On Wednesday, December 5, the Clarendon Historical Society will host a book debut and artifact exhibit at the Clarendon Town Hall on Church Street. The event highlights the work of Dr. LouAnn Wurst of the Department of Anthropology at SUNY College at Brockport. In 1999 Dr. Wurst led students in an archeological dig at the Polly Tavern site in the Town of Clarendon near the corner of 31A and County Line Road.

In 1823, Dan Polly acquired a license to "sell strong and spirituous liquor" so long as cock-fighting or gambling did not occur on the property. Polly's Tavern was very successful, operating as the center of community activities until Polly's death in 1857. His descendants ran a farm on the property until it was vacated in 1917. The property has not been occupied since that time, leaving all evidence of buildings to decompose.

Dr. Wurst's field school students excavated 63 square meters, identifying several outbuildings, two wells, a privy and smokehouse and recovering 43,000 artifacts dating from the early 1820s until the 1930s.

Samples of the artifacts, providing an account of the everyday life of the various residents of the property, will be on display during the community event. Debuting during the evening will be a booklet presenting the results of the fieldwork. The book includes the history of the site, analyses of the objects found there, and interpretations of life on the property over the course of more than a century. The publication of the booklet was made possible by a grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

The public is invited to this free event. The celebration will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5, at the Clarendon Town Hall on Church Street in Clarendon. Refreshments will be served. Books will be available for purchase.