The room is approx 12' x 10'. It has 4 cement walls and floor.It has no doors just a window sized hole on the inside near the roof, one square hole from the outside lower than the inside hole and one small round hole from the outside lower than both. It is directly below a bathroom. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
2007-10-16 02:18:52 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
it's entirely possible that it is the original cistern for storing plumbing water!
Back then, as indoor plumbing was coning into its own, people would have cisterns built to collect rain and ground water. A pump would then be installed in the bathroom and kitchen, to draw the water into the sinks. Most bathrooms, at that time, had a small pump. A dry sink would be placed in the bathroom with a pitcher and bowl. Water, for washing would then be pumped into the pitcher and then poured into the bowl for washing and shaving, etc. Bath water was still heated on the wood stove.
As time went on, this room would get a door, and shelving placed around the wall, and it would be used for a "Cold" cellar for storing preserves and vegetables. Because the room was usually below ground, and dug below the frost line, it would maintain relatively cool temps. all year round!!
Some of the plumbing innovations from this era were actually quite ingenious!!
2007-10-16 02:34:32 · answer #1 · answered by Rawstuff 007 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What you are describing is a coal cellar.
All older homes used coal at one time to heat the house
Coal was used long before oil or gas was used.
The window was where the coal was delivered into the room from the outside, usually a big truck with a slide that dumped the coal right into the little room.
Close up the window and use the room for whatever suits your purpose.
2007-10-16 13:55:23 · answer #2 · answered by llittle mama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going coal cellar as well. If not coat, perhaps there was an oil tank to hold fuel oil in there.The bathroom was a later addition. In 1916 homes were converting over from outhouses to indoor plumbing, and then usually just one facility. An extra in the basement would surely have been later.
I don't think it was a root cellar.
2007-10-16 09:32:30 · answer #3 · answered by fluffernut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2014-09-27 08:20:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be a coal cellar. In the older homes like that the heating systems used to be coal burners. The coal would be delivered through the 'window' and then shoveled to the furnace by the owner.
2007-10-16 09:23:51 · answer #5 · answered by Pat 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
a lot of old homes used coal to heat them, my parents has the same thing and the "hole" is a shoot that was used to move the coal into the basement and the room was for storage of the coal.
2007-10-16 09:24:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, sounds like an old water cistern. Had one in a old house.
2007-10-16 09:35:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check the building permit office to see if you have any records regarding permits.
2007-10-16 09:25:12 · answer #8 · answered by record 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋