Intersections and Influence: Archaeological and Architectural Investigations at House #38/40, Eckley, Pennsylvania (36LU332)

This project examined the potential for using nineteenth and early twentieth century material culture and architecture to understand working class expressions and negotiations of identity. My research focused on the community of Eckley, a former coal mining company town located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The presence of matched sets of table wares and brand name consumer items indicated that working class coal mining families were making specific consumptive choices rooted in the emulation of middle and upper class lifestyles. Similarly, analysis of the architectural remains revealed that workers made substantial changes to their houses in spite of company prohibitions. These changes also reflected middle class tastes, such as concerns over cleanliness and single-function rooms. Bringing together both archaeological and architectural evidence provide a fuller understanding of historical working class communities and advance our knowledge of marginalized demographics in the past.This work demonstrates the viability of this approach in nineteenth century industrial working class contexts.