NC_Digger
Elite Member
>>>The stinkin photos didn't come through. I'll get them attached as soon as I can figure out what I screwed up. <<<
>>>Fixed. <<<
I was surfing old topo maps the other day and came across an old church that I knew doesn't exist today. I found it on maps from the early 1900's carrying the name of the property owners of the time and in the 20's as a local Baptist church but listed as closed on current maps (the ones that bother to show it). There's a family cemetery nearby (oldest stone 1887) that was eventually used by the church.
I traced the property description to a plat drawn in 1947 based on a survey from 1934 that separated the the church property from the property surrounding it. The M&B description refers to the "Old Road" (complete with quotes).
A little more research led me to the current property owners who live on the property. A knock on the door and 15-20 minutes of chatting with the owner and not only do I have permission #2 but I have more background on the property.
It seems the "Old Road" was once a major thoroughfare for the local horse and buggy traffic. The house the current owner lives in is listed as being built in 1941 but he told me that when he had some remodeling done years ago the carpenter doing the work told him that based on some of what he saw under the house the foundation at least is much older. He told the owner that it looked like it dates from the late 1800's. The current owner said he's been told that the preacher lived there.
Just down the "Old Road" are the remains of the church. The owner doesn't want anyone in the rubble as there's asbestos siding in the mix. Here's what the church and churchyard look like today.
The owner also told me about a 1 room school house down the road from the church. The teacher lived upstairs. Here's what that looks like.
There's also the remains of a log structure that the owner failed to mention. It's located between the church and school. Here's what that looks like.
The owner also said that he's been told that there was a blacksmith shop somewhere on the road but there's no structure left so that'll be something to hunt for.
The site could be a treasure trove of artifacts but it's going to be a PITA to hunt between the weeds trees and old rust scattered about.
My question to the forum is other than the obvious "carefully" how would you go about hunting an area like the one pictured?
Dennis
>>>Fixed. <<<
I was surfing old topo maps the other day and came across an old church that I knew doesn't exist today. I found it on maps from the early 1900's carrying the name of the property owners of the time and in the 20's as a local Baptist church but listed as closed on current maps (the ones that bother to show it). There's a family cemetery nearby (oldest stone 1887) that was eventually used by the church.
I traced the property description to a plat drawn in 1947 based on a survey from 1934 that separated the the church property from the property surrounding it. The M&B description refers to the "Old Road" (complete with quotes).
A little more research led me to the current property owners who live on the property. A knock on the door and 15-20 minutes of chatting with the owner and not only do I have permission #2 but I have more background on the property.
It seems the "Old Road" was once a major thoroughfare for the local horse and buggy traffic. The house the current owner lives in is listed as being built in 1941 but he told me that when he had some remodeling done years ago the carpenter doing the work told him that based on some of what he saw under the house the foundation at least is much older. He told the owner that it looked like it dates from the late 1800's. The current owner said he's been told that the preacher lived there.
Just down the "Old Road" are the remains of the church. The owner doesn't want anyone in the rubble as there's asbestos siding in the mix. Here's what the church and churchyard look like today.
The owner also told me about a 1 room school house down the road from the church. The teacher lived upstairs. Here's what that looks like.
There's also the remains of a log structure that the owner failed to mention. It's located between the church and school. Here's what that looks like.
The owner also said that he's been told that there was a blacksmith shop somewhere on the road but there's no structure left so that'll be something to hunt for.
The site could be a treasure trove of artifacts but it's going to be a PITA to hunt between the weeds trees and old rust scattered about.
My question to the forum is other than the obvious "carefully" how would you go about hunting an area like the one pictured?
Dennis
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