This fall, the Campus Archaeology Program discovered the foundations of the first building built at Michigan State University while mitigating sidwalk removal underneath Beaumont Tower. The building was built in 1856, and was the first building to house the revolutionary teachings of Land Grant education. It served every function for Michigan Agricultural College besides housing until it collapsed in 1918.
Through historical research, we were also able to link a site we had discovered earlier in the summer, where a good deal of brick rubble had been deposited as fill, to this site. This was done through a fascinating discovery in the archives, which linked a piece of graffitied plaster with a photograph from inside College Hall.
We did some testing to see if there was anything left inside of the structure. Unfortunately, our results came up empty. It appears that the sidewalk, which is evident in photographs of the construction of Beaumont Tower, protected the foundation from being destroyed. These photos also indicate, however, that much of what would have been the inside of the building are now gone. Our archaeological testing provided confirmation.
Below is a video taken my Michigan State University Relations about our discovery, in addition to our discovery of a 16,000 year old sand dune on campus.
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