Construction is occurring all over New York City, and in Manhattan it is common to see both new projects and utility workers upgrading the urban infrastructure. In one recent case, what started out as a routine project by the city's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) in Lower Manhattan soon became anything but. The Wall Street Water Mains Project, a long-term utility upgrade project, yielded several important discoveries in the South Street Seaport historic district, making it clear that archaeology remains widespread beneath the city's streets.
Excavations for utility upgrades began in the summer of 2006 but came to a halt in August when two sections of an early nineteenth-century wooden water main were uncovered on Beekman Street between Pearl and Front Streets. DDC consulted with the Landmarks Preservation Commission as to how they should proceed.
Apparently one of the few times where the construction crews were FOAs (Friends Of Archaeologists).