For many years, one of the enduring mysteries in preserving Laurel Hill was the location of William Letcher's home. In June 2009, students from Radford University, led by Dr. Cliff Boyd, Dr. Rhett Herman, and Dr. Susan Christorpher, used modern methods including ground penetrating radar to search for foundations and other evidence dating to William Letcher's time. After an initial evaluation, they laid out a grid over the area and scanned it with radar, revealing clear evidence of a previous structure. Surface excavation then uncovered numerous foundation stones and other small items, supporting local and oral tradition that placed Letcher's home at this site. Additional studies were planned. The area was also occupied later by the Stuart family, as shown by a Scottish Thistle button found near the old well by Tony Marks and dated about 1840. Another unresolved question involved the graves listed as "others" when Elizabeth Stuart sold the Laurel Hill farm in 1859. These graves were for an infant son who died in 1834 and a daughter who died at age six in 1842, children of Archibald and Elizabeth Stuart, and were thought to be near William Letcher's grave. Initial scans suggested at least one promising spot, but further study determined that it was not a grave, and the location of the "others" remained unknown.