Worth Digging?

hypermac · Mar 24, 2014

Long story short, an area of my driveway collaped to reveal this...

dieselram94 · Mar 24, 2014

Looks like an old well. I would dig for sure

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Bass · Mar 24, 2014

Any idea of the history of your hone? How old is it, etc....i think its definitely worth investigating

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bottlehunterofcoscob · Mar 24, 2014

Oh ya, dig dig dig! Be careful though!

surf · Mar 24, 2014

hypermac said:
Long story short, an area of my driveway collaped to reveal this...

Hey hyper,

Methinks you made that story way too short. Welcome to TNet, where we enjoy a good story, replete with measurements, dates & historic perspective.

Do you know the history of the property? What's the diameter of the well? Stone or brick? Have you covered it and made yellow caution tape constructions?

Plumbata · Mar 24, 2014

DIG DIG DIG! :laughing7:

Looks quite promising to me, but more for accidental losses and random tosses than a deep layer of bottle-rich garbage. I'd be dreaming about intact redware/mochaware that accidentally fell down the well, or old coins that spilled from the pockets of an unlucky water-fetcher long ago.

What I'm most curious about is how exactly they were able to lay blacktop over such an impressive void. Currently-rotten planks perhaps?

unclemac · Mar 25, 2014

...if there is an old well on your property...chances are there is a privy or two to dig as well.

dieselram94 · Mar 25, 2014

Plumbata said:
DIG DIG DIG!

Looks quite promising to me, but more for accidental losses and random tosses than a deep layer of bottle-rich garbage. I'd be dreaming about intact redware/mochaware that accidentally fell down the well, or old coins that spilled from the pockets of an unlucky water-fetcher long ago.

What I'm most curious about is how exactly they were able to lay blacktop over such an impressive void. Currently-rotten planks perhaps?

Probably filled it in but groundwater probably saturated the fill and eroded/compacted it more...

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hypermac · Mar 25, 2014

surf said:
Hey hyper,

Methinks you made that story way too short. Welcome to TNet, where we enjoy a good story, replete with measurements, dates & historic perspective.

Do you know the history of the property? What's the diameter of the well? Stone or brick? Have you covered it and made yellow caution tape constructions?

My property was home to two estates at two different times encompassing 70 acres. The first was built in the mid 1800's. The second was built and expanded from the former around 1900. My house was the housekeeper's cottage, ethier refurbished from the older estate or built new around 1900.

Not sure if it's a well as the house is situated on a hill. Additionally, there's a stream and old spring house on my neighbor's property across the street— most likely a better water source. Perhaps a privy or cistern? I ask this given the proximity to the house. It's only 6 feet from the back door. The cavity is brick-lined, 3 feet in diameter and aprox 8 feet deep.

I did check to see if there was any wood around the edges that might have spanned the opening prior to rotting/giving away. I found none. I can only think that at the time it was filled, it was filled completely. The back fill must have settled over the years leaving a void.

unclemac · Mar 25, 2014

it does sound that your property is going to have more than one privy...do you know where they may be?

yakker · Mar 25, 2014

Wow!!! Can't wait to hear what's in there-- What an awesome mystery! Yakker

Bass · Mar 25, 2014

It could be either. My first guess is that it's a well since it is brick-lined and at the back of the house.

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Bass · Mar 26, 2014

Just thinking that most vacated privies are filled and topped off so that they can blend in with the landscape. For whatever reason, the wells don't get filled in right away when they are no longer being used.

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dieselram94 · Mar 26, 2014

bass assassin said:
Just thinking that most vacated privies are filled and topped off so that they can blend in with the landscape. For whatever reason, the wells don't get filled in right away when they are no longer being used.

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Probably because its a backup water source...

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