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