Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Hoax

Location

3482 Watervale Road, Pompey, NY

Lat/Long

42.939552, -75.978645

Grant Recipient

Town of Pompey Historical Society

The story behind the Pompey Stone spans nearly two centuries. In 1820, a local farmer Philo Cleveland reported finding the stone when clearing his fields. The stone, which is engraved “Leo De L’N VI 1520,” was believed for many years to be an authentic artifact from a Spanish explorer. In 1894, there were claims that two local men had doctored it in a blacksmith shop in nearby Oran, NY. The relic’s authenticity immediately fell into question and there’s been various stories about the hoax ever since.