How fascinating. Look at the workmanship. My first thought would definitely be that it was a well, possibly older than 1875; but then with the addition of the brick and pipe it would make one thing it was converted into a septic holding tank? But no where for run off to a leech bed? I would start by asking neighbors or old timers in the area. They may be able to shed some light on the history of your property and the pit. Thanks for sharing.

Nobody would dig a waste hole that deep, so its got to originally have been a well. The piping may have been attached to a pump that was submerged in the well to draw water for livestock or other rural uses.

If your area allows it, you may be able to safely cap it and still use the water for your lawn and garden. However, its a hazard for children and pets so whatever you do must keep it safe.

Bruce

Nobody with their thinking straight would use it for waste. It would contaminate aquifers, so destructive. Others that depend on wells drawing from that aquifer long distances away could be affected. I believe that there are state or local regulations that say wells have to be capped properly to prevent surface water from contaminating aquifers. It was probably common sense in the olden days but not so much now.

How close is it to your house & downspouts? It looks like a cistern - which would have been used to collect rainwater to be used in laundry and cleaning via pipes going to basement sink - back in the olden days. They are 10 feet deep or more, 20 is not unheard of. The water could be just rain water that filtered down there - or if the old pipes are still in the ground near where your downspouts are perhaps its still collecting some rain.

Or maybe it really is a well! Can you put something heavy on the end of a long rope and see how deep the water is and how far down before it hits bottom, if it does?

Yes, a cistern I bet!

Why the belief that it is a cistern and not a well?

I see remnants of wooden beams also. The pipe may have been connected to a spring at one time, giving lots of fresh water for a well. I still would ask around the neighborhood, perhaps there are other properties that have this feature.

Its not a "belief," ionized, just an educated guess - depending on age of house & location - if its an early 1900s urban house, cisterns were extremely common feature & wells not so much (cities had running water system then). But who knows! Hope OP will report back,

I found a cistern in my back yard a few yrs ago - was all excited till I opened it up and found that the POs had filled it with a bunch of junk - old paint cans and unidentifiable rusted crap. It figures my POs would have left me a toxic waste dump - they did a lot of stupid things.

You are lucky it was found. My neighbors pulled permits and put an above ground pool in and one memorial weekend many years later, thank god when no one was swimming, the pool, lining, water, sides and all, collapsed into the deep sinkhole caused by an orginal well. If there had been anyone in the pool at the time the force of the sinkhole's gravity would have been deadly.

the town had no record of the well. At some point, most likely before records were keep in the early 1900s, it was boarded up and covered with soil and grass unbeknownst to anyone in the town hall nor modern owners.

so yes it is very possible it could collapse. Have a structural engine advise as to how to properly fill it.

Thanks for all the info. I think cisterns are supposed to be water tight so I'm not so sure about that. The stones have no mortar. It is about 40ft from the house and the pipe is in the direction of the house though. I dropped a brick tide to a rope down into it and the water is only about a foot deep from what I can tell. I think the wooden beams were probably just so someone can go up and down inside of it. I was wondering if an outhouse could have been placed over it back in the day and it is a very early kind of septic tank.

Yes roarah I was thinking we were lucky we didn't do a completely above ground pool and the same thing could have happened. We are also lucky the guys dIgging didn't fall into it.

Drop a ground source heat pump coil in it and count your blessings.

Think Cesspool Overflow Drywell: (Where's the Cesspool? lol)

Can you plz private msg me? I tried to msg you but can't find where to. .... I have some questions.

Is anyone still following this? I just ran into similar issue. however the lid on mine caved in and created what i thought to be a sink hole. called the city and they said it was an old well dated before the house was built in 1939.

they left and found this forum to help guide me as they were of no help.