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Mission

Groundhog Archeology’s Mary Street Midden Project excavates the past to reveal how we value memory, place and waste.

Vision

Groundhog Archeology’s Mary Street Midden Project strives to inspire action toward a sustainable future for Kentuckiana and beyond.

About Us

Groundhog Archeology’s Mary Street Midden Project (MSMP) collection will celebrate the excavated, recreated, now remembered artifacts from the past. Visitors will discover 1920s artifacts from every day household items to pre-Prohibiton drinkware featuring familiar brands that continue to endure. More than a museum—”The Mid” invites you to explore waste through the lense of former Louisvillians using their stories to inspire the way you create, discard and live your everyday life. From midden to meaning, you will soon find transformative educational experience uncovering Louisville’s buried history in the heart of Germantown.

Board of Directors

Patrick Donley
President

Chuck Dobbins
Treasurer

Karen Abney

McGee Catlett, M.Ed

Jerry Moffitt

Lisa Pisterman

Moseley Putney, AIA

History

In the heart of Germantown, the Mary Street Midden Project stands on a site where Louisville’s past was quietly collecting for over a hundred years. Beneath the soil, families left behind bottles, dishes, tools, and toys—everyday artifacts of working-class life. The midden came to light when founder Patrick Donley, while chasing after a curious groundhog he later named Phyllis, uncovered the deposit. Donley credits Phyllis with the discovery that transformed the property into a place where history, archeology, and community come together.

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Press

Louisville artist turns accidental archeologist, uncovers post-Civil War era city dump

September 29, 2025

Artist unearths hidden history beneath Germantown studio

September 29, 2025

Buried Treasures, Overlooked Art and Hidden History

September 18, 2025

Meet Patrick Donley

October 7, 2024

This Germantown project proves one person’s trash is another’s treasure

October 30, 2024

‘Groundhog Archaeology’ Reveals Backyard Treasures

August 22, 2022

Garner Narrative Gallery Exhibition

October 2022

Louisville Visual Art:  Artist Talk Interview with Patrick Donley

September 22, 2022