Over the past several weeks the surface of the short thoroughfare known as South Adger’s Wharf has been transformed from a patch of loose dirt to a antique-looking cobblestone street encased in concrete. The early colonial redan, uncovered in the January 2008 archaeological excavation, was re-covered with earth within hours after the dig ended. In the weeks following, the earth above the redan was compacted and leveled in order to prepare it for a “modern” street paving. Wooden forms were then laid and a thin concrete slab poured over the entire dig site. Once the concrete had cured, a crew began laying (in concrete) rows of Belgian blocks along the intersection of East Bay Street and South Adger’s Wharf. After that task was completed, palettes of odd-shaped ballast stones, the “original” (really early-twentieth-century) street surface material, were brought to the site from a storage facility. As with the Belgian blocks, the crew also used concrete to set these stones in place. While the resulting street surface now has an attractive appearance and stable foundation, the extensive (if not excessive) use of concrete does not accurately reflect the “historical” character of South Adger’s Wharf’ and has effectively entombed the old redan against future exploration.

The following photos illustrate the chronological progress of the repaving of South Adger’s Wharf, from February 5th through the 21st.

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