Can Anyone Out There Point Me in the Direction of the Privy??Help Please!

spunsugaree · Jul 6, 2006

Recently my boyfriend and I have been given permission to dig around on the property of a house built circa 1675. The house is going to knocked down and the property leveled to make a dog park!! So much for preserving the past! Anyway, we have been using a spring steel rod to probe the ground looking for a potential privy but have turned up nothing yet. We are sort of on a time limit and want to do as much digging as possible before the property becomes state owned on August 1st. I'm positive that there is multiple privys on the property..I mean the place has been there since 1675 so they must have dug at least a few privys in all that time. Any help/tips will be greatly appreciated. I have never found a privy before and its driving me insane knowing that its out there somewhere waiting to be excavated by us! I don't want to find it after the backhoe comes through and trashes everything so the poodles can cruise around! Thanks in advance and Happy Posting!

JGUIS · Jul 6, 2006

Not sure of a location without seeing a pic of the property, BUT no matter what happens, make sure you can be there the day of demo. If it was me, I'd be in the crawlspace, and knocking holes in the bottoms of all the walls first. Chances are if it's pretty flat land, they won't waste the diesel fuel to straighten it up much. Be as close as you can for demo, and the next day too. Once they drag a dozer across the ground a few times, if it's a privy worth digging, you should be able to find it. Cause we all know, no matter which state, state workers are usually gone by 4:00pm each day, that gives you 4-5 hours of digging after they're gone. Get out your orange vest.[

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#1twin · Jul 6, 2006

Kate, The old sanborn maps, which are found in our local library, mark the privy with an X. They date back into the early 1800's and were located a few feet off the back property line. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Marvin

diggerjeff · Jul 6, 2006

fifty to seventy feet from the back door. look for faint depressions in the ground prob them all. you might not feel glass , but privy soil has been disturbed and will have a different feel to it.go to an undisturbed area and get a feel for the dirt "try the front yard" often junk is just below the reach of a 4' probe. if you feel loose dirt with the probe ,dig a test hole and look for junk. send a pic or a sketch of the property, this will help!!

PhilaBottles · Jul 6, 2006

they did that here in philly...took down a block for a park/dog park.

your better off digging these before the demo! the workers DO KNOW ABOUT BOTTLES!

pics help, but find the sanborns diggerjeff was talking about. as for the privies earlier than c1800, they can be pretty deep so keep that in mind. also, the 1700's privies here in philly were cleaned out and reused.

Matt.

let me know if ya need any other diggin helpers. [

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Bottleman · Jul 6, 2006

I have a few simple questions for you just because you have never dug a privy before. What is the diameter and length of your probe? Also, is it home made or did you buy it? Really old outhouses like that can be hard to find because they have settled down so much over the years. As Jeff said, look for small indents in the yard or a possible walkway that may have led to it. Sorry for all of the questions but is it a farm house or a house in town? Also what state are you from? I know for a fact that construction workers will pick up ALL bottles that they see even if they are from the 1950s. If they know that they can get money for them they will just toss them under the seat of their backhoe and take them home.

~~Tom

JGUIS · Jul 7, 2006

But would they dig that stone lined privy that they only exposed the top row of stones on? I wasn't saying don't dig before they do, but check everything they unearth afterwards to make sure. They find things by accident, you know what you're looking for.[

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spunsugaree · Jul 7, 2006

Okay...Thanks one and all for the replies and the healpful hints. Now for answers from my end.

1. The house is situated in the country on about 1.75/2 acres..I guess pretty much it could be considered a farmhouse. It was a house that was built for servents that worked in the large house which is now nothing more than a foundation.

2. My probe is homemade, it came from the trunk of an AMC Rambler that we found abandoned in the woods. It's approx. 4' long...I would like a longer probe but have been unable to locate a longer piece of spring steel as of yet.

3. I'm located in Litchfield County, Connecticut

4. The property as a whole is full of small indents as well as areas which appear to have small stone foundations peaking up through the grass. I spent about 3 hrs yesterday probing and test digging and found 3 areas of primary interest. I only dug in one hole about 3' down and found that the soil appeared very claylike and a lighter brown than the rest, I also unearthed some intact clam shells and what appears to be remenants of cut pieces of wood. I'm crossing my fingers that this is something promising!!

5. I tried the public library today and the woman had no idea what Sanborn maps are. I'm going to try for the city library in Danbury over the weekend.

6. I'm going to try to upload photos of the site as soon as I can, I would have taken photos yesterday but I was feverishly probing & digging.

Thanks again everyone and keep the helpful tips coming...I have vowed not to stop until I find something!

monalisa · Jul 22, 2006

Hey all, Mike in Maine,
I am having a hard time with my earlier privy find. I've found the shallows, and under the barn has been OK, mostly all post 1900. Someone recommended a book, "The secrets of privy digging". Would this help to find one?? Or is it helpful after you find a site. ? Anyway, 3 story farmhouse, Central Maine, Skowhegan to be exact. 2 story barn w/a chicken coop attached to the back of barn all on an acre of land backed up to a Civil War Cemetary. Best find so far has been a few Indian spear heads under the barn in an ash pile. More info and pics on request I just need to be pointed in the right direction. Thanks, again, Mike in Maine.

Bottleman · Jul 22, 2006

The privy will probably be between the barn and the house because it would have been most covenant when it was in use. If there is a well on the property the privy would be on the other side of the house from that so it wouldnâ€™t contaminate their drinking water. Good luck in finding it!

~~Tom

Can Anyone Out There Point Me in the Direction of the Privy??Help Please!

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