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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Digging and Finding >> Privy Digging Question

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Privy Digging Question - 9/13/2005 10:41:17 PM    zechnmag   Posts: 4 Joined: 9/13/2005 Status: offline Does anyone know if it is usual to find privies within 15 ft of a house? I am new to the board, but would like any advice I could get. Thanks Post #: 1

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/14/2005 1:05:57 AM    Bottleman Posts: 936 Joined: 9/3/2004 From: Central Pennsylvania Status: online Welcome to the forum! It seems a little close for a privy to be 15 feet away from a house but it is possible. I have found some older ones to be closer but they are usually set in the back corner of a yard or directly out the back door in the middle of the yard. Try looking for a small depression in the yard or see if there is an old stone walk way that may have led to it. I don’t know how experienced you are with digging outhouses but getting a spring steel probe will make it mush easier to find them. Hope this helps, Tom (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 2

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/14/2005 7:49:46 AM    zechnmag   Posts: 4 Joined: 9/13/2005 Status: offline The area that I am looking at set inthe middle of the yard. There is a stone walk leading to it from the front. There is an entire line of depresions in this area. The main house I believe was built between 1860 and 1870. It has had a lot of additions and has been apartments as early as 1909. I have probed them and they seem to be filled with rusty ash and brick. Now that I think about it the back of the house was an addition in 1900 so it would be posible that they are holes from the original house. That would put them about 30 to 40 ft from the house. I have two lots I can dig,the one with the hose and the one next to it with no house. both have the posibility of haveing structures on them as far back as the early 1800s.I am new to digging privys. I have only dug one that I supidly gave up on after 8 ft.My partner did not show and I had started early I was to tired to continue. I will get back to that one later.thank you for your reply. If anyone has anymore info on haow I should locate more holes on this lot and the other please let me know. thanks (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 3

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/14/2005 4:03:19 PM    cb0023   Posts: 95 Joined: 10/28/2004 Status: offline hi and welcome. Bottleman really knows his stuff so make sure you follow his advice. i would suggest trying to get the sanborn fire insurance maps which will show you the structures and the outhouses that were present. then you have an idea where to start. here in philadelphia i have seen outhouses connected to the side or back of the house and then some that were 30 feet away along the property line so you can never really tell. look for the depressions in the ground and the walkways as was talked about. also look for forsynthia bushes or sweet smelling flowering plants and trees that would mask the smell of the outhouse, check around there. another thing is maybe talk to the older folks in town who might remember from when they were little. they might even have pics of the house and yard from the early days. im still a newbie myself but i have found a few privies liek this.. stick to the forums and read the posts. some of these guys and their finds are awesome! send some pics in the future!! good luck.. email me and ill send you an example of a sanborn.. (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 4

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/14/2005 10:28:13 PM    zechnmag   Posts: 4 Joined: 9/13/2005 Status: offline hello, thank you for the info. I have sanborns from 1895-1914 for the lots.they have been helpful in building locations,additions,and new structures.I have had a hard time determining the privys. In some maps all that is there are the stable and the house.In others thereare more buildings but seem to large to be out houses. Is it possible that some of the sanborns did not show their locations? thanks again (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 5

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/16/2005 9:11:43 PM    Mainepontil Posts: 215 Joined: 1/11/2005 Status: offline Where are you located? I know up here in New England the privys are that close. Most were attached to the house or barn. It's so damn cold up here that people did not want to walk too far. Joel _____________________________ Dig it NOW....before a housing development is built. (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 6

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/17/2005 12:21:16 AM    zechnmag   Posts: 4 Joined: 9/13/2005 Status: offline Hello, I am located in danville IL east central IL near the IN border. I probed the lot the other day and found several depressions along the back of the line. I also found a stone walk leading from the back, and front doors meeting in the area in question. The walk ways form a u with depressions on both sides. I have found the depressions to be filled with ash and brick< but I cant locate any lineing around them. Is this normal? thanks for the help (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 7

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/17/2005 2:33:45 AM    madman Posts: 10084 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline if your finding ash and brick, theres a good chance theres some bottles mixed in , try to probe the holes with a pole or probe if it were me id dig it up if theres no liner maybe a woodliner rotted away, or a burning pit or back yard trash pit mike (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 8

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/17/2005 9:37:35 PM    Mainepontil Posts: 215 Joined: 1/11/2005 Status: offline I agree with Madman. If its been filled there is a good chance of finding bottles. I think I find more backyard trash pits than privys up here. Joel _____________________________ Dig it NOW....before a housing development is built. (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 9

RE: Privy Digging Question - 9/18/2005 2:10:40 AM    madman Posts: 10084 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline damn so fing nice! id love to find a backyard trash pit nice !!! mike (in reply to zechnmag) Post #: 10

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