forgeblast
Elite Member
I would see if anyone you know has a metal detector, can you make this into a cold cellar, or a smoke house?
Old Cellar Holes in New England
- Thread starter dave1949
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jinman
Rest in Peace
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- Feb 23, 2001
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- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
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- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
I would say that if you want to preserve it, dig it out and do the job right. Otherwise, you might find a couple of fixed spots to measure a triangulation for future location, and just fill it in.
As a side note. . .
Yesterday, I took my granddaughter to show her the place where I grew up. Our old home spot is now covered with multiple apartment/condo complexes. There is, however, one spot that has nothing built on it and has a rock retainer wall around it with a drainage culvert. The grass around this area is lush and green. It's the location of an old spring. As a kid, we had this spring feeding into a couple of ponds, but now it drains across a greenbelt in the apartment complex. For as long as we have been in drought, this spring is still running and the water flowing down the drainage ditch. Never in the dryest of drought years have I ever seen this spring go dry. It's just an amazing spot.
As a side note. . .
Yesterday, I took my granddaughter to show her the place where I grew up. Our old home spot is now covered with multiple apartment/condo complexes. There is, however, one spot that has nothing built on it and has a rock retainer wall around it with a drainage culvert. The grass around this area is lush and green. It's the location of an old spring. As a kid, we had this spring feeding into a couple of ponds, but now it drains across a greenbelt in the apartment complex. For as long as we have been in drought, this spring is still running and the water flowing down the drainage ditch. Never in the dryest of drought years have I ever seen this spring go dry. It's just an amazing spot.
Some pics of my cellar hole:
1st pic: (on left) you can see it is quite a jungle around the hole.
2nd pic: there are about 8 of these cut granite stones, I think they were used for perimeter cap stones on top of the wall, they are nicer than I remembered, I will definitely save those in some way or other. About half have fallen in the hole.
3rd pic: the polar tree that fell in the hole.
All in all, it's a mess
Dave.
1st pic: (on left) you can see it is quite a jungle around the hole.
2nd pic: there are about 8 of these cut granite stones, I think they were used for perimeter cap stones on top of the wall, they are nicer than I remembered, I will definitely save those in some way or other. About half have fallen in the hole.
3rd pic: the polar tree that fell in the hole.
All in all, it's a mess
Dave.
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More pics:
1st pic (on left): from the road, the cellar hole is left-center in the pic.
2nd pic: a fine old locust tree, I think it is the biggest one.
3rd pic: our house is 1/4 mile down this dirt lane. Really too far to be useful for a smoke house or cold storage. It is snowed shut in winter and I don't run the tractor on it until sometime in June usually, to avoid cutting ruts. Putting stone on it would cost more than it is worth. This lane was used by the loggers to get out to the road back in 2000. It is at the top of a rise, and the road curves away in both directions. The trees and curves make it impossible to see very far. We have a much shorter drive with safer sight-lines that we installed when we started building in 2005.
Dave.
1st pic (on left): from the road, the cellar hole is left-center in the pic.
2nd pic: a fine old locust tree, I think it is the biggest one.
3rd pic: our house is 1/4 mile down this dirt lane. Really too far to be useful for a smoke house or cold storage. It is snowed shut in winter and I don't run the tractor on it until sometime in June usually, to avoid cutting ruts. Putting stone on it would cost more than it is worth. This lane was used by the loggers to get out to the road back in 2000. It is at the top of a rise, and the road curves away in both directions. The trees and curves make it impossible to see very far. We have a much shorter drive with safer sight-lines that we installed when we started building in 2005.
Dave.
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keegs
Veteran Member
Looks like allot more diciduous down by you Dave.
Steve HEF
Member
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- LaGrangevill, N.Y.
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I agree with those that mentioned using a metal detector, it might turn up some interesting artifacts.
When I was building my home, I discovered a stone foundation cut into a hillside that had obviously been abandoned a long time. I asked some old timers about it, but no one could remember a barn being there. While doing some exploration, I discovered the remnants of and old clay brick foundation, a small one room building with a fireplace at one end. Several years later I ran into a historian who had done research on the area. He remembered that my road had been a stagecoach route way back when and that there was a stop in my area where they would change horses. It was his belief that I had found the horses' barn along with the building that passengers kept warm in while waiting for the stage. I found that very interesting!
When I was building my home, I discovered a stone foundation cut into a hillside that had obviously been abandoned a long time. I asked some old timers about it, but no one could remember a barn being there. While doing some exploration, I discovered the remnants of and old clay brick foundation, a small one room building with a fireplace at one end. Several years later I ran into a historian who had done research on the area. He remembered that my road had been a stagecoach route way back when and that there was a stop in my area where they would change horses. It was his belief that I had found the horses' barn along with the building that passengers kept warm in while waiting for the stage. I found that very interesting!
Keegs,
I have a few small stands of spruce and some scattered white pine, but it is primarily ash, maple, beech, birch & poplar. The old cellar area is the only place I have locust.
It's hard now to get a good picture of the cellar hole. If I step back 10" it is hidden by the leaves. It is pretty lush there, I suspect because locust is a soil nitrogen fixer.
Steve HEF,
I have a metal detector, but not a very good one. My son gave it to me after using it to find his future wife's engagement ring which she lost while playing softball. :laughing: I tested it by seeing if it could locate the rebar handles on my septic tank lids, since I know where and how deep (~1 ft) those are; it failed.
There are lots of metal bits and scraps from tin cans, old barn hardware, one horse shoe so far, one bit from a brace and bit, one old sickle bar, a logging choker cable, a truck tire, asphalt shingles, three spiral fluted Pepsi bottles, you name it. I even found some woven vinyl grain bags that had been used to grow weed, they are half rotted but still full of potting soil. Of course, those are of a more recent vintage.
I have been pulling the backhoe bucket teeth lightly over the surface, mostly to find the broken glass before I drive on it. Fortunately, the junky areas seem to be together and not too large.
A detector set to locate ferrous material would probably go crazy. I want to find the old silver dollar that must be there somewhere
Dave.
I have a few small stands of spruce and some scattered white pine, but it is primarily ash, maple, beech, birch & poplar. The old cellar area is the only place I have locust.
It's hard now to get a good picture of the cellar hole. If I step back 10" it is hidden by the leaves. It is pretty lush there, I suspect because locust is a soil nitrogen fixer.
Steve HEF,
I have a metal detector, but not a very good one. My son gave it to me after using it to find his future wife's engagement ring which she lost while playing softball. :laughing: I tested it by seeing if it could locate the rebar handles on my septic tank lids, since I know where and how deep (~1 ft) those are; it failed.
There are lots of metal bits and scraps from tin cans, old barn hardware, one horse shoe so far, one bit from a brace and bit, one old sickle bar, a logging choker cable, a truck tire, asphalt shingles, three spiral fluted Pepsi bottles, you name it. I even found some woven vinyl grain bags that had been used to grow weed, they are half rotted but still full of potting soil. Of course, those are of a more recent vintage.
I have been pulling the backhoe bucket teeth lightly over the surface, mostly to find the broken glass before I drive on it. Fortunately, the junky areas seem to be together and not too large.
A detector set to locate ferrous material would probably go crazy. I want to find the old silver dollar that must be there somewhere
Dave.
rekees4300
Elite Member
I also have a cellar hole on my property. No reason to preserve it. Plan to fill it in. Concerned that someone might fall in it and sue. I would be liable even if that person was a trespasser.
forgeblast
Elite Member
Hehe funny metal detector story. Went out looking for my brand new kershaw that fell out of my pocket when I was spraying weeds.
I kept getting hits when using the detector but could not find a thing.
Long story short do not wear steel toed boots when using the metal detector.
Ps found the knife.
I kept getting hits when using the detector but could not find a thing.
Long story short do not wear steel toed boots when using the metal detector.
Ps found the knife.
Steel toes - that would have a person scratching their head for a while.
But, who could stop looking for new, or old, knife? It just wouldn't be right. Glad you found it.I don't know much of anything about metal detectors. I looked at them online once, read reviews, etc. and it looks like a decent one costs $600-$800 ? I asked my son how much he paid for his, it was about $130. I think he was just interested in getting it from a shelf in his garage to a shelf in mine :laughing: It did find the ring in ball field grass. They knew about where it had to be because she felt it slip off when she took her ball glove off, but just couldn't spot it.
Dave.