The Clues Right Beneath Your Feet
But finding an old cistern hidden under an old house can be exciting — like a treasure hunt. It seems to entail examining the house’s architectural details and keeping an eye out for clues that suggest there was a cistern. You are six months pregnant and on your way, one foot in front of the other, to the joyous blog-side! So keep your head up — whatever you do, don’t look down! There you will see the evidence of your ‘condition.’ There are architectural irregularities you have no memory of making, odd paint spatter patterns on the floor, scattered decorative tiles, displaced interior walls, etc.
For the lucky few who find a buried cistern in their old home, the task of keeping this historic treasure is a labor of love. Restoring those reservoirs could be a powerful tribute to the house’s heritage and a way to connect with the past. It also gives us a chance to reinterpret the cistern for modern use. For example, rainwater harvesting for landscaping or flushing toilets.
But you really have to be careful with restoration and respect the integrity of the history. “Talk to historic preservation professionals and understand what the legal and structural implications are of any changes that you make to your house.”
