Walker Tavern

Site Name:

Walker Tavern (aka Wooden Walker Tavern)

WSUMA Accession No.:

588, 2591, 2092, 2105, 5166

Site No.:

20LE101 (formerly 20LE89)

Excavated By:

Gordon Grosscup and Miller

Excavation Year(s):

1967, 1968

Site Description:

The original tavern was built by Calvin Snell in the late 1830's and was purchased by Sylvester S. Walker in 1843. In 1853 Walker built a three story brick building across the road and expanded the operation into both buildings. Walker sold the operation to Francis Dewey in 1865 and it remained in the family until 1922 when it was purchased by Frederick Hewitt who began a museum on the site. The Michigan Department on Conservation acquired the site in 1965.

The site has been excavated on at least three occasions by Miller in 1967, Grosscup in 1968 and Bienenfeld and Smith in 1974. The WSUMA is in possession of artifacts from the Miller and Grosscup excavations. Miller concentrated mostly on the exterior of the tavern and the area of the barn. Grosscup's excavations focus on the interior of the tavern and associated cistern with the area of the barn included to a lesser extent.

Artifacts:

• Building Materials:

  • bricks
  • plaster
  • broken masonry

• Ceramics:

  • hand painted polychrome
  • blue flow
  • transferware (red, blue, black)
  • crock sherds,
  • whole crocks
  • red bisque
  • porcelain
  • decal transfer
  • figurines and decorative fragments
  • marbles
  • ironstone
  • polychrome transfer
  • white bisque

• Faunal remains:

  • fish
  • fowl
  • rodent
  • various other unidentified mammals

• Glass:

  • whole bottles
  • broken window glass
  • broken bottle glass

• Metal:

  • nails
  • machinery
  • cookware
  • flatware
  • lamps
  • coins
  • foil fragments
  • miscellaneous fragments

• Wood:

  • fragments from tavern building and barn
  • game piece

• Plastic:

  • combs
  • various fragments

Cat. Nos.:

1W120001-1W138169, 1W243186-1W243311

References:

• Notebook concerning Walker Tavern by George Miller. Unpublished manuscript on file at WSU Museum of Anthropology. [WSUMA #11W684]
• Excavations at Walker Tavern Cambridge State Historical Park by Gordon Grosscup. Unpublished manuscript on file at WSU Museum of Anthropology. [WSUMA # 11W2568]
• Archeological Excavations at Walker Tavern in 1974 by Paula Bienenfeld and Timothy Smith. Unpublished manuscript on file at WSU Museum of Anthropology. [WSUMA # 11W936]
• Excavations at Walker Tavern Cambridge State Historical Park 1968. Unpublished manuscript on file at WSU Museum of Anthropology. [WSUMA # 11W956]
• Field notes, artifact number/excavation unit cross reference by George Miller. Unpublished manuscript on file at WSU Museum of Anthropology. [WSUMA # 11W1378]