Downtown Huntsville Library
Artifacts of the Grove Plantation
Friday, June 17, 2022 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
History Interests: Plantation history; Archaeology; Black history; Historic houses
Jan Jamison was the project manager for an excavation at the site of the future federal courthouse in Huntsville. The property was a plantation known as The Grove. Although the main house was demolished in 1923/1924, archaeologists found intact remains of the house, including the cellar located below the kitchen. The home was built by Leroy Pope and completed by the family of James Manning. The Manning family sold parcels of their land to many African Americans. The demographics of that area changed and became a bustling African American community.
In the summer of 2020, The University of Alabama excavated a triangular-shaped tract of land in downtown Huntsville, at the former location of the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center. During the research and excavation of this property, archaeologists unearthed extensive cultural deposits and features, including Woodland Stage storage and refuse pits, a well, a privy, and several historic, structural foundations. The information gained from these investigations has served to enlighten our understanding of the occupation of the area beginning as early as 8,000 B.C. and extending into the mid to late 20th century. The purpose of this exhibition is to present our findings and discuss some of the methodology employed during our investigations.
Jan M. Jamison is the Alabama State Site File Coordinator as well as an archaeologist at the Office of Archaeological Research at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology at The University of Alabama-Birmingham. Her graduate work, undertaken at The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa, was in history with a specialization in southern history, pre-1865. Mrs. Jamison maintains data for all archaeological sites in the State of Alabama. She also coordinates and directs all aspects of archaeological fieldwork including identifying, researching, evaluating, cataloging, and protecting resources for Phase I, II, and III surveys and investigations with subsequent report writing.