The portions of the extensive Mahar Collection on display at the Old Stone Fort Museum contain a sampling of the diverse items collected and unearthed from the Schoharie Valley by Robert Mahar over a period of forty years.
The collection, donated by Mahar and dedicated to all the landowners who allowed him to search their land, is significant in that all of the items included were found and collected within the Schoharie Valley.
The collection includes hundreds of military, personal, and household objects as well as many documents that relate to local people and events. These artifacts are made from materials such as pewter, silver, copper, iron, stone, paper, wood, and animal remains. The collection also represents both European and Native American cultures that at one time co-existed in the valley.
Just a sampling of the most significant objects in the collection includes several projectile points, gun flints, coins, Continental Army and civilian buttons, cufflinks, jaw harps, rings, hooks, watch fobs, thimbles and a silver snuff spoon.
The wide variety of Native American and early American objects on display in the first floor gallery include native clay and imported European ornaments like ceramic and glass beads, copper jangles, and trade silver. There are also useful objects including a copper needle, thimbles, uniform buttons, smoking pipes and a jaw harp.
