✅ SOLVED What are these structures inside of cellar holes?

[DownEast_Detecting]

3 of these structures inside a really nice, large cellar hole. What are they? Root cellars? Storage areas? Why have the stone roof, when the floor from the building would have acted like a ceiling in the basement? Has anybody see these before or know what their use was?

 

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[DownEast_Detecting]

Yes, really, seen them before. They do not appear to be part of the original foundation. They were likely built using the barn foundation as a backwall and were made after the original barn came down (either burnt or blown or taken down) hence why they have their own roof on them. They aren't meant to house large animals, just young/small livestock (or maybe dogs, who knows). They probably penned up newborn calves in them overnight so they didn't get eaten or freeze or wander off.

Remember, people only raised a few livestock back in the day, not like nowadays where farmers have hundreds or thousands of livestock. I live on a heifer farm with about 300 ladies just across my yard!

Yes, stone animal pens are a thing but these ain't them. These are foundations for the fireplace and chimney on the next floor up. When the building was there. ( see pics and info below)

Fireplace foundations

winner (see pics and info below)

I know nothing about the process, but could there be a possible connection to the process of making maple syrup? Maybe a big pot sat on that flat top stone.

i don't think so, a lot of places in New England did make maple syrup. But they had separate out buildings called "sugar houses" or just a campsite in the woods.

Interesting find and images.
Probably not a fireplace as there would be evidence: charcoal, soot on the stones, etc.

Also, would the top stone have survived intense heat without shattering?

They support the fire place and chimney on the next floor up. (see pics and info below)

I agree, but it could be to strengthen the footing under a fireplace; a pylon so to speak.

Boom. I think the built the chimney and fireplace right on top of these, Then butt the floors to them(see pics & info below)

Wow! Great site. those can be very very old sites. Your in a good state for them. A great detection site.

Ancient Stone Mysteries of New England​

Amazing Viking Age Village​

i love to wonder about early visitors to America, and i believe the vikings and others did come here.(check this link out The Mystery of Maine’s Viking Penny)But probably didn't stick around for long periods of time. Except for that viking village in Nova Scotia, i think that was a failed attempt at a colony. But almost all of the "weird" stone structures around new England have been debunked or explained by archeologist to be, root cellars, lime kilns, animal pens, etc... Yes a lot face North or at the sun at its solstice but... "Peebles writes that “a strong nineteenth century concern with proper solar orientation” is documented both in the historical record and in observations of colonial structures. The old New England farmers may not have worshiped the sun as a god, but they certainly depended on a detailed knowledge of its movements to warm their homes and nourish their crops." Great article here about cellar holes and strange stone structures in Vermont. 👉 Lost Histories: The Story of New England’s Stone Chambers
Split-Stone Chimney Base
So after some research they are indeed support structures for the fireplace and chimney's on the next floor.(see pics below) Im thinking they probably built the chimneys/fireplaces right on top of these. Then trimmed in or butted the floor to those.
Also these people were extremely wealthy. not only did they have 3 fireplaces and a very large house.( most houses from this time are tiny and had one fireplace in the middle.) The top of their cellar hole is topped with granite, a sign of the people being very affluent. This is the first one ive found with the granite toppers, ill be sure to be on the look out in the future.
some really great stuff in this article 👉 stonewalls & cellarholes
also this dude is dating cellar holes in NH with a pretty cool method called optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) dating. 👉 Forest Journal -- Digging in the Dark: Dating stone structures in NH’s woods. I first viewed it on my phone with an ad blocker browser(firefox focus) you might be able to do the hit X to stop loading the page trick so you can read it before the pay wall pops up. Pretty neat stuff.

 

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[Fredneck]

Winner ? Did I really win a trip to Maine for a 2 day hunt on a killer colonial site Sweet !!

 

[GoDeep]

Yes, stone animal pens are a thing but these ain't them. These are foundations for the fireplace and chimney on the next floor up. When the building was there. ( see pics and info below)

I could get behind that idea. I would have expected some remaining stone work on top of the supports though from the old fireplaces, but someone could have removed the fireplace stone to repurpose the stone or brick. Regardless, they are little critter shelters now...

 

[Gare]

Very interesting in deed What about a type of root like cellar ?

 

[Sandog]

So this would be the firebox then? Was there an opening for a chimney? Why three so close? Maybe it was an open air shop that required heating some material. Better check under the floor of those things, could have been the hidey hole.

 

[Fredneck]

So this would be the firebox then? Was there an opening for a chimney?

No just the supporting foundations under the main floor... in his pics. The one GoDeep posted 2 replies prior is not the same style.
Why 3 ? Appears to be a good size house and not unusual to have 3 fireplaces, likely at least one up on the 2nd floor for the bedrooms, maybe 2, and one on the main floor.

 

[Fredneck]

I could get behind that idea. I would have expected some remaining stone work on top of the supports though from the old fireplaces, but someone could have removed the fireplace stone to repurpose the stone or brick. Regardless, they are little critter shelters now...

This is clearly not the same style.

 

[DownEast_Detecting]

I could get behind that idea. I would have expected some remaining stone work on top of the supports though from the old fireplaces, but someone could have removed the fireplace stone to repurpose the stone or brick. Regardless, they are little critter shelters now...

Yes, that did happen all the time. Either the owners themselves would take apart the house for moving it or new house. Or someone else comes along after its abandoned and takes building materials for their house.

No just the supporting foundations under the main floor... in his pics. The one GoDeep posted 2 replies prior is not the same style.
Why 3 ? Appears to be a good size house and not unusual to have 3 fireplaces, likely at least one up on the 2nd floor for the bedrooms, maybe 2, and one on the main floor.

chef's kiss! (not sure if you know that expression but its basically means that's perfect)

So this would be the firebox then? Was there an opening for a chimney? Why three so close? Maybe it was an open air shop that required heating some material. Better check under the floor of those things, could have been the hidey hole.

no... as Va Dave explained
but i also drew you a crude picture to help you visualize it, as a one story house, with the granite toppers from my cellar hole... (Most 1 floor, 1 room houses would just have the stone foundation)