In the Wake of Hurricane Irene

In the Wake of Hurricane Irene. Schoharie Crossing. , On August 28, 2011, Hurricane Irene produced historic flooding that caused the Schoharie Creek to breach its banks and destroy the site's parking lot. As the flood water receded, a number of stone walls and numerous artifacts associated with the occupation of Fort Hunter emerged. When archaeologists carefully removed the flood debris, more stone foundations were discovered,, Additional excavations revealed flat stone foundations upon which a fort wall and a 24-foot-square blockhouse would have been constructed, The 1711 plans for Fort Hunter described four such blockhouses constructed of squared, horizontally laid logs. Soil on top of the foundation stones contained motor and brick fragments from the blockhouse chimneys., The stone foundations in this photograph were exposed in 2011 and match up with a corner section (highlighted in red) of the 1711 Plans of Fort Hunter. After the archaeological work was completed, these original fort foundations were preserved by reburying them. Their exact locations are now represented on the surface with modern stone pavers., Artifacts recovered during excavation included a mix of domestic and military objects that represent the site's Mohawk and British occupants. Dates associated with the artifacts suggest that the blockhouse saw greatest use from the 1740s to 1760.