In the summer of 1992, an archeological excavation was conducted at the Wayman A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church at 806 N. Center Street in Bloomington. The congregation, one of the oldest black congregations in Illinois, requested the investigation in anticipation of moving to a new site. They had occupied their current site starting in 1847.

The work was co-sponsored by McLean County Historical Society and the Midwestern Archaeological Research Center at Illinois State University with involvement of the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project. The site proved particularly rich in bottles, especially medicinal ones. Resulting conclusions were based both on the archeological findings plus historical research.