Louisville, Kentucky has a New Museum in the works: The Mary Street Midden Project.

Located in a 1920’s warehouse in Germantown where founder Patrick Donley has discovered a midden (def: a heap of waste materials thrown away by early families and businesses) below the building, actively used from the 1870’s until 1920 when the warehouse was built.

With the help of an industrious groundhog named Phyllis, Donley has excavated thousands of household items, including plates, stoneware, toys, Pre-prohibition whiskey bottles, beer bottles, pharmacy bottles, medical trash and many other artifacts. This collection provides a glimpse into what working class immigrant American life was like at the dawn of the 20 th century.

The museum will serve as a hands-on educational institution, and a living memorial to our ancestors. By guiding viewers to a better understanding of the period culture, daily existence, and waste management practices as told through the stories generated from the artifacts, the Mary Street Midden Project will offer valuable insights into the ways that we can grow to be better stewards today, and hence better ancestors for our descendants.The Mary Street Midden Project is dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing the rich history of Louisville, Kentucky, through community-driven archaeological exploration.

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