This looks as though it may have something to do with a well or water retention??? But the floor is dirt and fieldstone within this tub and I do not see any holes in the foundation where a pipe may have ran in. This tub runs the whole width of the room and is located in orginal part of the basement. What could this be and what was it used for?
2006-08-15 15:10:00 · 7 answers · asked by lowrancesj 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Did there use to be a coal furnace down there? It may have held coal or wood.
2006-08-15 15:15:27 · answer #1 · answered by Catspaw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a home that was built in the 1840's in mid Michigan. We found an old cistern next to the house that was used for rainwater collection for watering livestock I believe. As time passed, the owners had a windmill driven well installed near it but it wasn't connected to the cistern. That house was one of the very first in the area and operated the first local sawmill on the property and provided much of the lumber for most of the homes built around that area for about 80 years. You may have to do some local research on the house to discover what that might have been used for and I can tell you that uncovering the history of your home can be most rewarding. Your local library may have some info or perhaps your county clerk may be able to provide you with a complete title search that should help you. Many times, in older homes like yours, the function of the home was much more involved that what we're used to seeing today. Good luck!
2006-08-15 22:25:55 · answer #2 · answered by Winter Wolf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cold storage. My grandparents farm had a well house and the cold storage place was like that.
They had no refrigeration and the only way to keep foods cold was to put them in a cool dark place and cover them. They had no basement because of the rocky terrain.
They had their cold storage by the well in the back of the room, because it was cool and dark. Is there a place where there was a well in the basement?
2006-08-15 23:36:37 · answer #3 · answered by NANCY K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did the earlier owners keep animals, I wonder. Some ethnics (I won't tell you which one) in my CITY still keep goats, chickens, rabbits, etc. and some have been known to keep them in the basement during frigid winters.
Coal is another thought. Is there a window or other type of opening (or evidence there MAY have been one) above it??
2006-08-15 22:21:04 · answer #4 · answered by braingamer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That sounds like a cistern that would have been used for water storage.
2006-08-15 22:24:16 · answer #5 · answered by Iknowthisone 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cistern for water storage
2006-08-15 22:17:51 · answer #6 · answered by slippped 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would go with the cistern.
2006-08-15 22:20:09 · answer #7 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋