Historical Village Discovered in Brookville

BROOKVILLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY---Some hidden history in Brookville has been discovered near the construction site for a new water plant.

Remnants of several buildings, wagon trails, and even a well have been uncovred in the woods along the North Fork Creek in Brookville. Water plant employees said time has covered the abandoned village so well that it's easy to see why no one has noticed it until now.

Water Plant Operator, Alan Saunders, pointed out an old root cellar where he found some bottles and vases and said he's no expert, but that uncovering the past fascinates him.

"A hundred and fifty years ago this was a town, a small village, and you look around, and a lot has changed, but if you use your imagination you see a house there, a house there, people getting their water from the well right there," Saunders said.

The site is a short hike back in the woods, and was discovered when construction began on the new Brookville water plant, and if you're not paying close attention, it's easy to miss.

"It sits low down," said Saunders, "When you're down on the trail, you can't see this, and if this wasn't dug-up here, nobody would pay attention to this mound. I mean, if you look around there's mounds everywhere," he said, pointing to the ground.

The only obvious sign of the village is a brick-lined well, but there's a lot more to be discovered.

The Jefferson County Historical Society is hoping to excavate the area, and Saunders hopes they preserve it to show the public just how historic Brookville is.

"It'd be nice to see them actually reconstruct things," he said, "And have maybe a walking path. This road is used quite a bit for joggers and recreation, so it'd be a nice little side track on their path."

Saunders said most of the coins he's found are dates in the mid-1800's.

The construction site is far enough away that it won't effect the building of the new water plant, and the historical findings won't be disturbed.