Pioneer home's demolition could damage historic Indian mound

While some preservationists are concerned that one of the city's pioneer homes may soon be demolished, they're just as worried about the potential damage the work could cause to a centuries-old Indian mound underneath it.

The Historic Preservation Board has approved the demolition of the 1918 Rivermont House along the New River in Sailboat Bend. It sits atop the city's most significant remaining Tequesta Indian mound, which archaeologists say is teeming with artifacts.

Opponents of the decision are asking the City Commission to intervene because of the significant history at risk. The commission would have to vote to do so at its Dec. 17 meeting.

"The site and the house should be preserved if we, as a city, are the least bit interested in historic preservation," Steve Glassman, president of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation, said in his request for commission action. He said both the Rivermont House and the site are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

But consultants for the owner of the property at 1016 Waverly Road said any historic value to the home has long been lost because of numerous alterations over the years and the building's ongoing deterioration. All that's left from the original structure is a "basement and a floor," they said.

Owner Michelle Grosman has agreed to take steps during demolition to protect any further damage to the mound, which is part of a larger complex of Indian mounds and ridges. The mounds, known as middens, run parallel to the river and contain scraps from earlier civilizations that relied on the river for survival.

"In a sense, we're digging in a garbage pit, but it's a fascinating garbage pit," said Robert Carr of Archaeological and Historical Conservancy Inc., hired by Grosman to survey the site. "This is how archaeologists reconstruct what was going on in any particular location."

Early results from 21, 3-foot-deep, 20-inch-square holes Carr's firm has dug and sifted through erased any doubts about the site.

"We are finding evidence of prehistoric Tequesta culture going back by our estimate at this point at least 700, possibly 1,000 years, and even earlier," Carr said. "We've found literally thousands of objects, mostly pieces, small pieces of animal bone, lots of shell oysters, things that would be typical of a habitation site."

They also found a human tooth a remain that required state and county officials to be notified.

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Pioneer home's demolition could damage historic Indian mound