Gypsy Heart
Gold Member
Lots of digging, very little gold, but maybe history
*Archaeological project should help tell story of Rodgers Tavern
Monday, January 8, 2007 9:00 AM EST
By Jane Bellmyer [email protected]
Perryville Town Commis-sioner Barbara Brown expects a good story will come from the holes dug around Rodgers Tavern.
A group of volunteers from the Archaeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake dug a series of 4-by-4-foot holes on the grounds of the Colonial-era tavern last month. Led by local historian Joseph Hopkins, the holes were dug in a pattern.
One of the holes was dug where an addition used to sit, Brown said. Another was dug just outside the tavern kitchen.
“They sifted, catalogued and cleaned the artifacts,” Brown said.
A lot of broken pottery, nails and oyster shells were found buried three to four feet below the surface.
“I couldn’t believe how many oyster shells they found,” Brown said. “They ate a lot of oysters back then.”
Most of the finds were ordinary, except one.
“I was there when they found a 17th-century Spanish coin,” Brown said.
Rodgers Tavern was a popular destination for travelers during the Revolutionary War, hosting Gens. Washington and Rochambeau as they traveled from Baltimore to Philadelphia.
The dig was required by the Maryland Historic Trust, the state agency that oversees historic properties. The trust ordered the dig before renovations could be started on the tavern on the bank of the Susquehanna River.
The archaeologists will be able to draw a timeline from the dig by studying not only the artifacts but also the soil surrounding them.
“This will give us a timeframe and tell us a story we don’t have at this point,” Brown said.
They conducted a similar dig at Garrett Island.
Brown recently presented the society with a plaque thanking them for their work.
“The donation of their time has saved the town a lot of money,” she said.
Brown envisions the tavern becoming a centerpiece of the town and a tourist stop with a café and museum. Until the building is ready, the artifacts are being held by the trust.
“We want to bring them back to Perryville,” Brown said.
*Archaeological project should help tell story of Rodgers Tavern
Monday, January 8, 2007 9:00 AM EST
By Jane Bellmyer [email protected]
Perryville Town Commis-sioner Barbara Brown expects a good story will come from the holes dug around Rodgers Tavern.
A group of volunteers from the Archaeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake dug a series of 4-by-4-foot holes on the grounds of the Colonial-era tavern last month. Led by local historian Joseph Hopkins, the holes were dug in a pattern.
One of the holes was dug where an addition used to sit, Brown said. Another was dug just outside the tavern kitchen.
“They sifted, catalogued and cleaned the artifacts,” Brown said.
A lot of broken pottery, nails and oyster shells were found buried three to four feet below the surface.
“I couldn’t believe how many oyster shells they found,” Brown said. “They ate a lot of oysters back then.”
Most of the finds were ordinary, except one.
“I was there when they found a 17th-century Spanish coin,” Brown said.
Rodgers Tavern was a popular destination for travelers during the Revolutionary War, hosting Gens. Washington and Rochambeau as they traveled from Baltimore to Philadelphia.
The dig was required by the Maryland Historic Trust, the state agency that oversees historic properties. The trust ordered the dig before renovations could be started on the tavern on the bank of the Susquehanna River.
The archaeologists will be able to draw a timeline from the dig by studying not only the artifacts but also the soil surrounding them.
“This will give us a timeframe and tell us a story we don’t have at this point,” Brown said.
They conducted a similar dig at Garrett Island.
Brown recently presented the society with a plaque thanking them for their work.
“The donation of their time has saved the town a lot of money,” she said.
Brown envisions the tavern becoming a centerpiece of the town and a tourist stop with a café and museum. Until the building is ready, the artifacts are being held by the trust.
“We want to bring them back to Perryville,” Brown said.
