interesting finds were children’s toys, including clay marbles, a tin soldier, pencil leads, and an inch-long mid-19th century porcelain doll known as a “frozen Charlotte.”