Important Information

• Cost: $8 per student; free for teachers, chaperones and group leaders.
• Group Limit: Up to 4 classes, with no more than 30 students per class.
(Larger groups will need to schedule across multiple days.)
• Booking: Please schedule at least 2 weeks in advance.
• Time: Programs run from 10 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m.
• Lunch: Bring a non-refrigerated packed lunch—lunchtime is included!
• Availability: Field trips are offered Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from September through November, and then in March through May.
• Payment: An invoice will be sent after the program based on the confirmed number of students.
• Please note: This field trip includes visits to both the Octagon Earthworks and the Great Circle Earthworks. Schools will need to provide transportation between the two locations.

An Abbreviated History of The Newark Earthworks

The Newark Earthworks is one of many Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks built by American Indians 2,000 years ago. This site includes geometric shapes interconnected by low walls all built from earth carried by human hands and laid intentionally one basketful at a time. An estimated 7 million cubic feet (approximately 21 million baskets) of earth were used to construct the Newark Earthworks which covered over four-square miles of what is now today the city of Newark, Ohio. Many groups of American Indians from all over North America were gathering at the Newark Earthworks to practice spiritual traditions, celebrate and connect with one another and the world around them.

The Octagon portion of the Newark Earthworks highlights the depth of planning and connection to the broader patterns of the universe embedded in the construction of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. The Octagon is aligned with the lunar cycle and every 18.6 years the moon rises directly through the passageway linking the Observatory Circle and the Octagon. Each aspect of these earthwork complexes was created and designed with intention and care, a testament to the genius, cooperation and devotion of the American Indian peoples who created them thousands of years ago.

The earthwork sites in Ohio were sacred spaces not just for local American Indian peoples but groups of American Indians from all over North America. Exotic (non-local) materials were being brought by the people gathering at these sites from over 1800 miles away. American Indians coming to gather at the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were bringing obsidian from the Rocky Mountain region, lightning whelk shells and shark teeth from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, mica from the Blue Ridge Mountain Region and copper from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. All these materials were transformed into ceremonial items that were laid to rest in these earthworks in Ohio.

Despite the fact that a great deal of the Newark Earthworks complex was lost to agriculture and development, two aspects of it remain: the Octagon and the Great Circle. The citizens of Licking County had the foresight to preserve these spaces. They are still used as places of coming together, sharing and celebrating but maybe in different ways than originally intended. Regardless, they are sacred spaces and hold a special place in the hearts of many. The local communities around the earthwork remember it as the county fairgrounds and as a place for family reunions and gatherings. But the site is especially meaningful to American Indian peoples. Their ancestors constructed the earthen walls that make up the Newark Earthworks and many other earthwork sites. They are the ones who lived, worked, played and celebrated on the land that is now Ohio for thousands of years.

Fort Laurens is typical of this mixed ideal. Rather than stone, the walls were constructed of timber and the European arrangement of a glacis/moat/rampart earthworks is distilled down to a ditch in front of the wooden palisade, the excavated soil packed around the base of the timbers to provide additional strength. European style bastions at each corner of the fort provided unobstructed fields of fire to dissuade attackers approaching the fort’s wall. On December 9th, McIntosh departed the fort, leaving a force of 150 troops to continue working on the fort throughout the winter and spring, when his campaign against the Native villages at Sandusky could be resumed. The rest of the troops returned to Fort McIntosh and Fort Pitt for the winter.

The garrison force at Fort Laurens faced a difficult winter, enduring an ambush by Native American forces that was followed by a ruse that made it appear their forces were far more numerous. Believing they were heavily outnumbered, American soldiers remained within the fort, facing dwindling supplies, unwilling to venture out to hunt or gather food.

In March, General McIntosh led a relief column, but the defender’s musket salute frightened the packhorses, causing them to bolt and scatter, losing most of the supplies. With the loss, McIntosh abandoned the plans for his western campaign and, after garrisoning the fort with fresh troops, returned east. By August, strategic plans for the Continental Army shifted to the point where Fort Laurens was no longer seen as necessary and the garrison returned to Fort Pitt, abandoning the area.

In 1832, the Ohio-Erie Canal was constructed along the east side of the now demolished fort. The cut for the canal removed the entirety of the eastern boundary, whether walls or reinforced structures, and largely destroyed any traces of the northeast and southeast bastions. The Gibler family purchased the area in 1853 and leveled the ground for agricultural production, removing most traces of the fort. By 1917, historians generated enough interest in the fort that the State of Ohio purchased the site and established a park with the goal of eventually rebuilding a replica of the fort.

Since the establishment of the State Memorial there have been eight archaeological research projects conducted at Fort Laurens.

What is the Fort Laurens Project?

The Ohio History Connection has a goal to increase public awareness of the Revolutionary War in the Ohio Country, and Fort Laurens in particular. Fort Laurens is the lone Revolutionary War fortification in the state and provides an important place in the early history of Ohio. The Ohio History Connection is beginning improvement projects at the fort at the same time as the America 250 celebration. These include a renovation of the on-site museum and Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution and a multiyear public archaeology project from 2025-2028 that will develop the knowledge base needed to inform an accurate partial reconstruction of the fort's palisade wall by 2028, the 250th anniversary of its original construction. This work is a part of the major projects included in the Ohio History Connection’s strategic plan.

Public Archaeology

What is public archaeology?

In short, public archaeology is exploring the past with the community, not just on their behalf. Archaeological sites belong to everyone, and public archaeology is an opportunity to understand firsthand how we learn about the past.

Rather than working behind the fence and sharing technical reports alone, public archaeology gives members of the community the chance to be part of the process. The public archaeology at Fort Laurens allows visitors to take part in the excavation, but that’s only one way to be involved. The Fort Laurens project provides educational outreach and tours to school groups, public presentations of our research to date (check your local library’s presentation schedule, or ask your librarian to schedule a presentation), and online updates that share what we are finding and what it means.

What Does Public Archaeology Do?

Public archaeology turns history into something tangible. Watching an artifact emerge from the ground, learning how archaeologists interpret evidence, or seeing how even small finds fit into a larger story creates a personal link to our past. It also builds stewardship. When people understand why a place matters and how easily it can be damaged or lost, they are more likely to protect it. Public archaeology replaces mystery and distance with knowledge and shared responsibility. Just as importantly, it broadens the stories we tell. Archaeology often reveals the lives of people who left few written records: soldiers, laborers, families, Native communities, and others whose experiences shaped history but were rarely documented. Public archaeology invites communities and descendant groups to help guide interpretation and ask new questions.

Why Public Archaeology Matters Today

Many archaeological projects are supported by public funding, which brings a responsibility to share results openly and accessibly. But beyond that, people increasingly want to understand not just what we know about the past, but how we know it. Public archaeology shows the process of discovery, emerging evidence, and sometimes the uncertainties this creates. It encourages curiosity and creates a dialogue between archaeologists and the public, making archaeology a living conversation rather than a finished story.

At its best, public archaeology connects research teams with community stakeholders, community memory to shared memories and care for place. It ensures that the past is not only studied, but understood, shared, and protected for future generations.

Get Involved!

Public archaeology works best when you’re a part of it. There are many ways to take part in this project like visiting the site, helping with excavations, attending public presentations or just following along as new discoveries are made. Even simply staying informed and sharing what you learn helps support the preservation of this unique archaeological site.

By getting involved, you help ensure that the past is understood and cared for by the community it belongs to.

History

Poindexter Village

From the years after the Civil War through the peak of the Great Migration, thousands of Black citizens arrived in Columbus. By the 1940s, Columbus’ Near East Side was a popular migrant destination and a flourishing hub for Black businesses, churches, social organizations, and other community institutions.

     In the early twentieth century, increased racial segregation coupled with the expanding Black population caused overcrowding and deteriorating living conditions in Columbus’ constricted Black neighborhoods.  In 1937, the Federal Housing Act provided federal funds for the construction of affordable public housing for Americans suffering from the impacts of the Great Depression. In 1940, the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority completed the construction of Poindexter Village, the city’s first affordable public housing project and one of the earliest in the nation. The 400-unit low-rise apartment complex was built exclusively for Columbus’ Black population.

Residents of Poindexter Village supported an adjacent flourishing business district of Black-owned companies and cultural institutions. The community nurtured its residents, producing many successful individuals. One notable resident was Amina Brenda Lynn Robinson, a world-renowned artist. Robinson, in her colorful mixed-media work, brought to life the vibrancy of the Poindexter Village community.