'Digging History' public presentation of Archeological Field School findings scheduled for Sept. 26

The campus and community are invited to learn more about the SUNY Oswego Archeological Field School’s 2026 summer dig on the grounds of the McWhorter House during a free event at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1:30 p.m. in the Oswego Public Library's Community Room.

Current owners Katie (O’Brien) Beaudry and Matthew Beaudry invited anthropology professor Alanna Ossa and her students to their property based on the historical importance of this home. This stone home was built in 1828 for George McWhorter, the collector of customs for the Port of Oswego (appointed 1834 and 1843) and is one of the oldest stone houses in the city of Oswego.

McWhorter was also the son-in-law of John Laurance, a revolutionary-era founding father. This private residence has stood through centuries of Oswego history and industrial developments in the Port City. Students enrolled in ANT 380: "Archaeology Field School" visited this site daily during May and June, returning to Lanigan lab spaces on Fridays to begin organizing their findings.

At the end of their summer term, field school students presented their preliminary findings to the Beadry family plus friends, supporters and historical society board members. Since then, Ossa has been compiling this information into the final field school report and Saturday’s public talk.

Ossa’s talk is expected to highlight some similarities and differences in findings compared to past field school sites. These past sites include 2022’s field school at the Richardson-Bates House Museum, home of the Oswego County Historical Society where Ossa is a member of the board of trustees, as well as 2024’s site, the Van Buren Inn along the Oswego River.

The completed written report will be deposited into public records of New York State’s Cultural Resource Inventory website at https://cris.parks.ny.gov. Past field school reports are also available from the New York State’s Cultural Resource Inventory.

For more information about SUNY Oswego’s accredited archaeological field school, visit the field school website. Students who take part in the field school gain hands-on learning experience with surveying, excavating, organizing, and interpreting cultural artifacts in this accredited program.

The Oswego Public Library, a longtime community resource on the National Register of Historic Places, is located at 120 East Second St.

— Submitted by the Anthropology Department