Mysterious Underground Structure!

Donneybrook · Oct 25, 2014

I was hunting at my Second Seminole War fort a few days ago and i picked up an enormous iron signal on a 20 ft diameter mound. I dug through some limestone rocks and crumbly bricks and i could see a grate of some sort. Since i couldnt tell how big it was, I decided to leave it. Though I didnt fill in the hole. I went back today with Dad and brought along my detecting gear and an extra shovel for Dad. I showed Dad the mound and grate and he decided that I would go look for relics while he began excavating the grate area. I returned about 65-70 minutes later and he had done an incredible job uncovering the grate. He had a massive pile of limestone and broken bricks that he said were scattered throughout the dirt covering the grate. I got back just as he was getting ready to remove the massive grate; which turned out to be circular. I sat down and began to help remove dirt, loose rocks and broken bricks. After a while we decided it was time to call it a day, but that we would come back and take pictures. As we were about to leave he noticed writing on one of the only 6 compete bricks he had removed from the hole. We took it, along with two others home. After cleaning all three we realized they all bore the inscription T. Anderson. Later he dropped me back off at the place with several tools. I removed a lot more dirt and broken brick and then brushed off the brick structure. I also brought home the three other complete bricks, two of which said T. Anderson. and another that said T A & Sons. The excavated area measures 3' by 4'. Do you guys have any idea what this struture was? As i said before, the mound is about 20 feet across and has a ton of brick throughout it. Also, does anyone happen to know anything about the two bricks i posted? Thanks for looking!

HH

~Donney

P.S. At the very least that heavy grate will be a few dollars of scrap iron!
:laughing:

P.P.S. The "floor" under where the grate was is also brick.

Donneybrook · Oct 25, 2014

Donneybrook · Oct 25, 2014

Donneybrook · Oct 25, 2014

Donneybrook · Oct 25, 2014

*Cali Girl* · Oct 25, 2014

No clue but that is awesome! Looking forward to seeing others replies

zeemang · Oct 25, 2014

That almost looks like an old floor drainage grate, the pile of rubble would have been the building maybe. It looks like it was a drain with the larger area like a collecting area, right below the grate maybe, and then the liquid ran down the square/ rectangular shaped trough that leads away (to about 1 o.clock in your photo) probably towards a cistern or a seep away type tank...

SeabeeRon · Oct 25, 2014

zeemang said:
That almost looks like an old floor drainage grate, the pile of rubble would have been the building maybe. It looks like it was a drain with the larger area like a collecting area, right below the grate maybe, and then the liquid ran down the square/ rectangular shaped trough that leads away (to about 1 o.clock in your photo) probably towards a cistern or a seep away type tank...

I agree with zeemnag!

coin chaser · Oct 25, 2014

Also agree with zeemang. That's the first thing I thought. Maybe it was in the center of a old barn for draining urine from the animals.

ScubaDetective · Oct 25, 2014

Curiosity has the best of me. Do you have permission to be digging this up?

NOT trying to stir a pot or ruffle feathers, but digging a large hole and taking grates doesn't seem like a good idea.

Isaac43 · Oct 25, 2014

That is so cool Donney :wow:

Chad M. · Oct 25, 2014

Could the grate be for the floor of a chimney that was used on more than one floor of a house? This grate would go on the second floor. Seems like I've seen them about that size.

oleman · Oct 25, 2014

Maybe part of a fire pit for a smoke house--- :?:

Grumpysrb · Oct 25, 2014

I have visited several Forts along the gulf coast and they all had cisterns. The water in the cisterns was usually rain water and had to be funneled into the cistern. My guess is you found one of the places where water may have been directed into the cistern.

Donneybrook · Oct 26, 2014

*Cali Girl* said:
No clue but that is awesome! Looking forward to seeing others replies

thanks Cali

zeemang said:
That almost looks like an old floor drainage grate, the pile of rubble would have been the building maybe. It looks like it was a drain with the larger area like a collecting area, right below the grate maybe, and then the liquid ran down the square/ rectangular shaped trough that leads away (to about 1 o.clock in your photo) probably towards a cistern or a seep away type tank...

I think that could very well be what it is. we'll know for sure once we excavate it the rest of the way.

Kemper said:
Here is a neat site for brick collecting. Has some nice photos and yours should be on there. The term "built like a brick outhouse" comes to mind, but I don't know if that's what I'm seeing here.

thanks for the link Kemper!

coin chaser said:
Also agree with zeemang. That's the first thing I thought. Maybe it was in the center of a old barn for draining urine from the animals.

Ok, thats nasty right there. lol. Dad says the area is to small to be a barn. (thankfully, i'd hate to be digging up some animal pee drain lol)

Chad M. said:
Could the grate be for the floor of a chimney that was used on more than one floor of a house? This grate would go on the second floor. Seems like I've seen them about that size.

i dont know, its possible but my inital guess is probably not. thanks for commenting!

Grumpysrb said:
I have visited several Forts along the gulf coast and they all had cisterns. The water in the cisterns was usually rain water and had to be funneled into the cistern. My guess is you found one of the places where water may have been directed into the cistern.

Thanks for the idea Grumpy. i think probably either you or Zeemang nailed it. we'll obviously know for sure once we've dug it out the rest of the way. i sure hope you're right cause i'd love to be excavating an old fort's water system!

Donneybrook · Oct 26, 2014

ScubaDetector said:
Curiosity has the best of me. Do you have permission to be digging this up?

NOT trying to stir a pot or ruffle feathers, but digging a large hole and taking grates doesn't seem like a good idea.

no i dont have permission. i just went, dug and left a big old hole. :shock:

OF COURSE I HAVE PERMISSION! I'm not some stupid disrespectful noob! Why would you ever think i dont have permission? I'm really kinda surprised you would ask such a question of someone who has now been here over a year. Dont you think it kinda gets ingrained to ask permission once you've been here so long?

NectarDetector · Oct 26, 2014

Donneybrook said:
no i dont have permission. i just went, dug and left a big old hole.

OF COURSE I HAVE PERMISSION! I'm not some stupid disrespectful noob! Why would you ever think i dont have permission? I'm really kinda surprised you would ask such a question of someone who has now been here over a year. Dont you think it kinda gets ingrained to ask permission once you've been here so long?

Doesn't mean people abide by that rule 100% of the time

And, I doubt you're going to say "No, I don't have permission" if you dont

:lol:

Jo ann · Oct 26, 2014

When you said the mound was 20ftx20ft, first thing I thought of was pine tar extraction, (but than I'd think that everything was all black?) the brick structure looks familiar to me but can't place it. You didn't say which way it slanted... slanting towards the circle or away from it.

Maybe this link would help... http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx.htm

007tallguy · Oct 26, 2014

that's an interesting find Donny. any signs of a foundation around that mound and drainage thingy?
it's kinda weird (to me) that a drain would be on top of a mound. why am i thinking maybe from a slaughter house rather than a cistern? :?:

Donneybrook · Oct 26, 2014

NectarDetector said:
Doesn't mean people abide by that rule 100% of the time

And, I doubt you're going to say "No, I don't have permission" if you dont

lol yeah i dont think i'd tell the truth either if i was trespassing lol

Jo ann said:
When you said the mound was 20ftx20ft, first thing I thought of was pine tar extraction, (but than I'd think that everything was all black?) the brick structure looks familiar to me but can't place it. You didn't say which way it slanted... slanting towards the circle or away from it.

it appears to have a slight slant toward the trough that disappears into the unexcavated part of the mound.

007tallguy said:
that's an interesting find Donny. any signs of a foundation around that mound and drainage thingy?
it's kinda weird (to me) that a drain would be on top of a mound. why am i thinking maybe from a slaughter house rather than a cistern?

its hard to say if there is a foundation or not. i need to dig out more. hopefully i'll be able to go in less than a week but its tough to say with school. The drain isnt in the middle of the mound, its kinda towards the side of it (with the trough flowing towards the middle)

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