has anyone asked to or dug a historical house?

[margclearlake]

I was referring to the restored houses that have had all this money poured into them but the people dont realize what is still under the ground. and that stuff could be put on display as had come from that house. Many times I have talked about and asked to dig and they tell me that they dont want anything "torn up". I also talk to realtors in my town about digging on some of their listings and letting any finds go with the house and have not got any positive responses. they kind of act like im making it up or something. just wondering if anyone has had experiences with this issue.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

I have I wrote a long letter. I had wait a month before I got an answer,but it was worth the wait. Sometimes letter s work better then talking in person.

 

[margclearlake]

did you get the dig?

 

[Wheelah23]

If it truly has assessed historical significance, I'd leave it alone. Plenty of Joe Schmo homes out there to dig, no need to make the archies any more angry by digging up George Washington's house...

 

[grizz44]

Good Point!! Take it from an Oregon guy, you get the archies stirred up they take it all!

Chuck

 

[lexdigger]

I have dug behind many houses with Historical markers and signs in the yard. Around here, most EVERY house in the downtown area has a marker, and many have signs. I would say go for it if it is being lived in by regular people. If it is uninhabited and Registered, you may have to go through a lot of red tape.

 

[Wheelah23]

ORIGINAL: lexdigger

I have dug behind many houses with Historical markers and signs in the yard. Around here, most EVERY house in the downtown area has a marker, and many have signs. I would say go for it if it is being lived in by regular people. If it is uninhabited and Registered, you may have to go through a lot of red tape.

Precisely. Over 80% of my town is in a "designated historic district", but most of them are owned privately. A lot of them have plaques for the year they were built, and each year a "restored" house wins a "preservation award" and gets a plaque. As long as it's owned by people and not the state/town, you're good to go.

 

[laid back]

This is my first post ,so excuse my french.Approx 40 yrs ago when I ws an apprent. plumber ,whenever anyone had to crawl under an old house ,on our crew it was me. I can,t imagine how many old bottles and other stuff I drug out and put in my tote sack. My neighbor down the street was a bottle hound, as I called him then would love it when I would give him my sacks of bottles. I feel so stupid now for not saving them.I hardly ever even looked in the sacks to see what the bottles looked like. One that I found in my basement a few yrs back said( OLD HARVESTER CORN WHISKEY 185? .Wish I knew then what I do now about keeping old stuff. And now I am too old to crawl under those places. When I first started there was stuff everywhere now the pickens are alot slimmer.

 

[lexdigger]

As far as dealing with the Fact that most people will not Believe you when you ask to Dig for bottles... a picture says a thousand words. I keep a webpage blog and a small photo album for this very reason. Once they see the pictures of the hole, the bottles and the "after" photo of the yard restored to original condition... any doubts will be squashed! That still doesn't mean you will get the permission, but at least they will know you aren't crazy or full of BS.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

ORIGINAL: margclearlake

did you get the dig?

yes