We are buying a house that was built in 1929 and recently discovered a room beneath the garage. The foundation appears to match the original foundation of the house. It's about 20'x20'x5.5'. The garage floor is wooden and a small section of the floor boards can be raised so one can use a ladder to climb down below. It has a dirt floor, and is empty. It's not possible to talk with the seller's and the inspector said he had never seen anything like it before. We're thinking that more recently someone may have climbed down there in order to work on a car from underneath, although the location where the floor boards open up don't lead us to believe that's the reason it was designed. We've tried to find some info online, with no luck. Has anyone ever seen or heard of such a thing that could shed some light on the original purpose of the room/space?
2007-02-19 11:07:36 · 10 answers · asked by NHMKMP 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Depending on how deep it is, it might of been used as a root cellar. You did mention it had a dirt floor. If it is deep enough, one could keep vegetables and such fresh during the winter months!
2007-02-19 11:20:00 · answer #1 · answered by reifrj 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a root celler. We used to have one of these under our carport. The dirt floor is a strong indicator, because a good root cellar doesn't have a finished floor.
Our root celler had wooden shelves along the walls, and a bin for potatoes. You may see these in your room or the remains of the shelves. That would be another sign that it was a root cellar.
Even if it wasn't a root celler, you could use it as one. Fresh veggies and fruits canned in ball jars will keep for years in a root cellar, and vegetables such as potatoes will last all winter. The atmosphere in the cellar is airy enough to prevent molding but cool enough to keep these foods from rotting. Root cellars are cheap and simple and functional.
2007-02-19 19:32:42 · answer #2 · answered by avast 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I haven't seen or heard of one in many years but I do remember seeing such garages as a child. One I can remember used the underground space as a "root cellar" in other words, somewhere to store home canned and home grown root vegetables like potatoes and squash. Currently, some friends built a room under their concrete floor garage rather than have to haul in a lot of fill dirt for a sloping lot. The room has a double door opening to the lower level and they use it for riding lawn mowers and garden tillers.
2007-02-19 19:19:50 · answer #3 · answered by sw-in-gardener 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being that you said that the floor is dirt, I'm thinking it might have been used as a root cellar, people put vegetables they grew in there where they kept long due to the coolness of the underground environment. Also used to store bottles of preserves etc.
2007-02-19 19:21:12 · answer #4 · answered by moosviews4u 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
could have been used as a storage room or root cellar. for more info contact a local historical society or the guys at this old house. i'm sure they could give you more insight. good luck in your new home. the older ones have such character.
2007-02-19 19:18:33 · answer #5 · answered by racer 51 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that bomb shelters of all sorts were being built in England during WWII, but 1929 was before that --- the year the stock market crashed and started the Great Depression. Sounds really neat. Good luck.
2007-02-19 19:16:05 · answer #6 · answered by tlex 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is just a guess but based on the year built it might have been used to store bootleg whiskey during the prohibition. This would give them a chance to load and unload supplies without being viewed by Johnny Law.
2007-02-19 22:39:20 · answer #7 · answered by Dr. Nightcall 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it could have been an old mechanics pit. they didn't have lifts back in the day so when building the house, they might of had on put in.and since he had the pit he may have expanded it into some storage.
or it could be a portal to another demension...
2007-02-19 22:24:10 · answer #8 · answered by chris j 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Considering the age, I'd think it would be a root cellar.
2007-02-19 19:15:56 · answer #9 · answered by Hank 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Wasn't that around prohibition....a nice spot to make moonshine or store bottles of wine.
2007-02-19 22:18:37 · answer #10 · answered by Janice S 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋