Help with Age of Well?

This is a picture looking down into a well on a property that I am looking forward to MDing in the spring. Any thoughts on the approximate age of this well?

Darren wells are usually as old as the home site thats associated with them .

Homes are long, long gone here and there are no homes shown in the area on plat maps from the 1860's and 1870's. There are no foundations or cellars, all that remains are three wells that all look similar to this one. This one was full up to the top with dirt and debris, but the land owner has been excavating it out over the past couple of years, he is down 28 feet so far on this one.

No help here Milco but that is an interesting site. Have you searched the dirt that was removed? I've heard that people used to throw all kinds of stuff down their wells.

Ron

The best way to date that well is to detect around it and see what the finds tell you. With enough research, you may be able to tell by the construction of the well, but different areas probably had different techniques. Plus more rural areas may use old well building techniques for many years after they have been updated in other areas.

I believe coinnut is dead on. FWIW, I have seen similar stone work in a well at a site that use to have an old trading station on it here in Kentucky from the 1760 - 1790. Who ever did that stone work really knew what they were doing. I would send the pictures to a local university that has an archaeology department and see if they can date it for you. Good Hunting!