# Privy Dig Under Standing Outhouse



## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

I was always reluctant to dig under standing outhouses.  Most of the outhouses in my area are either decorations or are used as sheds or outbuildings with concrete floors.  So when one of my wife's friends (yeah, my wife got me a permission, I couldn't believe it!) invited me over to dig under their outhouse I didn't expect much.

 But a permission to dig is a permsission and it must be followed through on.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

I start moving dirt and this appears.  A very nice local soda (J. HARLEY WEST CHESTER PA).  I need the whole version of this one!


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

I'm still not convinced that the pit wasn't already dug, but I keep digging.  I get down to the use layer in one of the corners and find a WM. M. WILSON DRUGGIST PHILADA.  This clue and the fact that the 4 inch use layer is undisturbed convince me that I am the only one who has dug this pit.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

This was a fun dig to say the least, and it produced bothe criers and keepers.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

The keepers.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

The criers.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

wrong photo above, should have inserted this


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## grizz44 (Feb 17, 2013)

Wow i'm surprised. That outhouse doesn't look that old!
 Congrats...


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## epackage (Feb 17, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  DIGS CHESCO
> 
> The criers.


 *O U C H !!*


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

Yeah grizz, I was surprised, there wasn't anything in that whole newer than the 1880's, yet the outhouse was maintained for over 120 years.


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 17, 2013)

> ORIGINAL: DIGS CHESCO
> 
> The keepers.


 
 Nice dig...is that sided bottle pontiled?? Good job! P.S.Just noticed the other med is pontiled too...nice job,...pontils from a standing outhouse...


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

Thanks Joe, that sided bottle is pontiled.  There was so much pontiled glass (pieces) in that hole, I never saw anything like it!

 Tom


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## madman (Feb 17, 2013)

nice finds!


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## sandchip (Feb 17, 2013)

That is just wild!  How deep did it end up being?


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 17, 2013)

Jimbo,

 It bottomed out at barely 4 feet.  It turned out to be a 5' x 5' square stoner with a foot of concrete curb at the surface.  Thats another thing, the next time I come a cross a privy that has either cinder block or concrete at the top I'm going in without hesitation!

 Hers's another pic.

 Tom


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## grizz44 (Feb 17, 2013)

> Thats another thing, the next time I come a cross a privy that has either cinder block or concrete at the top I'm going in without hesitation!


 
 Thats got me thinking about a concrete hole I left last summer!!!

 Chuck


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## screlichunter (Feb 17, 2013)

Outstanding Sir! I appreciate the incentive. Nice finds!


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## cacarpetbagger (Feb 18, 2013)

Nice dig.  Always good to get some pontils.


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## RICKJJ59W (Feb 18, 2013)

Wow thats pretty amazing.To bad the sodas weren't whole! I would have never dug it, but thats just  me. I bet you need to dig 100 standing outhouses to find one like that.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 18, 2013)

Yeah Rick, I wish the sodas were whole.  I have all the pieces to one, so hopefully I'll add a "glued back" J. Harley West Chester PA soda to my shelf.

 Tom


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## mtfdfire22 (Feb 18, 2013)

Never walk away from a privy with concrete walls!!! We dug one from the turn of the century and one from the 1870's this year alone. do your research. I have personally done the research to find out their were 2 concrete factories within 10 miles of each other in the area I dig and both advertisements were from the 1880's. We also have homes in the area with crude concrete block foundations that date to the mid 1860's. If i had to guess, for pre 1890's  5 houses out of every 100 were stone foundation that leaves the rest to be concrete blocks.


 I have heard a dozen guys tell me they would not dig these things, including my partners, and i refused to listen. We dug some great stuff out of these concrete lined privies and i will continue digging them and posting what we find. Dont pass up on the opportunity to try it, you may end up very surprised.

 Check this out......1860's house made of solid concrete block in Bay City Michigan....where I live. if they had leftovers from the house they used them to build the privy. 
 http://www.bcra-mls.com/scripts/Property_View.cfm?StartRow=101&RowNumber=102&PriceLow=&City=Bay%20City


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## mtfdfire22 (Feb 18, 2013)

second site actually showing this house was built in 1860



 http://realestate.mlive.com/?temp_type=detail&tp=RE_mlive&classification=REAL+ESTATE&property=mlive.com&ad_id=621852353


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## lil digger (Feb 18, 2013)

wow thats cool, shame those squats wernt hole...


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## sandchip (Feb 18, 2013)

Looks to be sorta rural.  How far from the house was the privy?


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 18, 2013)

Jimbo,

 It is far from the house, it was approx. 30 yards from both the house and the barn.  I live between Philadphia and Lancaster PA, the area was rural up until about 25 years ago.  Most of the farm pits I dig (if I can find them!), are what I call 3 bottle holes.  The people who occupied these farms in the 1800's had very little disposable income, and it shows in what little they discarded.  This recent dig was an exception, these folks were wealthy compared to their neighbors.

 Thanks for the question.

 Tom


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## RICKJJ59W (Feb 18, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  DIGS CHESCO
> 
> Jimbo,
> 
> ...


 
 They must hit the lottery back then [8D]


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## tigue710 (Feb 18, 2013)

that is strange... do you think they dipped it out over the years or moved the pit over the old pit when filling in newer pits?  If they dipped it I would think there would be newer stuff too...


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm guessing that the house got in door plumbing early on like maybe 1880's.  The pit was dipped, the dippers just weren't very efficient.  After the 1880's they must of had a dump instead of filling the privy.

 Tom


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## THE BADGER (Feb 21, 2013)

VERY NICE TOM,GLAD YOU DUG IT.YOU NEVER KNOW DIG UM ALL.  BADGER


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## Stardust (Feb 22, 2013)

Nice finds Tom... Thanks for sharing.: )


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## David Fertig (Feb 22, 2013)

Some of my better bottles have come from pits like this.  I've seen poured concrete and several courses of cinderblock.  Plus brick.  And relaid stone.

 Dig 'em all.


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## rockbot (Feb 24, 2013)

That out house could have easily been moved one time or another. I wonder?


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## RICKJJ59W (Feb 24, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  THE BADGER
> 
> VERY NICE TOM,GLAD YOU DUG IT.YOU NEVER KNOW DIG UM ALL.  BADGER


 
 But first you have to get um all to dig um  all []


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 24, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  DIGS CHESCO
> 
> I was always reluctant to dig under standing outhouses.  Most of the outhouses in my area are either decorations or are used as sheds or outbuildings with concrete floors.  So when one of my wife's friends (yeah, my wife got me a permission, I couldn't believe it!) invited me over to dig under their outhouse I didn't expect much.
> 
> But a permission to dig is a permsission and it must be followed through on.


 Is that the ladies room out back....I hear the good bitters and liquor bottles are found in those[8D] Congratulations Tom I pass at least 5 of those every time I travel down to Alloway on Glassboro Rd. With it all dug out and all you could run some modern plumbing and tie it in to their existing sewer pipe slap a new toilet in and have a second bathroom making the property much more desirable...........Of course their taxes would go up and it can get kinda chilly at night....


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 24, 2013)

Steve,

 I didn't even look in that other outbuilding!


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 24, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  DIGS CHESCO
> 
> Steve,
> 
> I didn't even look in that other outbuilding!


 Go get permission for that one too Tom!!  Maybe both families if it is in the neighbors yard were wealthy trash throwin away heathens[8D] Why I bet you there is a Seaworths Cape May bitters bottle in that one!!


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 24, 2013)

I'll settle for a E. G. BOOZ, very nice Cape May Bitters though; I wouldn't expect to find one this far inland, but you never know.

 Tom


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 24, 2013)

You know those Pennsylvania People they own more shore property then us Jerseyans so I am leaning towards the Seaworths bitters Tom. The guy who lived where you dug probably had a house down the shore just like you B__stards do today tying up our roads on Friday Evenings and Sunday late afternoons!![] when you stay at the shore for the weekend and return home!! 

 He bought the bitters in Cape May at the old light house museum when it was a general store selling those bitters. He intended to bring two of them back with him but drank one on the ride home in his buggy and threw the empty one out on route 49 next to a small Oak tree which is now a large Oak tree,he then passed out and before he knew it he was loaded onto the ferry and sent back to South East Pa where his horses knew the routine. If they were throwin out their trash you can bet they owned a shore house too[8D]


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## DIGS CHESCO (Feb 24, 2013)

Guilty as charged, my father inlaw lives in Avalon NJ, we visit him alot in the summer.  That Cape May Bitters is a great bottle, and I supose they might be found any where along the Reading RR Sea Shore Line.  Are there all amber or are ther other colors?

 Tom


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 24, 2013)

Guilty as charged I knew it!! As for color predominately dark Amber but it has been seen recently in light amber,yellow amber,pale emerald green,aqua,yellow green and talk of a one of a kind type of a pale blue version. Peachridge glass has some on its web site.


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## deenodean (Feb 24, 2013)

Excellent outing. The whole ones make up for the criers..


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## hemihampton (Apr 16, 2013)

Did you ever dig that 2nd privy in Pic? Very Interesting finds. LEON.


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## DIGS CHESCO (Apr 16, 2013)

Leon,

 I'm glad you found this post it provides a lot of info regarding digging standing privies and how sometimes concrete hides a structures true age.

 I haven't been back to dig anywhere on that property or any other for that matter, hopefully I'll get out somewhere in the coming weeks.

 Tom


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## hemihampton (Apr 16, 2013)

I remember reading this post over a month ago & went looking for it. Sounds like Nic was saying concrete structure have Potential. LEON.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 16, 2013)

Not for me never dug a good one.


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## plehbah (Apr 17, 2013)

This is a good lesson about standing privies. I am not sure if I like it, but I have learned it.


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