Excavation Uncovers Revolutionary War Artifacts in Pennsylvania
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, and archaeologists, along with university students, have recently stumbled upon artifacts from the American Revolutionary War, including details of a notorious 18th-century heist.
The dig took place in Newtown, Pennsylvania, which is located about 30 miles from Philadelphia. Students from Bucks County Community College collaborated with staff from the Mercer Museum on this important excavation.
The site itself might look plain, but it was once a central area for colonial government, housing a county jail and courthouse.
The excavation ran from March 23 to March 28 and focused particularly on the location of a former treasure house.
Photographs reveal the archaeologists and volunteers hard at work around the open excavation site, along with various 18th-century artifacts that were uncovered, including coins.
Clint Flack, an exhibit specialist for the Bucks County Historical Society, shared that this land is rich in Revolutionary War history.
Flack mentioned that some of the standout finds included three British flint stones from that era, used for igniting gunpowder in muskets.
Various other items were also identified, such as a small set of keys likely used for furniture or padlocks, a Dutch copper coin named a duit, and a penny from New York dated 1737.
Alongside these, the excavation revealed large amounts of porcelain, pottery, and glass that had been buried for over 200 years. What surprised the team, however, was discovering the well-preserved foundations of the Treasury just below the surface.
According to Flack, this location was the site of a famous robbery by the Doan Gang, a group of Quaker Loyalists who made off with a significant amount of colonial currency in 1781.
This heist took place just three days after British troops surrendered at Yorktown. The Doan Gang managed to steal $1,200 in silver Spanish dollars and $400 in French crowns, plus additional cash from the Bucks County Treasury.
Flack recounted how the robbery began at the home of County Treasurer John Hurt. The gang seized cash bundles and a key to the treasury that had yet to be deposited.
Interestingly, while half of the gang robbed the treasury, some members took Mr. Hart hostage nearby.
Flack elaborated, saying, “The gang unlocked the Treasury doors but had to force open locked drawers and desks using knives.” An actual desk involved in the robbery is currently displayed at the Mercer Museum.
While the Doan Gang robbery is a key moment in this site’s history, Flack emphasized that it is but one part of the area’s remarkable past.
The treasury had been initially used for storing gunpowder during the Revolution, with Continental Army soldiers camped throughout Bucks County. Additionally, some Hessians captured at the Battle of Trenton were held in the prison adjacent to the Treasury.
Ultimately, this excavation provides a fascinating glimpse into both the military history and the criminal past of Bucks County.
