Where are the door stones, and foundations at cellar holes?

[coinman123]

I have always been wondering where the door stones and foundations went at the old cellar holes I go to. Almost every colonial/early 1800's house I see has a foundation made out of giant granite blocks, and has a few large granite slabs serving as door steps to get to the front door. I read a book talking about cellar holes, written in the 1870's I believe, mentioning that the only thing left of the early houses is the cellar and door stones. I have never anything but a cellar at these old house sites. Did people take the finished granite slabs from the cellar holes to build their own house, not wanting to spend money or time making new ones? I am just wondering, thanks!

 

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[pepperj]

I really think that anything that could be repurposed would of being used over again. Steps, sill, corner stones. Around my parts most cellar holes are made of field rubble/stones, up to 2' feet thick.

 

[coinman123]

I really think that anything that could be repurposed would of being used over again. Steps, sill, corner stones. Around my parts most cellar holes are made of field rubble/stones, up to 2' feet thick.

That makes sense, and could easily explain why I never find them. The cellars around here are also made out of field stones. The house I lived in before was built in the late 1800's and even still used field stones, with added cement between them. I am not sure when they stopped using them around here.

Here is the stacking pattern in my area used in the 1700's, and probably throughout the 1800's. Notice that huge stone in the bottom left hand corner, I have no clue how they carefully brought that there. It convenient to have a cellar hole under a trap door in the dining room for quick and easy reference, though guests sometimes open the trapdoor and get a little creeped out. .

 

[pepperj]

The other thing is that the masoned slabs of stone came with a price tag. Many ploughing out the forests and making fields had scarce income and such luxuries as this would be from a home of substance/income/wealth.

 

[coinman123]

The other thing is that the masoned slabs of stone came with a price tag. Many ploughing out the forests and making fields had scarce income and such luxuries as this would be from a home of substance/income/wealth.

That explains why some of the older houses around here have field stone foundations, and some have masoned granite slabs as the foundation. A mix between people not ever having masoned stone foundations, and the ones that do having the stones taken to be reclaimed for new houses. Thanks for explaining it to me, it helped solve a question I have had for quite a while.

 

[CASPER-2]

since youre from new England - you must know of quabin reservoir - where they took like 5 towns over - place is loaded
with cellar holes - when I was younger - used to hunt there all the time - its been against the law now for years
reason being - a holes were stealing the door stones and the granite hitching post stones and in some cases grave stones they
found out in the woods - they blamed it on detectorists - wrong - many of those stones were stolen and are in front of newer houses that thought it would be cool to have for their steps and the hitching posts would be cool in front of their houses - heard thru grape vine people that put old grave stones
in their house for conversation pieces - sh*t heads
can tell you a friend of mines friend was on a western Ma. mountain top and found a hole with single large step stone
he got large reading against it and dug under it at an angle and found like 3 flowing hair dollars and couple 8 reales

 

[WannaDig3687]

- heard thru grape vine people that put old grave stones
in their house for conversation piece

Talk about disrespectful! That's awful!

 

[coinman123]

since youre from new England - you must know of quabin reservoir - where they took like 5 towns over - place is loaded
with cellar holes - when I was younger - used to hunt there all the time - its been against the law now for years
reason being - a holes were stealing the door stones and the granite hitching post stones and in some cases grave stones they
found out in the woods - they blamed it on detectorists - wrong - many of those stones were stolen and are in front of newer houses that thought it would be cool to have for their steps and the hitching posts would be cool in front of their houses - heard thru grape vine people that put old grave stones
in their house for conversation pieces - sh*t heads
can tell you a friend of mines friend was on a western Ma. mountain top and found a hole with single large step stone
he got large reading against it and dug under it at an angle and found like 3 flowing hair dollars and couple 8 reales

Wow! Way to ruin the hobby for others! I hope the people with the gravestones in the house get cursed .

 

[WannaDig3687]

Wow! Way to ruin the hobby for others! I hope the people with the gravestones in the house get cursed .

I would imagine that is the same sentiment the Native Americans have when people get into their burial sites.