# Privy Advice for 1870s grocer's house



## PlaneDiggerCam (Feb 4, 2018)

My Uncle owns a house that was built in 1869 in a fairly large Connecticut town. It was owned by a grocer in the 1870s-1880s. There is one privy still standing (probably the newer one) on the property. I was wondering if there would be other privys I could dig or just the one still standing. Also does anyone know what a New England privy is like to dig and if so would it be worth digging? 

Thanks, 
      PlaneDiggerCam


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## hemihampton (Feb 4, 2018)

Privy's are in the ground, not standing. I assume you mean the outhouse is still standing. Good chance the older Privy's are near by. either directly behind it or next to it to the left or right but really could be anywhere. I'd get a probe & probe all around it. Sometimes you may see a little sunken spot in the ground where a Privy once stood, this happens after the ground has settled. Probe any sunken looking spot. feel for soft ground & crunchy broken glass or layers. Can you post a pic of the still standing outhouse? Curious to see the layout. LEON.


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## nhpharm (Feb 5, 2018)

If you can find the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, they may show where the privy was back in the day.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Feb 5, 2018)

The only Sanborn map for the house I could find is a 1924 map with the backyard cut off. The older sanborn maps of the town don't show the house but other old maps (not showing privys) show it as a 1870s house. I will hopefully get pics of the one still standing soon. It is directly in the center of the back of the property


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## hemihampton (Feb 5, 2018)

Is it right on the back property line. Do you have a Probe? LEON.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Feb 6, 2018)

I do have a probe and the privy is right on the back of the property line TODAY. Not sure if that was the property line in the 1800s as the one sanborn map I had was cut off. I will have to get pics when I get the chance to go back to the property. I also want to know if New England privys usually have lots of bottles.


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## junkmansitch (Feb 6, 2018)

From my experience the only way to know what's in a privy is to dig it,sometimes it's a joyous thing other times and major disappointment. As far as regionally do New England privies have bottles?   it really depends on the family that live there and what their habits were like.
For me finding the privy is the first major step. 
So if you know where one is your ahead of the game.
GO FOR IT!


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## hemihampton (Feb 6, 2018)

if you have a probe start probing. I forgot it's winter. I assume the ground is still frozen. Probe away when spring comes. LEON.


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## nhpharm (Feb 7, 2018)

Any privy has the possibility of bottles in it regardless of where it is.  A probe will definitely tell the story.  

Be careful of gas lines and so forth.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Feb 7, 2018)

I may have located a privy, to the left of it while probing in the fall, but the ground is frozen now so I won't be able to know for sure until spring. Here are some pictures I have of the situation...

My uncle says this was a privy, it is in the middle of the back of the yard and was converted into a shed. It is located where I believe the old property line to be. There is one thing I forgot to mention that is making this difficult. There is a paved area between about 5-6 feet in front of it. Maybe some of the old privys got covered over? 


Here is the front of the house and a historical society plaque to show age.


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## hemihampton (Feb 7, 2018)

Looks like the area has good potential. What I usually do when looking for a privy in start in the back corners of the lot. Then probe all along the back property line. Then probe from the back corners up the sides of the property line. Try this come spring, I've dug lots/properties with as many as 10+ privy's although some may of been trash pits. Good luck. LEON.


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## RIBottleguy (Feb 10, 2018)

It's certainly possible there are bottles under that outhouse or in a nearby older privy.  The only thing that doesn't thrill me is there is a lot of space back there.  If you had back to back old houses a privy would be easy to find and have much better odds of being full.  Still, go for it!


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## stc1993 (Feb 21, 2018)

They had fancy outhouses up nawth.   J\K


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## junkmansitch (Feb 22, 2018)

Hence the term..."Going in style"


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