Best to contact your State Archaeologist and SHPO office to consult with on this. As a State and National Historic Site and Landmark,  metal detecting on this property is illegal and protected under State and Federal Law.
 
Any damage caused by this metal-detecting activity should be assessed by the SHPO.
 
You could put up a 'no-metal detecting' sign, but signage such as this can distract from the site. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law, but many people are simply not aware of this. If you can find out who these kids are or you see them again, it is important to inform them that this activity is illegal.
 
Consulting with your state archaeologist and SHPO -they will provide recommendations for you on how to proceed.
 
Ironically, I had recently received an email to our museum - a man who contacted me about a site on State land where he had been metal-detecting. He had admitted to digging and under State Law here, he could have been issued an infraction. He did not know that the digging was illegal on State land and I informed him of the law pertaining to 'digging'. Metal detecting however is not illegal - it's the digging and pertains to cultural material older than 50 years, etc. Generally, surface finds are ok but the digging and any disturbance near a registered historic site is not.
 
You should be able to find the State Laws pertaining to this online and the Federal ones too. Please let us know how you make out with everything!
 
Pam
 
 
 
In a message dated 5/15/2006 12:37:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
surprised two kids with a metal detector on the museum grounds
yesterday, and thispresented me with a problem I had never even considered before.  While I
dithered aboutwhat I should say to them, they got bored and left, but there's nothing to
prevent them or othersto come back on the museum grounds after hours to do some serious digging.

Susannah West
John Rankin House
Ripley, Ohio
 
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