Construction crews find remnants of devastating 18th-century fires beneath iconic American city

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Construction crews working on a $9 million water main replacement project in the heart of New Orleans recently uncoveredcenturies-old remnantsof fires that once devastated the historic city.

The artifacts, which were uncovered in the French Quarter, were found in early November on St.Peter Street between Chartres and Royal streets, NOLA.com reported last month.

The finds were disclosed in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) document shared with city and state agencies.

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Though the artifacts were uncovered in November, FEMA did not share the results with state agencies until Dec.23.

The discovery consisted of about 1,000 objects and a layer of burnt clay.

Split image of French Quarter, 1788 fire map

Artifacts discovered beneath St.Peter Street are believed to be tied to two historic fires that devastated New Orleans in the late 1700s.(iStock;Library of Congress)

Excavators also found a pewter button belonging to a British soldier in the late 1700s — as well as nails, brass pins, a copper coin, brick fragments, pieces of glass andbronze buckles.

The Fire of 1788 destroyed more than 800 buildings, wiping out much of the French Quarter.(Library of Congress)

The artifacts will help experts glean more information about the “intensity of burn and level of destruction along the 600 block of St.Peter Street,” according to FEMA, as well as details about reconstruction efforts in the fires’ wake.

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The water mains that are being replaced date back more than 115 years.

The recently uncovered layer was “heavily disturbed from previous utility work,” but there are clear strata showing that “two burn events are represented,” according to the report.