The first step in the investigation was to carefully cut the concrete slab into smaller sections and then to carefully remove the pieces.  When all of the concrete was removed and the archaeologists had finished their excavations, two pieces of evidence were found that revealed the type of material that had covered the floor in Madison’s time.  First, a row of bricks were found against the northern door’s threshold.  The bricks, which matched other known ca. 1812 bricks, were set on their sides and placed at an angle against the threshold, suggesting that the floor was covered with bricks laid in a herringbone pattern.