Archaeologists Uncover Rare 19th-Century Coins After Historic Tavern Fire
A devastating fire at Ohio's Overfield Tavern Museum in December has left the historic building in ruins, but its fate may be more positive than initially thought. While several historical items were lost to the flames, a team of archaeologists discovered an impressive array of artifacts beneath the charred floorboards.
Among the recovered treasures is a rare 1817 50-cent coin, which may have been used to purchase a drink or meal at the tavern during its operation. The coin's discovery provides a unique glimpse into the financial transactions that took place in the early 19th century. Archaeologists also found animal bones, including pig and fish remains, which suggest that the Overfields, who owned 78 hogs in 1810, may have butchered some of these animals on site.
Other notable artifacts include a piece of a ceramic smoking pipe, clay marbles, buttons made from bone, glass, metal, and shell, straight pins used to fasten clothing, a delicate finger ring, what appears to be a French gunflint, and two broken prehistoric projectile points (arrowheads).
The excavation revealed a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the Overfields and their community. The discovery of these artifacts has helped replenish the tavern's collections, while an architect specializing in log structures will help rebuild and restore the historic tavern.
The total cost of the restoration is estimated to be around $1 million, with plans to reopen the fully restored museum by late 2027. Despite the devastation caused by the fire, the recovery of these artifacts has provided a sense of hope for the future and an opportunity to tell the story of Troy's original gathering place even better than before.
A devastating fire at Ohio's Overfield Tavern Museum in December has left the historic building in ruins, but its fate may be more positive than initially thought. While several historical items were lost to the flames, a team of archaeologists discovered an impressive array of artifacts beneath the charred floorboards.
Among the recovered treasures is a rare 1817 50-cent coin, which may have been used to purchase a drink or meal at the tavern during its operation. The coin's discovery provides a unique glimpse into the financial transactions that took place in the early 19th century. Archaeologists also found animal bones, including pig and fish remains, which suggest that the Overfields, who owned 78 hogs in 1810, may have butchered some of these animals on site.
Other notable artifacts include a piece of a ceramic smoking pipe, clay marbles, buttons made from bone, glass, metal, and shell, straight pins used to fasten clothing, a delicate finger ring, what appears to be a French gunflint, and two broken prehistoric projectile points (arrowheads).
The excavation revealed a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the Overfields and their community. The discovery of these artifacts has helped replenish the tavern's collections, while an architect specializing in log structures will help rebuild and restore the historic tavern.
The total cost of the restoration is estimated to be around $1 million, with plans to reopen the fully restored museum by late 2027. Despite the devastation caused by the fire, the recovery of these artifacts has provided a sense of hope for the future and an opportunity to tell the story of Troy's original gathering place even better than before.
I'm so stoked that archaeologists were able to salvage some awesome history from the ashes 
! The 1817 coin is like, super cool, you know? It's crazy how much info we can learn about what people were buying and doing back then. And those animal bones are wild - it's like they're saying "Hey, this place was a real hub of activity!" 
I'm also loving the fact that they found some prehistoric arrowheads 
- who knew Troy had such a rich history before the tavern even existed? 
The restoration plan sounds ambitious, too - $1 million isn't chump change, but it'll be worth it in the end I'm sure. Can't wait to see the new and improved Overfield Tavern Museum when it opens! 
. I mean, the thought of all those historical items going up in flames is just heartbreaking 
. But on the other hand, the fact that archaeologists were able to find so many cool artifacts beneath the rubble is like, whoa! 
. And the animal bones, like, it sounds like they really lived on site back then 
.
. $1 million is a lot of money, but I guess it'll be worth it in the end when people can see all these awesome artifacts again 
. And it's cool that they're gonna try to rebuild it as accurately as possible, since it was like, built from logs or something 
. Fingers crossed that it opens up by 2027 
.
i mean i've heard of coins being hidden in buildings or stuff but to actually find one from 1817?! that's wild 
i'm also kinda glad they found some animal bones and pipe shreds, it's like getting a glimpse into the people's lives back then, you know? 
they're gonna rebuild this museum and make it even better than before, so fingers crossed for that! 
I'm so down for that! It's crazy how much stuff they found underground. Like, who knew that the Overfields were running their own little slaughterhouse back then? And 50-cent coins are like, ancient money 
Can't wait to see the Overfield Tavern Museum back up and running by 2027 
The fact that they found all those artifacts, including the fancy finger ring, is just mind-blowing. I guess you could say the fire was a blessing in disguise for history buffs... and now we get to see Troy's old tavern come back to life even better than before 
. $1 million sounds like a pretty penny, but if it means preserving that piece of Ohio history, then I'm all for it 
. Like, what's the point of preserving history if we just keep rebuilding everything? 
I mean, don't get me wrong, it's awesome that they found all those cool coins and artifacts... but now it's just gonna get lost in a sea of new stuff 
. And $1 million for restoration? That's like, a whole lotta dough 
i'm low-key obsessed with those prehistoric projectile points, what is up with them? did the overfields use em to hunt or somethin'? anyway, glad they got some artifacts outta the fire, it's def a win-win situation. now let's get that tavern rebuilt and make it even more epic than before 
. hopefully the museum will be even better when it reopens in 2027 
what do u think they should name the new exhibit? maybe something with "the original tavern" or "troy's historic hub"? btw have u ever tried making clay marbles at home? i wanna try that again 
It's like a real-life treasure hunt, but instead of pirates or detectives, it's archaeologists on the scene! And those coins, man... 1817 is like, forever ago. You gotta wonder what kind of life people lived back then and how much money they spent on a pint of beer. 
I guess that's why it's so awesome to see these old artifacts resurfacing – it gives us a taste of the past and helps us learn from history. The fact that they're gonna rebuild the tavern too is pretty amazing, especially with all that cool stuff they found. It'll be like stepping into a different era when they reopen in 2027 
. 1 million bucks seems like a lot, but i guess it'll be worth it to see the place restored and ready for visitors by 2027 
Oh man, can you believe it? Like, who needs a whole building when you have ancient coins and stuff under the floorboards? 
. I guess it's a blessing they found all these artifacts before they got destroyed too... fingers crossed the museum gets rebuilt and restored soon 