These sites are all adjacent to one another along the same road, so
availability due to transport shouldn't have been a primary factor in
the amount of flat glass on each site. I suspect the most likely route
would have been overland via the Maysville Road and to the road via
river traffic on the Ohio, though some glass could have come via the
Kentucky River and Frankfort - there aren't many options for river
travel where the sites are located. Our first railroad, the Lexington
and Ohio, wasn't operational until 1833 and didn't actually go to Ohio.
It eventually found its way to Louisville but that wasn't until 1850 or
so and by then, my sites were pretty much abandoned. I've found
references for glass factories in Louisville, but they post-date site
abandonment as well. There were glass factories in mid-Ohio by the early
1800s, but I don't know if they produced flat glass - they seem mainly
to have been involved in bottles.

Anybody ever compare CCI values to frequencies of window glass on
multiple historic sites?

Daniel B. Davis
Archaeologist Coordinator
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Division of Environmental Analysis
200 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40622
(502) 564-7250

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Doms, Keith
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 4:30 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Early 19th Century window glass

Cost is one factor.  Also it might be a measure of availability due to
ease of transportation Viz. Improving road networks, regular river boat
traffic, canals, and early railroads   

KRD

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Davis, Daniel (KYTC)
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 3:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Early 19th Century window glass

Good afternoon!

Can anyone direct me toward references for early 19th century window
glass in the eastern US - that aren't for dating the associated
structures? Specifically, I'm looking for information on price and
availability and operating under the assumption that more window glass
on a site for this time period will directly associate with a higher
socioeconomic status for the site's occupants. I've got 4 sites in
central Kentucky that date from around 1790 to 1840 and based on the
excavations to date, there is significant variance in the amount of
window glass from each site. I'm guessing the window glass types would
be blown plate, crown, or cylinder glass though I don't think there's a
good way to separate the types.

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel B. Davis 
Archaeologist Coordinator 
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 
Division of Environmental Analysis 
200 Mero Street 
Frankfort, KY 40622 
(502) 564-7250