When Congress Hall was renovated in 2001, an excavation of the foundation produced a true find: a box that dated back to the late 19th century. When the box was dusted off and opened, it was like discovering buried treasure. Inside was a stash of original Congress Hall china, as well as a crate of tarnished, rusty silverplate creamers and sugar bowls, or "holloware'.
An investigation into their origins revealed that the dishes were manufactured by the renowned Buffalo Pottery Company in New York State, while the hollowware was fashioned by D.W. Haber and Sons in the Bronx. Incredibly, Buffalo Pottery still offered the original pattern in their archives, and D.W. Haber was still in business and owned by the same family. The china and hollowware reclaimed their rightful place at the table for the opening of the Blue Pig Tavern, and the Congress Hall family is delighted to preserve a piece of American history, serving patrons with the same tableware that was used one hundred years ago.
