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old farm stead ???

N

northeast puller 1

Member
In larry@stinescorner post below with all of the old farmsteads pictures. I have noticed it did not matter what state of the union but the old timers always built the farm stead in a hole.My 1830 house and barn were built in a hole also. My question is why . Was it so water ran to the farm as they did not have electric or was it so storms went around the farm stead or was it as not to use good productive crop ground for buildings. What did the old timers know that we do not practice now as my places is surrounded by the final crop ( homes that is ) on every place possible. I have wonder about this for years and Larry pictures shows it well. I think the only old farm that is not in a hole is Allen from Nebraska.
 
I think for one thing, when they were going to dig a well, it was a lot shorter distance to water in a valley than at the top of a hill, unless one could find a good spring up on a hillside. I live on top of an esker (glacial ridge) and the house is about the same age as yours. The well, spring actually, is about 400 feet away. That must have been a long way to haul water in winter! In 1917 they put in a DRILLED well right next to the house.... still had a hand pump on it tho'and we still use that same well today(with a submersible electric pump).Many farmers were immigrants and they came from hilly country so settled in places that were like the homeland.... they knew how to farm it. I think also, it had to do with less wind and draft in winter. I cuss each winter when the wind blows hard and comes right through this old place. In a valley, they would be more protected. I suspect there were many reasons for where a man decided to build. Here, they built on the ridge because that is where the best soil is... off the ridge and yer into peat bog.
just my 2 cents!
Cal
 
To keep the North wind off you in the Winter time. Where I come from, if they did not have a low place, they put red cedars around it to break the wind in Winter.
 
Not that way here, most are on about the highest spot of the farm and the natural drainage kept the buildings dryer. Nowdays they fill up the pond to build there.
 
Hi NorthEast: I wondered about that too. I think it likely was several factors with the original decision biased by the first person to layout the farm place. Water likely was a big factor. Wind in bitter Winter also a big factor. Our home place was layed out with the house on the highest point with best hand pumped water supply. A windmill was located farther away near the barn for water needs there. (two water supplies) A heavy rain cleaned the whole place up due to the gradual slope downhill from every building. The area also had trees to break the wind early on. I would say the first person had given good thought in laying out the farm yard.
ag
 
In my part of Minnesota, all farmsteads are built on a knoll or hill but nearer to water. We sure don't build in a hole around here, would flood out.

Trees on the NW side, looking out over the east or south of the hill, water fairly close below.

--->Paul
 
Around here the roads were built folowing streams. The streams powered grist mills saw mills and small industry, as well as hydro electric. Building close to the roads made it easier to transport the products to and from the farmstead. Others have mentioned other good reasons, but I think transportation was the big factor. Here are some pics. of a farmstead nestled in where two streams become one.
a19363.jpg

a19364.jpg

a19365.jpg

a19366.jpg
 
Over the last 40yrs or more Having worked on So many old FARMSTEADS in a 4 county areas doing Home improvement .. Lotsa times while taking lunch the subject of conversation was the reason why the old timers Chose to build in as they Did ,, WAter was a MOST deciding factor ,roads and stream current also , the view seemed to play a big factor for My Grampas place in DUBOIS Co . , That ,And ALWAYS had a Nice Summer Breeze coming up from the cool stream vallys below , regardless of how sultry it was everywhere else .. My great Great granpa built a stone house in a valy like area near a lot of limwestone rock and a nearby spring ... My dads granpa bought a farm where the pine woods protected the house from the mean winter winds ,... in nearly every case around here The livestock Facilities and were located in a manner that most odors would blow away from the living Quarters LOL ..
 
Around here they seem to be built on a knoll. Not sure why. You can often see remnants of the old orchards even though the buildings are gone.
 
Most houses had root cellars and most barns were bank barns, maybe less digging required.
 
In my many years I have lived in several farm houses here in Michigan and the best location I ever had was a house on a pretty level site on the north side of an east-west paved road 4 miles from the nearest sizeable town. Facing south, the house benefited from the most sunlight in the winter and the big windows facing south were shaded in the intense heat of the sun in the summer by a really nice covered porch 16 feet long on the south side of the house. (Where we were "swangin" on many summer and fall evenings) The north and west sides of the house had just a few windows except for the built on back room/mud room that had several windows but was fairly well insulated and all the windows had tight fitting storm windows for the winter and nice screens for the summer. the kitchen facing east got the maximum morning sun but was fairly cool on hot summer days as was the south facing dining room and living room. No location is perfect but if I was able to "pick my spot" I would choose that type of location and basic house design as it seemed the best, all things considered.
 
When I was a kid, 1930s, the house was built on land that wasn't the best for crops. Usually a slope of some kind. The well, dug or drilled near the house. The barn and outhouse or sewage was ALWAYS lower down hill than the house and water supply. The runoff would get into the water supply otherwise.
 
In my experience, the ground around grows higher. Add thatch build up in the ground each year, the grass in the yard catches blowing dirt, and the farmstead serving as a windbreak to stop dirt in the air blowing by. I found the dirt a foot deep in the end of a leanto shed that had been open to south winds blowing in from the fields. I see it in my yard where the sprinklers just keep getting deeper and deeper.
 
Can't say why, but I've noticed the same thing in my area. Except for my farm...my great-great-grandfather built at the top of a hill. Glad he did, especially in a WET year like this one.
 
Hi hughB: Your comment about sewage (manure) and getting it away from water supply was probably considered more back then then we think about it today... a real good point. .ag
 
While it is pretty flat all around this farmstead the house does set a few inches higher than elsewhere. A heavy downpour of fair duration left water about a foot deep around the stone building at the right of the photo. That is the deepest I have ever seen it to this day. I expect a severe storm did bring that much in 1961 but we weren't home to see it.

With it being so flat in Western Kansas I think most built on the highest spot in order to have a little drainage.
scan0180.jpg
 
I'd say water and geographic location. Around here almost all of the farm houses were on some type of hill. You can tell where the old plantation houses were as they were on the high ground. Elevation denoted status with the share croppers, tenant farmers, and slave quarters in lower and lower respective elevations. My house is a 1970's remodel around an 1850 farm house which was a remodel around an early 1700's cabin. Elevation back then was necessary for defense from Indian attack. Water isnt a consideration as there are few wells in this area fit to drink. Most water was spring or cistern.
 
my 1806 farm house is built on a side hill not in a hole. the house is in the middle of the best soil.the are 5 springs within 700 feet of the buildings.one spring is piped to 2 houses.They had to survive winters with no inputs from outside.
 
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