Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Was This a Water Well?

Was this once a well, I wonder? Was a brick casing built over what was once a water well? I see these things throughout rural areas, particularly in North Carolina. They may be located on the property of private homes or places likes churches such as this one on the land of Plumbline Holy Church in Enfield, NC.

Photo taken July 4, 2009

3 comments:

Mavis said...

Seeing as I'm a native North Carolinian, I should remember the answer but don't. So here is what I think I remember about those. I think they are called well houses. They were build when the well was plumbed / electrified (couldn't think of a better word). You are on well water but you don't actually have to go lower a bucket. Everything is automatic. The water is pumped directly into the house. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, that's what I remember.

Professor Dru said...

I asked a coworker who is from a rural area of Virginia and he did say that it housed the water pumped. He didn't give it a name a you did, Mavis.

Thanks for your comment.

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

Around here we just call them well covers. I don't have one, just a capped pipe in the back yard. I think the difference is mine is a drilled well and the ones with the covers are dug wells. Some type of cover is needed for safety.