In 1996, Gray & Pape, Inc.,was contracted to perform Phase III data recovery investigations on two nineteenth century canal boats in the historic Kanawha Canal in Richmond, Virgina. The freight boats, scuttled in the entrance of an eighteenth century turning basin, were sited at a location where Richmond engineers had planned critical construction associated with a new municipal sewer overflow system.

Preliminary investigations focused on historical research to identify the types and date ranges of the boats, the various cargoes transported, and the crews that manned the vessels. At the same time, Gray & Pape historians prepared a historic context of the Kanawha Canal, a National Register-listed resource that was commenced in 1785 under the honorary presidency of George Washington.

Archaeological investigations of the boats entailed the excavation and removal of 3 to 8 feet of overlying fill. In the process, a small assemblage of artifacts was recovered; those artifacts suggested that the boats had operated in the middle nineteenth century. Small traces of coal indicated further that the freight boats were used to transport this efficient fuel source to Richmond and points west of the city.

The two canal boats measured 85 feet by 14 feet and 81 feet by 14 feet. Given their size and general condition, the City of Richmond and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) resolved that it would not be a prudent and feasible expense to remove, conserve, and store the vessels. In consultation with the VDHR, Gray & Pape archaeologists proposed a data recovery plan that entailed recording the boats with precise line drawings and large format photographs.

The final report depicted the boats in plan and profile drawings and ample photographic view conforming to HABS-HAER standards. By conducting thorough historical research and undertaking rigorous recording procedures, the boats survive as documents that will further our understanding of the nineteenth century canal and its operations.