Local historian Kenneth Milano received this email after the story about the archeaological dig at the SugarHouse Casino site ran in PlanPhilly.

"I'm quite concerned and curious that SugarHouse's archaeologists seem to overlook a rather important bit of history - the British occupied Philadephia during the Revolutionary War.

"The Sugarhouse riverfront is the site of British Fort #1. See enlargment (below) from British Cmdr John Montresseur Nov 1777

 
A general plan of the defenses of the City, sketched by Lewis Nicola is at
http://www.mapsofpa.com/18thcentury/1777nicola.jpg
 

And close ups of the riverfront fort are linked from
http://www.pasocietyofthecincinnati.org/CinnWeb/PennCin/2-5main.asp
 

So, how could Sugarhouse's archeology report skip the fact that Fort #1
of the British occupation of Philadelphia was located on the Sugarhouse riverbank?

"I'd expect that Revolutionary War encampment sites are extremely rare - as I recall, any digging or earth disturbance at the Valley Forge encampment site is very, very strictly prohbited - I'd have to assume that disturbing the site of the British forts would be just as bad for history.

"Actually, the riverbank may be a good thing - weren't artifacts from Jamestown recently recovered from the riverbank along the James River?
 
"Second, a more interesting question - Did the British bury their dead at the fortification lines?

"I'd assume international protocols prohibit driving sheet pilings through buried veterans. I also recall that Pennsylvania law specifically prohibits building on, or over top of, grave sites ...
 
 
Hal Schirmer Esq.
Telford, PA