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September/October 1972
By Mark Gregory
The single most important matter to consider when buying any rusticated property is the matter of water. Most old farmhouses have (1) a deep drilled or shallow dug well, (2) a spring and/or (3) a cistern. Dug wells and cisterns were most favored by the old-timers . . . they used springs when they had such a supply of water handy . . . and deep wells—which were expensive to drill in earlier days—are seldom found near really old homesteads.
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Dug wells are generally about 25 to 35—certainly no more than 50-feet deep. They were usually hand sunk through dirt and clay down to rock or sandstone, then lined to the top with rocks or concrete and topped with a cement or wooden platform on which was placed the familiar old hand pump (or, in rare instances, a roofed-over windlass for letting down a bucket on a rope). Watch out for such wells with rotted away covers and/or sides that have started to cave in . . . they aren't dependable as a water supply and the danger of further cave-ins makes them hazardous to repair. A good old dug well can be made serviceable again by a thorough cleaning and—sometimes—a relining with cement but, unless it's on a really good vein of water, such restoration may not be worth the effort (dug wells regularly go dry during droughts).
Cisterns or "second wells" are quite commonly found on old farmsteads. They're nothing but big concrete or stone-lined tanks buried in the ground and are filled with rainwater piped from the house and barn roofs and strained through a charcoal filter. Such straining doesn't purify the water enough to remove all harmful bacteria (and, therefore, make it safe for drinking purposes) but the soft water stored in a cistern is ideal for laundry use and the washing of hair, etc.
A good many old houses in some parts of the country depend on springs for their water. Any time you run into such a situation, though, ask around to determine if the spring or springs in question flow during dry weather and try to learn if they come from far enough underground to remain free of surface contamination.
It's not likely you'll find a drilled well on an old farm, although that's the most dependable water source of all . . . and you'll probably wind up putting in such a well on any property you buy that lacks one. When you do locate an old country place with a driven or drilled deep well, however, you'll often find a genuine windmill and water pump thrown in for good measure.
It goes without saying, I suppose, that whatever form of water supply an old farmhouse has should be tested for purity by the local county extension service or health office before you begin serious discussions of buying the property.
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