ollievon
Elite Member
I found an abandoned school house in Upstate New York the other day deep in the woods. Does anyone have an experience with hunting around these?
Old School Houses
- Thread starter ollievon
- Start date
bugguy
Elite Member
Yes keep your coil to the soil and swing till it hurts. 
no really i would look for a clearing area which might have been a play ground for them or look for the smaller trees "the ones that dont look so old "and work around that for a bit . the smaller trees may have been the clearing at one time. then think like a child would . what in the area might have been of interest to them ?is there and old large rock they would have climbed on? a small stream near by where they might study bugs 
?any type of embankment they might have sat on while taking there play time.? if there is a foundation and no structure or even if there is a structure work close to the foundations exterior and then if its safe enough try the inside of the foundation and give that a swing. as with any type of new or old building you have to put your self in the prior occupants shoes what might they have done? who where these people? what did they do for a living ? research can help alot when hunting but good common sence can be just as great a tool. when i go out i think that it is sometimes the best part of the hunt trying to imagine the homestead with the people still there bring your self back in time and enjoy and learn from what you see around you.
no really i would look for a clearing area which might have been a play ground for them or look for the smaller trees "the ones that dont look so old "and work around that for a bit . the smaller trees may have been the clearing at one time. then think like a child would . what in the area might have been of interest to them ?is there and old large rock they would have climbed on? a small stream near by where they might study bugs ?any type of embankment they might have sat on while taking there play time.? if there is a foundation and no structure or even if there is a structure work close to the foundations exterior and then if its safe enough try the inside of the foundation and give that a swing. as with any type of new or old building you have to put your self in the prior occupants shoes what might they have done? who where these people? what did they do for a living ? research can help alot when hunting but good common sence can be just as great a tool. when i go out i think that it is sometimes the best part of the hunt trying to imagine the homestead with the people still there bring your self back in time and enjoy and learn from what you see around you.
ollievon
Elite Member
The best thing about this school is that there are very little old trees, it's a rather a clear area to look around. The only thing that worries me about old houses or foundations in the middle of nowhere are the wells that may be unmarked.
There is another place I look that is the foundation of an old house deep in the woods and have found some nice things. The problem is that one day while swinging my detector I came upon a depression in the ground covered by leaves, instead of standing on it something told me to move the leaves away (perhaps to pick up a stronger reading), glad I did since the leaves revealed a rotted wood cover to an old well that when down very far. The scary thing is that if one should fall down a well, no one would know where you are...even to look...truly scary stuff.
Anyhoo, thanks for the advice I will look and think like student 100 years ago...wish me luck!
Drew
There is another place I look that is the foundation of an old house deep in the woods and have found some nice things. The problem is that one day while swinging my detector I came upon a depression in the ground covered by leaves, instead of standing on it something told me to move the leaves away (perhaps to pick up a stronger reading), glad I did since the leaves revealed a rotted wood cover to an old well that when down very far. The scary thing is that if one should fall down a well, no one would know where you are...even to look...truly scary stuff.
Anyhoo, thanks for the advice I will look and think like student 100 years ago...wish me luck!
Drew
YARDBYRD
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 408
Talked to an old timer the other day that said the best place to look at any of the very old school sites was the outhouse.....I was thinking ...what?.........He said that the holes in the outhouses in those days were not very deep and anything a kid wanted to lose( what now would be old artifacts) went in the outhouse...It makes perfect sense.... Not only that but i'm sure a vast number of coins may have been lost in the outhouses over the years...... Just a thought.
Oklahunter
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2006
- Messages
- 443
Great location find, Ollie. Best of luck!
bugguy
Elite Member
OH yes the old wells almost forgot about those till you said something and now that you mention it i had a run in with one also this past fall. it was and 1800 to very early 1920's foundation out in the woods with an old barn rock foundation also. my buddy and i desided to hit the barn first with only me finding and old toy car and about a million tractor parts and things i have never seen to even have a chance to identify. anyway moved to the house about after an hour i started getting good hits while he went out to a feild and lost him for another hour. when i first got to the house i noticed "like you said " i found leaves covering an old well. kind of scared me at first after i saw how rotted the wood was covering it . and i almost stepped right on it but right before i got a silver signal it was an old hair peice for holding back hair like for sunday church i would guess. maybe the good Lord left it there for me so i woldnt fall in the well. so yes like i said before safety is the first thing you should be looking for when going to old structures
bugguy
Elite Member
and yes yardbird your right about the outhouses they can be great to find coins and other cool things . the church next door to me "not in use anymore" still has the old out house in the back. also look where the out houses were and follow the line to the out house from where you think the door might have been to the building.
ToddB64
Elite Member
Old school houses and churches
I recently got permission to metal detect around an old brick building that
was originally built as a school, then used as a church before finally
being abandoned.
The property owner was very nice and showed me inside this one-room
building. The blackboard runs completely across the back wall and
appears to be made of cement, painted black.
The outside window sills are made of soft lime stone and still bear initials,
etc., carved buy the kids !
After spending a good deal of time talking with the owner and viewing the inside of the building (we shared a lot of common interests), I only
had a couple of hours left to detect around the foundation and the front steps. It was cold, windy and getting late so gave up for the day, with
finds being a small bolt and snap-ring out from the front steps and about 4-6 inches deep. I was also digging up small chunks of what appeared to be coal in the front yard........guess coal was dumped there from the road, then carried in the front door to the stove.
On my next trip back there, and this could be a good "tip" if you havn't thought of it already, I want to see if I can find the old parking lot, where coins and other items may have been dropped as people got in and out of their cars !
BTW.......the day I asked for permission, I happened to be returning from
a business appointment and was nicely dressed, so decided to make a personal appearance at the owners residence. I introduced myself by name and address, and said I was interested in the history of old schools, etc., etc.. Later in the conversation, after I saw the owner was relaxed with me, I asked about metal detecting and received a warm invitation ("Sure ! Come any time you want and you can park
right over there.")
ToddB64
Ace250
I recently got permission to metal detect around an old brick building that
was originally built as a school, then used as a church before finally
being abandoned.
The property owner was very nice and showed me inside this one-room
building. The blackboard runs completely across the back wall and
appears to be made of cement, painted black.
The outside window sills are made of soft lime stone and still bear initials,
etc., carved buy the kids !
After spending a good deal of time talking with the owner and viewing the inside of the building (we shared a lot of common interests), I only
had a couple of hours left to detect around the foundation and the front steps. It was cold, windy and getting late so gave up for the day, with
finds being a small bolt and snap-ring out from the front steps and about 4-6 inches deep. I was also digging up small chunks of what appeared to be coal in the front yard........guess coal was dumped there from the road, then carried in the front door to the stove.
On my next trip back there, and this could be a good "tip" if you havn't thought of it already, I want to see if I can find the old parking lot, where coins and other items may have been dropped as people got in and out of their cars !
BTW.......the day I asked for permission, I happened to be returning from
a business appointment and was nicely dressed, so decided to make a personal appearance at the owners residence. I introduced myself by name and address, and said I was interested in the history of old schools, etc., etc.. Later in the conversation, after I saw the owner was relaxed with me, I asked about metal detecting and received a warm invitation ("Sure ! Come any time you want and you can park
right over there.")
ToddB64
Ace250
