Need some help please

[wedigdixie]

Hey guys I am new to the forum but have been a relic hunter for close to 9 years now mostly hunting Civil War sites and early colonial sites. Since I have been a relic hunter I have been to many old homes that date back to the early 1700's, and have always wanted to find and dig the old priveys at these homes. I have probed around at some for about a hour or so and not having any clue as to what I was doing just gave up, most of the houses have no depressions or any vegitation such as dandylions that grow in random spots during the spring indicating from what I have heard the location of a Privey site. So I did a google search on bottle and privey digging and this forum came up, I need all the help that I can get b/c the house that I have now, I def need to find this hole. A little history behind the house if you have time to listen and read:

The site was built in 1772 and housed the offices of the Secretary of State, until 1781. The State Board of War and other official meetings were held there at this time. During the Revolutionary period, it was owned by the first Governor of North Carolina after Independence was gained from Great Britain. The house was also the site of a Civil War Hospital, Church Annex, Public Library, and Women's Club building. The house was remodeled around 1790, again in 1835 and the most recent restoration was completed in 1984.

We have relic hunted around this house and found many early silver and copper coins including King Georges,William and Marys, Large Cents, Pieces of eight, Revolutionary buttons and relics, as well as many civil war buttons, gun tools etc and the list goes on and on. The residents that lived in the home around 1850 were also very wealthy and had another plantation out in the country, that had a store, disterly, and they owned 214 slaves, so I assume that if they had that much money that this privey hole is going to house some very nice relics.

The only possible problem that I have with this home is now present day on the left side of the house maybe 10 feet from side of the home is a huge paved over parking lot, som I am hoping that with all the history here there is one directly behind the house, also in the 1970's the backyard was backfilled, making it level with the rest of the yard completly wiping out any and all depressions that would have been there, the landowner has agreed to let us dig the privey granted that we can find it, but we have also told him that we will donate everything we find to the local museum which we have done many times in the past with mostly all the relics that have come from that property.

Here is a Picture of the Sanborn map the earliest ava. is 1855 what I am asking from you guys and gals is were do I start in finding the privey or trash pit? How many feet behind the house? On the left or right side or straight behind? When I probe, do I probe every 1,2,5 or 10 feet? I am 100% new at this and if you do not wish to disclose this information on the forum then please feel free to send me a PM or email wedigdixie@ymail.com.

Thanks to everyone for your help and hope you a very safe and merry christmas.

P.S. Sorry for such a long post,lol

Oh sorry the house reffered to above is the first house right of the black line

 

[wedigdixie]

Anyone??

 

[deacon_frost]

my guess and this is just a guess because im no privy master by any means,( although ive dug a few ) would be to start between the main house and the servants quarters because i dont think they would want to walk that far from the house in the middle of the night[] if memory serves me correctly the sanborns for my area have a legend for feet and you can use that to see if the house has been added to and the distance between it and the servants quarters... like i said this is just where i would start, im sure some of the more experienced people will chime in soon....good luck and keep us posted sounds promising

 

[wedigdixie]

So what do I do just start probing in random spots behind the house between it and the quarters? How wide were these priveys usally?

 

[Bixel]

OK locate the rear door of the house. Stand at it and look to the back yard. Where would you want to have to walk to go to the washroom in the middle of the night?. Look for any depressions in the ground. Look for Lilac bushes, or probe around big old trees. Sides of the lot, and the back corner also work well.

 

[surfaceone]

So what do I do just start probing in random spots behind the house between it and the quarters? How wide were these priveys usally?

Hello Matt,

Welcome to Privyquest 101 at A-BN. I'd pay attention to that little addition at the rear of the house with the "X X" and any out buildings with that telltale "X" designation. Failing that I'd probe along the rear of the lot from corner to corner. Failing that I'd want to systematically ventilate the heck outta the place. Might there be a hidden stone walkway leading away from the back door? Where do it go?

Don't forget to check under the front porch or veranda. Good luck!

Self Portrait in Dirt & Shadow

 

[wedigdixie]

ORIGINAL: Insulators Rule!

OK locate the rear door of the house. Stand at it and look to the back yard. Where would you want to have to walk to go to the washroom in the middle of the night?. Look for any depressions in the ground. Look for Lilac bushes, or probe around big old trees. Sides of the lot, and the back corner also work well.

The depressions and vegitation wont work b/c as listed above in the description the property has been backfilled which means dirt has been brought in and laid on top of the exsisting ground, and the landowner says that no flowers pop up during the spring, I guess due to the backfilling, so I am coming more and more convinced that this is just gonna be a find it by luck kind of thing

 

[genno0713]

Matt! At the bottom of the map at the rear of both houses the VERY LITTLE building on both properties IS the OUTHOUSE! I`m 95% possitive!! Look for a small sink in the yard at those locations. If none probe around there! There should be a Footage scale on the map! They are VERY helpful! I found many privies with that scale!! Use it. It works! Try all this and let me know how you made out!! Good Luck! Genno!!! NO. "1" Lewistown, Pa. Digger!!!!

 

[wedigdixie]

Ok so I have somewhat of an update I went out this past weekend before we got all this snow and did some probing around, started in the back corners of the lot, and worked my way down the property lines, found alot of brick everywhere... Over by 3 headstones that the owners dont know if that was the actually location of the grave site of not, I probed there to finding that the probe basically dissappered very easily so I take it those are graves, to the right of the headstones along a whites fence that runs along the property there was an indention that I nor the landowner saw before, expect this indention is about 1.5 feet wide and around 4 feet long maybe a two seater privey??? I hit that with the probe also and found it very easy to push in the ground not like the rest of the yard I made several attempts in this indention and hit hard wood several times and what sounded like either small rocks or broken glass around 1 foot down, could this be one of the priveys or a trash pit? If you are standing at the back door its to the left of the property about 10-15 yards behind the house

 

[appliedlips]

ORIGINAL: genno0713

Genno!!! NO. "1" Lewistown, Pa. Digger!!!!

There is another digger from Lewiston isn't there? He seems to be a real class act, humble and very helpful. I think his name is Jim maybe you could hook up with him I am sure there is alot to learned from him.