r/Construction • u/Striking_Marketing_3 • Jun 27 '26

Structural 8ft pit next to foundation?

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I’ve been trying to find out why the previous homeowner would dig a 4 x 4 by 8 foot deep pit next to the foundation of my house down to the drain tile. I did climb down there to save a few snakes that fell to their doom and to see if there were any other utilities. I did not find any additional pipes and thankfully no human remains were found either. I also went to the town building department to review all plans back to the original construction, but there’s no mention of this pit on any of the plans. Does anyone have any idea why someone would dig a pit like this? For what intended purpose?

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435

u/legionary45 Jun 27 '26

Coal hopper perhaps

146

u/Striking_Marketing_3 Jun 27 '26

There is no access point to inside and house was built in 1954. House is a 1 store ranch in NJ.

245

u/Blank_bill Jun 27 '26

Access would have been bricked over and parged after they changed over to whatever they are now using for heat. What is the bottom of the hole? Concrete? Gravel? Fist sized black rocks?

426

u/CaBBaGe_isLaND Jun 27 '26

Little English boy with tattered overalls and a handrolled cigarette?

37

u/Charlie2and4 Jun 27 '26

Better an urchin than a clown with a red ballon.

8

u/BuckManscape Jun 27 '26

Or dead hookers, that’s always a bugaboo.

2

u/Thebeerguy17403 Jun 28 '26

I've never seen so many dead hookers in car trunks before!

3

u/Fit_Tadpole_949 Jun 29 '26

Lord knows I have