Notes
This is a shattered 2-piece copper alloy button. After conservation, the button shattered into approximately ten fragments and therefore no measurements other than weight was recorded. Notes from prior to conservation indicate the original measurements were as follows: the height of the dome was greater than 4mm the thickness of the domed face was 1.04mm, and the shank would have rose 6.97mm above the back of the button.
Despite of the fragmentation, this is the very clear example of the copper alloy wire that was inserted through the button back and served as the shank to attach the button to clothing items.
Object Type
ButtonsHas it Been Conserved?
Yes
Where Was It Found?
Project Site: House for Families [more details]
Material
Manufacturing Technology
Form
Shape
Completeness
Date
18th century
Country of Origin
Illustration shows object in comparison to the size of a quarter
Weight
0.6 gram(s)
Object Number
1789053
DAACS Number
1789053
Project: House for Families
The structure identified as the “House for Families” on the 1787 Vaughan plan likely housed the majority of the enslaved population living at the Mansion House Farm for much of the second half of the eighteenth century. The building was in existence from circa 1760 until it was demolished in late 1792 or early 1793. The archaeological evidence for the structure consisted of a brick-lined storage cellar (44FX762/40-47) measuring roughly six feet by six feet. Historically the cellar served as a handy trash receptacle once it ceased to be used for its original storage function, and through extensive excavation has yielded an extremely rich assemblage of household refuse. The analysis of these remains offers the opportunity to study important aspects of the daily lives of Mount Vernon's enslaved community.
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