thank you next
Phase 2 of the well project is nearing completion.
I worked with Durham County to get a permit to "abandon" the old hand-dug well by the driveway. You recall we knocked down the house that enclosed it, but it was still a giant 50-ft hole in the ground safety nightmare.
After extensive text nagging, eventually the local well-drillers found room in their schedules to come by and work on this project. They pumped the water out, sprayed some sort of disinfectant in there to the county's specifications, and then the county reps supervised while they poured massive amounts of concrete to fill the hole. I asked them to fill to about 12 inches under ground level so we could add dirt and plant grass over the space.
Before the concrete truck arrived, I peeked over the edge at the horrifying and mesmerizing empty well below. Hand-laid stones all the way down. Mortarless, just like the foundation to our house, and probably just as old. The concrete cinderblocks up top were a recent addition, but the well itself was historic and fascinating. A picture hardly does it justice.
I almost felt bad filling it with concrete, but it's an obvious choice for safety. I said "thank you" to the poor souls who dug it and built it and used it and left it for us.
Some of the well-driller guys came back off the clock to help knock down the cinderblocks and level the surface. They'll bring us a scoop of top soil next and we can seed for grass.
I know we all love a before and after, so check out the progress below:
I worked with Durham County to get a permit to "abandon" the old hand-dug well by the driveway. You recall we knocked down the house that enclosed it, but it was still a giant 50-ft hole in the ground safety nightmare.
After extensive text nagging, eventually the local well-drillers found room in their schedules to come by and work on this project. They pumped the water out, sprayed some sort of disinfectant in there to the county's specifications, and then the county reps supervised while they poured massive amounts of concrete to fill the hole. I asked them to fill to about 12 inches under ground level so we could add dirt and plant grass over the space.
Before the concrete truck arrived, I peeked over the edge at the horrifying and mesmerizing empty well below. Hand-laid stones all the way down. Mortarless, just like the foundation to our house, and probably just as old. The concrete cinderblocks up top were a recent addition, but the well itself was historic and fascinating. A picture hardly does it justice.
Some of the well-driller guys came back off the clock to help knock down the cinderblocks and level the surface. They'll bring us a scoop of top soil next and we can seed for grass.
I know we all love a before and after, so check out the progress below:
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