✅ SOLVED Cement structure found on civil war campsite - What, if anything, is it?

[nigelrex]

I'm a brand new relic hunter researching of late the wooded area behind my house by comparing aerial photos going back 100 years. One thing standing out is a consistent bare spot starting around 1900. The open space seems odd, given it had been completely surrounded by deep forest next to a creek until our neighborhood was built in the late 1990s. Actually, it is still pretty bare, at least different from its forest surroundings, tucked between housing developments.

Anyway, I was poking around the spot the other day and stumbled on separate parts of a brick foundation, close enough to be from the same structure. As you can see in the photos, the stacked shingles on top of cement probably by the builders make clear I am hardly the first person to notice.

In terms of context, I have found numerous pieces of old farm equipment (I think), along with several CW relics (soldier/horse buckles, melted Minié ball), so perhaps the concrete sticking out of the ground is an important and telling piece of a story that I am trying to tell my 8-year old daughter and her 3rd-grade class.

What might the structure be? How old? Anything interesting?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks much.

 

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[ANTIQUARIAN]

To me, it looks more likely to be the remains of either a well, a cistern or even the base to a windmill powered pump.

Kudos to you for wanting to educate your young daughter and her class on the history of your area too.

Dave

 

[Older The Better]

May be way off base but with the shingles and the posts set in concrete it looks a lot like some spots behind my house, I’m on a small bluff and the previous farmers pushed trash over the bluffs in spots including full concrete pads. Hopefully it’s something better than that, well idea is a good one

 

[Indian Steve]

I'm thinking it is an old construction dump.

 

[nigelrex]

Sure could be. The spot is in-between two housing developments.

I just don't understand why this exact spot in the forest was barren (surrounded by trees) around 1900...

Regardless, there sure was a lot going on near the stream over the years.

 

[Noah_D]

I don't know about the concrete or why it is less tree-y but it sounds like you're on a good spot if you're finding Civil War relics! Good luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[releventchair]

Bare spots in the woods of my youth had a strong smell to them.
Oil or diesel fuel. Sometimes a large piece of rusted steel tank around.

Not sure how much of the debris in your pics is related.
I've been in cisterns that had an inlet pipe about the same size.
A cistern is often good sized though and bricks (clean porous ones) could be built into a square hut (small box) to draw water through from the reservoir.

Your remains could be as mentioned just a dump site.
A small version of a spring house or similar comes to mind if it was not , like a "tub"covered with water diverted throuh it from the creek.
But in war time why not just cool perishables in the creek?

Shingles smoke a lot to burn them.
What do you do with concrete to get rid of it?
Such things combined do support the dump teory , but do not mean something else was not going on.

The wrong creek bank could make watering horses difficult.
A trough near the creek with water pipe run to it (easier said than done as a downhill run/flow is the easiest way) could solve that.
But , resources to build one would need to be available.
An homesteaders existing stock tank,trough ect. could have been used temporarily by a military group though...

If it was roofed , a feeder /place to put hay/grain/salt for free ranging stock might have been a purpose.

 

[nigelrex]

Really solid information - thanks. You guys are great.

The first photo of concrete with shingles on top is in a different spot than the obvious trash dump photos. It seems to have more potential.

I'm going to run down to the spot for more photos to post.

Thanks

 

[Tony in SC]

I think Steve has it. Looks a big pile of asphalt shingles, and the side of the concrete slab looks like busted 8" cement blocks.

I'm thinking it is an old construction dump.

 

[nigelrex]

Construction dumpsite

I took another look and it is a construction dumpsite. The concrete slab does not go into the ground, and it sits on a mound of who-knows-what....