Investigation I
Why did Levett choose Spicer's Cove?
You are Christopher Levett, arriving by shallop in 1623. Before you build anything, what does this landscape offer that no other cove in Casco Bay does?
[H]Plausible Hypothesis
Historical Background
Sir Christopher Levett was granted 6,000 acres in Casco Bay by the Council for New England. He wintered near Portland Harbor and left a garrison behind when he sailed for England to raise support that never materialized.
Landscape Analysis
Spicer's Cove is south-facing, sheltered from the prevailing weather, and rises quickly to a defensible terrace with sight lines to the shipping channel.
Field Objectives
- ·Locate probable landing / shallop haul-out.
- ·Trace the path uphill to the cellar depression.
- ·Identify freshwater source consistent with year-round habitation.
- ·Photograph structural stone alignments in situ.
Expected Evidence
- ·Hand-forged nails, redware sherds, clay pipe fragments.
- ·Stone cellar with alignment consistent with early 17th-century construction.
- ·Refuse deposit downslope from the cellar.
Counterarguments
- ·The cellar may post-date Levett; later fishing camps used similar sites.
- ·Documentation of Levett's exact site is contested.
Open Research Questions
- ·Is the cellar Levett's, or an 18th-century successor?
- ·Where is the midden that should accompany a year-round garrison?
Field Sites
Sources
- [1] Levett, C. (1628). A Voyage into New England.
- [2] NPS Cultural Landscape — Cushing's Island.