The Middle Tennessee State University

First Presbyterian Church
Archaeological Project
June 2-July 3, 2003

The 2003 First Presbyterian Church Archaeological Project was a cooperative archaeological research project jointly sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Middle Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, and the City of Murfreesboro, Department of Parks and Recreation. The field project began on June 2 and was completed on July 2, 2003.

An on-line exhibit catalog of the temporary exhibit "Two Centuries of Hallowed Ground: The Story of Murfreesborough as Told in the Old City Cemetery" is also available [Temporarily off-line].

The primary objectives of the project were:

  1. To locate and investigate the archaeological remains of the original First Presbyterian Church (ca. A.D. 1820-1865), a building of great significance in the history of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, and the State of Tennessee;
  2. To provide university students with training in the methods and techniques of professional field and laboratory archaeology;
  3. Through public tours, to highlight the significance of the Old City Cemetery and First Presbyterian Church site in local, state, and national history;
  4. To emphasize to the interested public the value of archaeological research on relatively recent historical sites;
  5. To gather sufficient detailed information to nominate this city-owned property to the National Register of Historic Places; and
  6. To assist the city in developing interpretive signage and exhibits related to the property.

History of the First Presbyterian Church

What Will We Be Doing?

Did We Disturb Any Graves?

Project Staff and Crew
Acknowledgements

List of Known and/or Suspected Burials in the Old City Cemetery. [Added June 7, 2003].

Want to learn more about historical archaeology in Tennessee? A recent special issue of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly is still available and contains several articles summarizing the results of many projects.

To learn more about archaeology in Tennessee and elsewhere, you can also visit the "Tennessee Archaeology Net" webpages.

Daily Journal
June/July 2003

At the end of each day, a short narrative and a few photographs of the day's work will be posted. Click on the date links to view the excavation progress.

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