Digging for garden treasure
It all started when we decided our kids had outgrown the trampoline in our backyard. It took six people 15 minutes to lift it over the fence to give it to our neighbors with young kids. An hour later, my honey and I already had rudimentary plans to put in a patio and fire pit where the trampoline had been. Lucky me, there was also space for my newest gardening experiment: dahlias.
It began in the way most projects start on a sunny Sunday morning. We raked old mulch out of the way and dug up several perennials that needed to be rehomed. Then we tilled the spot where the dahlias would go. After a few passes with the tiller, my honey hit something solid. He tried to pry up what he thought was a large rock, but it didn’t budge. So he dug a little deeper.
Strange. What we thought was a rock wasn’t a rock. It was a 6-inch concrete wall that looked like it might be circular. Maybe an old well?
Underground surprise
Our curiosity was officially piqued! Honey hit the sand about a foot down. A lot of sand. And a lot of flies that had maybe been hibernating? Gross.
The concrete edge wasn’t circular like a well but continued on for 6 feet.
Now we were curious AND a little creeped out. Please don’t let it be a grave, I begged the universe. An hour later, we uncovered most of the structure. The concrete walls were at least 5 feet deep and still half-filled with sand, old bricks, and rock remnants that someone had used as filler.
Wild speculation
Around this time, our son came out to help, and I admit, our imaginations ran a little wild. For a hot second, we hoped it was an old bomb shelter or storm cellar. We dug down further to see if we could spot the top of a door. No dice. No door.
Had someone been bootlegging hootch in our backyard many years ago? Had we uncovered an unknown stop on the Underground Railroad? Was this the 1900s version of a hot tub? Did we dig far enough down to know for sure that someone’s Grandpa wasn’t buried back here?
Then we got practical. It was probably too far from the house to be a cistern. Our home was built in the early 1900s but always had indoor plumbing, so it wasn’t the foundation for an outhouse. So what was it?
The mystery is solved
After we finally uncovered the entire structure and chatted with a friend who's an architectural historian, we now believe this was most likely a water feature from the 1950s or earlier. After much debate, we decided this was too precious to rebury or demolish, so we’re recreating the top layer and turning it into a decorative garden planter. Another DIY project for me and my honey…and you know how those usually go. Stay tuned!
Though Jamie usually enjoys yard work and a fun backyard project, the 80-pound pavers she chose for the new patio almost took her out this year. It turns out she is no spring chicken, and her neck and back aren’t as forgiving as they used to be.
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