Calver Island
National Register of Historic Places

Calver Island

Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Listed
January 17, 2007
Type
Site
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
06001256

About this property

Calver Island is a historic archaeological site located on the Susquehanna River in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as Pennsylvania Site 36DA89. Geographically, Calver Island is a "midchannel" island formed from the coalescence of two longitudinal shoals that merged as one landform. It was only then upon the unification of the land, estimated at 5200 years before present, where it would've been inhabitable by Native Americans. In the 2000s, a bridge for the Pennsylvania Turnpike—between Fairview Township, York County and Swatara Township, Dauphin County—which spanned through the island was in need of replacement by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Because it required review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Historic Preservation Act also required that the project not impact archaeological information, which was first identified there in the 1970s. With some additional digs, the island was found to be eligible to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Most digging then occurred in several block excavations in the immediate area of potential effect (APE) prior to construction of the new bridge. Calver Island is a stratified site, so found artifacts' originate from Early Archaic through Late Woodland periods. The island itself had one of the most intact stratigraphic records in the entire state.

Location

Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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This page lists Calver Island. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Calver Island listed on the National Register?

Calver Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Calver Island?

Calver Island is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Calver Island?

The period of significance for Calver Island is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near Calver Island?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Calver Island will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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