This research focuses on events surrounding the activities of Battery Freeman, a coastal defense facility constructed within the earthworks of "old" Fort Stevens near Astoria, OR, in 1900 and destroyed in 1939. Archival data are used in conjunction with nearly 5,000 artifacts that were recovered from archaeological excavations in 1989 by the Oregon State University Field School, to reconstruct the history of the facility. Archival information provided a detailed representation of the spatial setting of Battery Freeman with respect to the original earthworks of Old Fort Stevens. In addition, this information detailed the timing and progress of and materials used in the construction of the battery. Spatial, temporal, and typological analyses were conducted on the artifacts. The great majority of the artifacts are associated with Battery Freeman architecture. Many of these artifacts were homogenously distributed throughout a "fill unit" reflecting the leveling and bulldozing of the site. However, several primary features were preserved, including a remnant of the east bulkhead wall of the pre-1900 structure and an incinerator feature apparently used in the battery. The spatial context of artifacts associated with these features could be interpreted with greater confidence. / Graduation date: 1994