Francis Farm Petroglyphs Site (36FA35)

About this property

The Francis Farm Petroglyphs are a group of petroglyphs in southwestern Pennsylvania, United States. Located on a boulder in Jefferson Township in the northwestern portion of Fayette County, the glyphs have been known to archaeologists since at least the middle of the nineteenth century. Despite damage in the 1930s, they remain an important archaeological site, and accordingly, have been designated a historic site. Although it is certain that the Francis Farm site was produced by Native Americans, a more precise identification is believed to be impossible. Archaeologists have proposed that the creators were such peoples as the Monongahela or the ancestors of the Shawnee, both of whom are known to have inhabited southwestern Pennsylvania during the latter portions of the Woodland period. The petroglyph site is located on a large outcrop in Jefferson Township, approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) west of Perryopolis and 5.2 miles (8.4 km) north of Brownsville; its elevation is 1,140 feet (350 m). This outcrop is a roughly rectangular piece of Dunkard-series sandstone, measuring 6.3 metres (21 ft) from north to south and 5.7 metres (19 ft) from east to west. Its upper surface, upon which the petroglyphs are carven, slants toward the ground; the western end rises 3.2 metres (10 ft) above the surface, while the eastern edge is level with the surface of the ground. Several similar boulders lie in the petroglyph's immediate vicinity, although none feature Native American petroglyphs. The site lies in the middle of woodlands; trees and brush grow up to the stone's edge. Six different outcrops on the Francis Farm have been used for the creation of petroglyphs, although only one today bears Native American carvings. One other boulder, located to the east of the primary stone, once bore similar Native American carvings, however, local residents have reported that it was destroyed in the 1930s, while the surrounding land was being quarried for the construction of a road. Incisions on the other four stones remain in fine condition; however, they are clearly modern works, for among their inscriptions are various Latin letters and depictions of firearms. At least sixteen different carvings are present on the primary outcrop, divided into seven different categories: artifacts, geometric figures, the human body, mammals, reptiles, a shape resembling the letter "W," and various small pits. Some of the carvings include multiple parts; for example, design 13 is composed of seven small pits, also known as "nut-cracker holes". The most common subject is the human body; designs 2 and 10 depict a complete human form, while designs 1 and 15 are images of human heads. Other images include what is believed to be the mythological "spirit otter" (design 5), a four-footed animal (design 6), and a rattlesnake (design 11). What has been called the letter "W", which also has been found at other petroglyph sites, may be an abstract form; archaeologist James L. Swauger called it a "W" for the sake of simplicity. A small number of carvings, such as arrows and hook-like shapes, are believed to be the work of recent vandals.

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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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