Very old well uncovered

irwin · Jun 7, 2009

My house was built in 1850..
I've known about two old wells on the home property, an older well (a good walk from the house) has been filled in many years ago, but this one was covered with old rotted planks and then had some rocks on top of the wood. I walk by it all the time going to the barn, etc.

After I finished working today I put away the tools and tractor and decided to uncover this old well. I had no idea what I would find.

I removed the rocks and planks, then I scooped the dead possum out. (yuck) also got most of the rotting leaves removed, it looked pretty good. It's about 4 feet down to the water and about 4 1/2 feet deep. Looks to be "well" made,

sorry about the pun. Not sure if I'll use it for anything, it's kinda neat just having it...and yes I know, keep it covered and blocked off from wandering feet, little or otherwise. I'm trying to figure the best way to cover it to protect the water (from possums, leaves, mice, etc.) might dig around it and pour some concrete, then get a big round piece of 3/8 steel with a lip welded on as a lid.... still thinking. Any ideas or thoughts? I acknowledged I need to keep people protected from accidentally falling in.

JESSE1 · Jun 7, 2009

Pretty neat craftsmanship in the stone work. Might want to pump it out to see if it refills with groundwater or if it's filled with rainwater. Maybe build a waist high wall around it and a pump house around the well that can be locked.

irwin · Jun 7, 2009

JESSE1 said:
Might want to pump it out to see if it refills with groundwater or if it's filled with rainwater. Maybe build a waist high wall around it and a pump house around the well that can be locked.

Very good ideas JESSIE1, much better than what I was thinking, although I was going to pour a gallon or two clorox in there and then pump it out a few days later. Maybe I can find a large doghouse to modify for a pump house. Lawd knows I have enough rocks here to build it up some.

weldingisfun · Jun 8, 2009

If it refills itself, you may have found a free source of water for your lawn and garden and save ($) having to use water from whatever water source you are on.

Soundguy · Jun 8, 2009

yep.. if it refills.. after to clean it out you could put a wood or other cover over it, and then install a hand pump and cover shade.. would look great and be useable.

soundguy

jimmyj · Jun 8, 2009

Great post. It's neat to think of the old timers digging wells by hand. Very cool.

Can you find out what a well-house would have looked like when your home was built? It'd be neat to replicate - a little bit of history.

Cat_Driver · Jun 8, 2009

I found an old well one time by driving over it with a skid steer, it almost swallowed me and the skid steer, that was a close one.

inveresk · Jun 8, 2009

In an old property I bought way back, one of the previous owners had covered the dug well with a wagon wheel with wire mesh on the underside. My daughter was four at the time we moved in and we lived there for eleven years without a problem for children or pets. Looked pretty neat too.

irwin · Jun 8, 2009

weldingisfun said:
If it refills itself, you may have found a free source of water for your lawn and garden and save ($) having to use water from whatever water source you are on.

I wasn't thinking it would be this nice. I walked by it for three years, thinking that I should do something better as a cover to keep people safe. This is good, I'm excited by the possiblities...

I live in wet Connecticut, I'm pretty sure this well will refill itself... but we'll see. I'll pour a couple gallons of bleach in there in the next few days, then I'll empty it. Good excuse to buy a pump with a fairly good output

I'll make sure to get one that I can use as a service pump also. The barn is only about 60 feet from the well.

gotrocks · Jun 9, 2009

Tim, In my opinion you have uncovered a treasure. I would be delighted to have it on my place.

Please don't just "cover" it. A "well house" or pump set up would be a great asset to your property.

Here's a shot of mine. It was concrete block and I "rocked" the outside like the wall showing. Rosemary has covered the well sides from this angle.

More pictures of your final decision if you please.l

'"Great post. It's neat to think of the old timers digging wells by hand. Very cool."
Seems like a great number of "young timers" want a job similar to that....
they want to START AT THE TOP. (and work down)