Recent Research Awards, Grants, and Support

2007-2009
Poplar Forest’s Department of Archaeology and Landscapes received a grant from the Institute of  Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to support our ongoing excavation and analysis of Sites A and B. The overall project focuses on the laboratory tasks needed to catalogue and analyze cultural and environmental data collected during excavation. The results of the work will be presented to a broad public audience through both onsite and online exhibits.

2006-2010
Annual Field School Scholarship provided by the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

2008
The James O. Watts III summer research internships in historical archaeology were made possible through the generosity of gifts from Mr. Watts’ colleagues at ZC Sterling.

2007-2008
Poplar Forest’s Annual summer Field School in Historical Archaeology was generously supported by the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation.

2007
The “Site B Online Archaeology Exhibit” was funded by the Richard Gwathmey and Caroline T. Gwathmey Memorial Trust.

2009
Dot O’Connor, Archaeology Department volunteer, receives the 2009 Virginia Sherman Award from the Council of Virginia Archaeologists

Each year, the Council of Virginia Archaeologists presents awards honoring achievements in archaeological site preservation or other historic preservation efforts within the Commonwealth of Virginia. These awards are intended for recipients outside of the professional archaeological community. The Council is pleased to present the 2009 Virginia Sherman Award to Dot O’Connor in recognition of her twenty years of volunteer service with the Poplar Forest Archaeology Department.

Mrs. O’Connor has been central to archaeological progress at Poplar Forest since the creation of the department in 1989, contributing over 2,800 hours of her time over the past two decades. She has remained a constant member of the archaeology department, witnessing many changes in department size and staff over the years. Consequently she is the only person to have participated in every archaeological project undertaken at Poplar Forest, beginning with William Kelso’s excavation of the main house and Wing of Offices, and continuing through excavations of the Tenant Houses, Quarter Site, North Hill, South Lawn, Ridgefield, and Sites A and B.

During this time, she has contributed greatly by washing and labeling thousands of artifacts, cross-referencing paperwork, and creating database entries. She has also completed many other significant projects, which most recently included scanning several thousand slides for incorporation into a new image database. These slides span the history of archaeology at Poplar Forest and will soon provide researchers easy access to these important resources for the first time, and will be drawn on to produce research reports, web publications, museum displays, and public presentations.

Mrs. O’Connor’s efforts over these 20 years have aided in preserving the archaeological resources of Poplar Forest, a National Historic Landmark and one of Virginia’s most important historic properties. Her efforts and donations have contributed to the high standard of archaeological research conducted at Poplar Forest and without Mrs. O’Connor it would not have been as possible to fulfill the department’s public archaeology mission. Her work has allowed Poplar Forest archaeologists to complete and disseminate professional presentations and publications, create exhibits for visitors, and engage public audiences about archaeology. Her work with the archaeology department has also helped to curate the important collection of data and material remains associated with this property, allowing it to be accessed by researchers far into the future. In helping to ensure the preservation of this material, her local contributions have a broad legacy beyond the boundaries of Poplar Forest.