In September 1998, CRM Group Limited was retained by the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation & Public Works to conduct a detailed archaeological excavation of the Henry Watson and the Watson II sites, two nineteenth century pioneer cabins which fell within the proposed right-of-way for controlled access Highway 103 in the Barrington area.

Investigation of the Watson sites provides an archaeological view of two poorly documented rural properties located inland from the village of Barrington. Occupied for only a brief period (c.1830 to the mid 1840s), the sites contained the remnants of cellars, foundation walls, fireplaces, wells and trash pits which provided clear evidence of the layout and orientation of the two homesteads. In addition, the material culture assemblages provide some interesting insights into the socioeconomic status and everyday life of the families who occupied the houses.

Community interest in the Watson sites was acknowledged through the creation of an educational display which interprets the history and archaeology of the sites in the context of the broader Barrington community.