Under a small Md. cabin, a possible piece of Underground Railroad history

The Bayly Cabin has long been believed to have been used as slave quarters, and recent archaeological work has confirmed that families once lived in the cramped cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
The Bayly Cabin has long been believed to have been used as slave quarters, and recent archaeological work has confirmed that families once lived in the cramped cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
The interior of the Bayly Cabin in Cambridge, Maryalnd. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
The interior of the Bayly Cabin in Cambridge, Maryalnd. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Exterior of the Bayly Cabin with the Caile-Bayly House visible in the background. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Exterior of the Bayly Cabin with the Caile-Bayly House visible in the background. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Catherine Morrison, the current owner of the Bayly propter, working with an archaeologist to excavate artifacts beneath the floorboards. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Catherine Morrison, the current owner of the Bayly property, working with an archaeologist to excavate artifacts beneath the floorboards. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Informational signs around the property offer facts about the property's history. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Informational signs around the property offer facts about the property’s history. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
A small piece of buckshot, commonly used around the time of the War of 1812, found in the area of the cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
A small piece of buckshot, commonly used around the time of the War of 1812, found in the area of the cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
(1/6)
The Bayly Cabin has long been believed to have been used as slave quarters, and recent archaeological work has confirmed that families once lived in the cramped cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
The interior of the Bayly Cabin in Cambridge, Maryalnd. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Exterior of the Bayly Cabin with the Caile-Bayly House visible in the background. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Catherine Morrison, the current owner of the Bayly propter, working with an archaeologist to excavate artifacts beneath the floorboards. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
Informational signs around the property offer facts about the property's history. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
A small piece of buckshot, commonly used around the time of the War of 1812, found in the area of the cabin. (Courtesy Dorchester County)
For years, the small and unassuming cabin behind the oldest residence in Cambridge, Maryland, was thought to have once been slave quarters, but there had been little hard evidence to support that theory.

Archaeologists with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, working with Dorchester County, said in a statement that they recently found evidence that families had once lived in the cramped Bayly Cabin behind the Caile-Bayly House in Cambridge.

The team working to unearth the artifacts hope to find clues to the history of the enslaved African American families who had lived there, and their potential role in Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad, which is thought to have gone through the area.

Before the recent excavation, there had only been speculation that anyone had ever lived in the cabin. Then the archaeological team pried back the floorboards and uncovered a trove of artifacts hinting at the rich history of the structure.

“Each artifact has a story to tell. A porcelain doll head and a toy tea set, along with other personal items, tell us a family lived here, including a little girl,” said Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration Chief Archaeologist Julie Schablitsky in the statement.

There is historical record of a couple, Lizzie and Nat Amby — who had been enslaved by the owner of the house, Dr. Alexander Bayly — using the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in New York, according to MDOT.

However, the fates of others who were enslaved on the property are not as clear.

“We need to know what happened here, and how they lived,” said Cambridge community member Hershel Johnson. “So much of our history was never documented and the archaeology is a way to get back what was once lost. We must realize the importance of exploring this difficult history.”

Other items found inside the cabin include an 1885 Sanborn Insurance Map, broken teacups, chicken bones, crab claws and children’s toys.

Archaeologists hope to recover DNA from stems of tobacco pipes found on the property to find any living descendants of those who may have lived in the cabin or reveal their ancestry.

Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up