Is this a privy?

[gxfricke]

What the heck have I found here? I made myself a privy probe to search around my house last night. I believe the house was built in the 1830's. While probing I found this spot where the probe kept hitting something very hard at less than a foot deep. So far the hole seems to have a lot of bricks and garbage that has been burned. Thinks like melted glass, ash, pieces of glass etc. the hole is round and the brick lining is tapering back as it gets deeper. Any idea what this could have been??

Ps I'm in southeast Michigan if that matters.

Thanks

Gary

 

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[The_Piratess]

May have been the site of an outdoor incinerator.

 

[osage express]

Not a privy .It would catch water off the roof. A privy would be a ways away from the house..

 

[The_Piratess]

Not a privy .It would catch water off the roof. A privy would be a ways away from the house..

You're right and not an incinerator either as that would have been a fire hazard that close to the house. However between an incinerator or a privy being too close to a home, I'd choose an incinerator even with it being more hazardous Lol!

 

[Spats]

Cistern

 

[gunsil]

Septic tank.

 

[P.ALLEN]

Big indicators for privy are soil coloration changes, it'll be definitely darker and more organic in nature not what we call organic today though, maybe in another 30 years. It's cool.

Michigan here too Gary.

 

[Limitool]

I don't believe privy either unless you probe much deeper. I happened to own a very large home in Southwest MI. in Constantine for awhile. This was in 87' - 92' time frame. A guy came over and asked if he could "probe" in the back yard. He had a 1/4' steel rod about 4-5' feet long. Then he asked if he could dig? He did and dug up MANY OLD BOTTLES AND OTHER ITEMS ALSO. After he left I made my own probe and started to probe. I dug up 7 more privy pits and found 5 more. In total I found 400+ intact bottles, doll heads, old pistols and other items.

This old home I owned was a hospital at one time and it explains why 80% of the bottles found were medicine bottles. I still have all the old bottles but have never inquired much about them. I was so surprised about all the intact bottles. Then I learned later that they used the privy's for a "dump" also. Once filled near the top... they hired someone to fill and dig another close by and move the outhouse over. The 7 I dug were within 40' of each other. The other ones were just under a old concrete slab from an OLD storage barn or shed 12' x 25' about.

But in the sandy soil of MI. the probe worked GREAT.... Brad

 

[Beshires1]

Cistern

I believe it's a old filled in Cistern. Seen them as I was growin up. They were built close to the house and the ones I saw were bottle-shapped smaller at the top with the brick tapering back to form a much larger bottom than what was seen above ground. They always gave me an uneasy feeling when you went and looked down inside one and realized that you were actually standing over the water. http://texashistorypage.com/Alfred Morris Cistern Montgomery Texas.JPG

 

[Kurios1]

Cistern seems to make the most sense. Whatever it is you have to completely empty it out of ALL it's contents sifting every bit of dirt and debris you remove. The grate can be no larger than 3/8" in order to capture a trime might one or several be in there. Oh boy. I wish I had one of those in my back yard.

Of course I was merely jesting mate. However...

 

[QUICKSILVER (appletree)]

chances are its an old vase shaped septic tank, we had 2 in our back yard, brick all the way down with sewer tiles all the way back to our basement

 

[QUICKSILVER (appletree)]

could be a Cistern as well being so close to the house, but the ones I have personally seen were much more open at the top, just going by the angle of the bricks being like my old vase shaped septic tanks

 

[pepperj]

What ever it was used for in the 1830's I'd be digging it up in 2017. Might be filled with all sorts of cool little treasures we all spend countless hours detecting and digging for.

 

[gxfricke]

Thanks for all of the replies and info!! After doing some more research, and with all of the help here, I do believe it's an old cistern. It's placed directly below a valley, where two roofs come together, and tons of water pours down on that spot when it rains. Also, looking at the house, there is no place for a bathroom until an addition to the house which appears to be from the 1960's or 1970's. After reading all of the replies and figuring that this was probably a cistern, I went to the other side of the house to probe last night, and I think I've found a privy there now. I found a soft spot where the probe will almost drop under it's own weight, and ended up hitting something hard. Thinking this was a brick or a rock, a hit it with the probe and it broke so I'm pretty sure it's glass.
Now I just have two questions.
1. Do you guys think it would be worth while to dig the possible cistern? It is super hard digging, with all of the bricks in there.
2. This is the important one. How do I talk the wife into letting me dig the possible privy on the other side of the house!! She is completely against it because it's on the driveway side of the house.

Thanks
Gary

 

[Limitool]

Thanks for all of the replies and info!! After doing some more research, and with all of the help here, I do believe it's an old cistern. It's placed directly below a valley, where two roofs come together, and tons of water pours down on that spot when it rains. Also, looking at the house, there is no place for a bathroom until an addition to the house which appears to be from the 1960's or 1970's. After reading all of the replies and figuring that this was probably a cistern, I went to the other side of the house to probe last night, and I think I've found a privy there now. I found a soft spot where the probe will almost drop under it's own weight, and ended up hitting something hard. Thinking this was a brick or a rock, a hit it with the probe and it broke so I'm pretty sure it's glass.
Now I just have two questions.
1. Do you guys think it would be worth while to dig the possible cistern? It is super hard digging, with all of the bricks in there.
2. This is the important one. How do I talk the wife into letting me dig the possible privy on the other side of the house!! She is completely against it because it's on the driveway side of the house.

Thanks
Gary

Hell yea dig the privy! You might be amazed. Now to the wife "problem". Tell her you'll lay out a nice new tarp to hold all the dirt. And then you'll return it all. Cut and roll up the sod first and then just replace when done. Now... as best possible try and grid off the privy with your probe first and be willing to go at least 6' down. Have your MD near by and scan the loose soil now and then also. If your home is very old you will have MANY privies around the property.

 

[Beshires1]

Well if it is a cistern you must consider that they were not wells. They served as a holding tank for rain water diverted into them from roof-tops. sense they were your homes source of water they were usually pretty deep (had to supply water durning times of drought without emptying out) and those I've seen were 8-10 ft in in diameter. and remember that the good stuff is gonna be in the bottom!