Pushback hits USNPS after decision to close popular public archaeology lab for as long as 2 years
The popular public archaeology lab at Independence National Historical Park, forced from its longtime home at Third and Chestnut Streets by a land deal undertaken by the park and a private group, will not reopen in its new quarters for up to two years, park officials said this week.
When they closed it in June, the officials predicted a late-summer reopening for the lab, which is analyzing about one million artifacts unearthed in the park a decade ago.
Although the move from the old park visitors' center to the First Bank of the United States building directly across the street has been contemplated for almost a year, park officials said they belatedly determined that the bank's electrical and cooling facilities were inadequate.
The Philadelphia Archaeological Forum, a professional association dedicated to preserving and advancing awareness of archaeological resources, expressed dismay about the delays.
"We believe the extended closure of the laboratory represents a serious setback" to its work, the forum said in a July 20 letter to park superintendent Cynthia MacLeod.