Paul O'Shaughnessy, the current President of the Historical Society, was a participant in the original dig on the Hancock-Clarke grounds. Below are his recollections of the excavation.
I must have been 9 or 10 years old when my mom asked me if I'd like to be part of a summer archaeological dig right here in Lexington.
She would drop me off at the site in the morning. I remember shovels of dirt dumped into my screen table, which I would sift, turning up enormous numbers of coal clinkers.
However, every once in a while, something extraordinary would appear, and we'd run over to the man in charge and show him our find. My first discovery was a giant key. It looked like something from the movies.
A few days later, up came a spoon. The handle was bent, and as I watched, the man tried to staighten it. To my horror, broke it in half. "Oh, well," he said, "I guess we'll need to fix that one." So, if you see one with a soldered mend in the handle, that's my spoon!
Paul O'Shaughnessy
This fall, the Lexington Historical Society will be exhibiting artifacts excavated from the site of the Hancock-Clarke house in the 1960s. The collection includes a variety of goods from the household of Rev. John Hancock in the 1730s, such as glassware, pottery, metal objects, and dairying tools.We hope to give you a "behind the scenes" look as this exhibit comes together and share interesting facts and background information about the artifacts and the Hancock family.
We also want to hear from you! Do you remember the excavation at the Hancock-Clarke house? Did you participate? Please share your memories in the comments section, or email office@lexingtonhistory.org
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