HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — While renovating The Now Pizzeria in the heart of Hamburg, owner Joelene Best and her father, Joel Best, uncovered a surprising piece of history, a newspaper from 1881, hidden inside one of the walls.
“We were ripping off the siding,” Joelene said. “They took off about three layers before they got down to the wood and behind that, there were old newspapers. We tried to pull some out, but they started disintegrating.”
“The name of the paper was Our Fair, and it had a street address and just said New York,” Joel said. “Not Buffalo, not Hamburg, just New York.”
WATCH: Slice of history uncovered while renovating Hamburg pizzeria
According to Hamburg Town Historian Jim Baker, the discovery is fascinating, but not uncommon.
“People put newspapers in the walls probably as far back as the mid-1800s,” Baker explained. “They thought it would act as insulation and help keep the weather out.”
“I posted about it on Facebook just to share it with everyone,” Joelene said. “It’s exciting, the history of Hamburg.”
Now, the historic paper is safely stored at home, but not for long.
“I think I just want to frame it,” Joelene said. “And once we’re all done here, I want to hang it up somewhere because even now, customers are coming in and asking, ‘Where is it? Can we see it?’ And I was like, ‘No, I took it home, it’s very brittle and falls apart in your hands.’”
The Now Pizzeria has been serving the Hamburg community since 1969.
