In the summer of 2010, personnel from Archaeological Consultants of the Midwest in Wheeling excavated one of several privies thought to exist on the grounds surrounding the Cockayne Farmhouse. The excavation exposed a structure meticulously built with large limestone slabs, possibly quarried from the nearby channel of Little Grave Creek east of the house. From the structure's dimensions and documented deposits, it was determined to be a two-seater. The privy measured approximately 1.80 meters (5.9 feet) deep, with sterile deposits at its base marking that depth. Deposits within privies can preserve a time capsule of material, and this one contained architectural debris such as nails, bricks, window glass, and roofing slate, along with kitchen items including plates, bottles, utensils, and butchered bone fragments. Personal items such as coins, eyeglasses, toys, and jewelry were also recovered. Soil samples from the excavation were processed and analyzed by a paleobotanical specialist to identify food sources used on a daily basis by the Cockayne family, and the most prominent remains included rice, pumpkins, grapes, various berries, garden peas, peaches, and pears. The artifact assemblage from this privy indicated that it was used from approximately 1880 to 1940.