Two or three weeks ago I indicated that after 3 years of
          sporatic looking, we may possibly (fingers crossed
          hopefully) have discovered the location of a old well.  I
          asked for help in preparing for and doing a well dig.
 
          This message is to thank all those who replied for my
          requests.  In addition to a lot of e-mail advice, I also
          received detailed reports on two well digs, advice
          concerning safety and health issues.  Several cyberfolks
          said to let them know if we did indeed locate the well and
          how things were going with the dig.  They said such feedback
          is often lacking and they would like to hear an update every
          so often.  So here is the first such update.
 
          This last weekend, we located our first well headstone at
          about 2 feet below the modern ground level.  By Sunday
          evening, we had dug out about 1/2 of the circle of the well
          on the inside down to the second row of stones and about
          1/3 of the outside of the wall stones were revealed.  There
          is no doubt that we have located the well and are revealing
          it slowly.
 
          While we have not yet dug round the entire circumference on
          either the inside or outside of the head stones, the well
          seems as if it will be about 6 feet in outside diameter.  We
          are planning to bring the outside dirt around the well down
          to the level of the well head and to build a protective
          framed roof with hoist support beams over the dig site and
          well before going down into the well below 2 meters.  The
          well is dug into clay, and the wall stones are nearly
          10"x12"x12" each, so the walls may be solid enough to permit
          a straight dig with little shoring, but we will see as we
          go.  A lot of dirt has to be removed and filtered before we
          will be able to start down into the well safely.  This is to
          give us a level and secure starting point at the level of
          the well head.
 
          Thus far, the area near the the well head has produced
          shards of several mid-1800s bottles and ceramics, a few
          buttons (including a nice 4 hole bone button found
          yesterday), a blue glass bead, and other items.
 
          One little mystery is that there seem to be remains of
          bricks at the strata just above the headstones of the well.
          We found some remains of bricks and a whole brick or two
          that contain mortar and seem to have been dislodged from the
          top of the row of well head stones.  We are not certain, but
          it looks as if the well may have been stone up to a point
          and then bricks placed above that level.  The bricks seem to
          be soft and of the type that the 1818 house nearby was made
          of. We are thinking that that the top of the well may have
          been brick starting at or near the ground surface at that
          time.  I can imagine a brick well wall being extended up to
          30" or so above ground level, with a little protective rain
          roof with bucket pulley in it placed on the brick protective
          wall.  I do not have any real data about such well tops,
          except for those of modern construction.  Any thoughts on
          whether brick toppings were used above stone well walls and
          if so whether they started at ground level or below it or
          above it?  Also, I would appreciate information concerning
          how high above the ground surface, bricks would have been
          used, and the possibility of whether or not a small roof
          with bucket hoist would have been on a well dug about 1818
          in Frederick County, Maryland.
 
          Thank you.  [log in to unmask]
          Ph. 301 903-4507 or 301 473-5967