The situation of the Mont Blanc mansion was one of the best in the country - built on an eminence, it commanded a view of the entire surrounding country; from one part of the farm one can see the lovely "Skyline Drive" of present fame.

"Mont Blanc" was another of the houses built by Chief Justice Marshall for his sons. The original house, built in 1820, was large and was one of the outstanding mansions of that time. The mansion was destroyed by fire in 1894 and only a crumbling wall remains today, but it is fortunate that the outbuildings remain.

The old farm office has been added to and converted into a quaint little dwelling, and is now called "The Marshall House". The building is of stone with deep-set windows and doors. Floors with wide boards, a nice old wooden mantel and a frame addition, makes the house comfortable and convenient.

Today the original stone two-storey section of the "Marshall House", with its nearby stone "meat house" and surrounding grounds is the site of The Dig at Learning Tree Farms, Mont Blanc.

The Marshall House serves as annual headquarters, providing a laboratory for the CRI archaeologists and the students

Each day the new arrivals receive an orientation. A Lead Archeologist explains what has been done and what there is yet to be done.

This 5' x 5' unit was partially excavated to map stratigraphic profiles and locate architectural and soil changes.

The Dig