Archaeology at The Billings Estate Historical Property

Archaeological work on the Billings Estate has provided historians and researchers with a greater understanding of the changing landscape associated with urban and rural property.

Several groups conducted important excavations at the Billings Estate in 1981, 1986, and 1990.

In 1981, the Corporation of the City of Ottawa began archaeological investigations between June 5 and August 14. These first investigations were the most comprehensive - workers dug a series of 0.25m2 trenches around the following locations:

 
  • Main House
  • Gate House
  • Ice House
  • Milkhouse / Dairy
  • Well
  • Woodhouse
  • Privy
  • East Field
  • Horse Paddock
  • Carriageway and Pathways
  • Long Barn
  • Family Cemetery
  • Proposed parking lot site

These excavations yielded approximately 10,000 artefacts.

In 1986 a service main scheduled to run across the Billings property called for further investigations. Prior to construction, Archaeologists excavated the Long Barn site, Red Stable site, and the Paddock and Cottage area. Their finds included several milk bottles embossed with “Ottawa Dairy,” and an entire small apothecary bottle.

 

1988.0007.0005.1 Millk Bottle - Ottawa Dairy ca. 1940

TITLE Milk Bottle – Ottawa Dairy
DATE ca. 1940
ITEM NUMBER 1988.0007.0005.1
DESCRIPTION Found on Billings Estate site during excavation for new garage in 1988.
One quart size, clear glass, round dairy bottle.
In Canada, round milk bottles were replaced by the 'case bottle' or square-shaped bottle around 1947-48. Dairy bottles were normally embossed with the names and trademarks of the dairies they came from. Around 1935, however, applied coloured labelling came into popular use. Bottle 1988.0007.0005.1 was manufactured at the Consumer Glass Company Limited, which began business in Montreal in 1913. The "C" within the triangle trademark of the company was used between 1917-1961. Around 1900 manufacturers designed milk bottles to be sealed with a paper or cardboard cap. Prior to 1900, milk bottles were normally sealed with lightning type stoppers.

In October 1990 the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation (CARF) conducted two separate digs. The first took place at 1243 Kilborn Place—the intended site for an apartment complex. Workers dug over 20 test pits on the property in an area Braddish Billings supposedly built a sawmill on that location in 1823. They did not find any evidence of the sawmill.

The second site dig occurred during the Billings Manor House restoration in 1990 Workers had to install a water apron around the house’s foundation. The 1.2 meter wide trench they needed to dig would disturb the original well site, so the CARF excavated the area beforehand. Archaeologists discovered approximately 370 artefacts, including a five-cent piece from 1870.

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