Artifacts at President Lincoln’s Cottage

Archaeology at President Lincoln’s Cottage has been an ongoing process since the start of the project. During the most recent phase of archaeological monitoring, what appeared to be an early “trash pit” was discovered during trenching on the north side of the Cottage and an archaeological dig was scheduled for comprehensive collection of artifacts.



Among the items found were hundreds of ceramic fragments, bits of iron, and cobblestones from an original cobblestone gutter on the ellipse north of President Lincoln’s Cottage. Artifacts discovered in the third phase of archaeology included pieces that date as early as 1660 and as late as 1940, with the majority of artifacts dating between 1790-1860.



By Erin Carlson Mast