Because of the brick, I was thinking a pig roast pit, but 5 feet is too deep. Good luck with your search.

Possibly a dry well, assuming the clay tile comes from somewhere. But who knows for sure? (Anyway, there are some things you don't really want to know about.) Be glad you didn't fall in! I knew someone who was having a late 19th Century home renoed. A worker using a jackhammer to break out the old basement floor suddenly broke through into an old well, fortunately, only losing the jackhamer.

As I said, count yourself lucky!

There's a lot worse that could have happened.

A grease pit probably. Sounds like the right depth to stand in to work on the car or truck.
I wish I had one.
The clay drain keeps it dry.
Casey

We have a grease pit made out of cement. Your description sounds similar to what we have. Our grease pit is located under a car port whose roof extend from our carriage house/garage.

I think all our pit is used for now is hatching Black Widow spiders.

Even though your house was built in the 1950s, there could have been another property there previously that was removed.

What you are describing, it sounds like a Root Cellar. They were quite popular before the advent of refrigeration, particularly in the northeast.

I grew up in a house built in 1701. We had a root cellar. It was about 7ft. deep, walls were all brick and stone and had stone steps walking down to the bottom. It also had a wood peaked roof matching the roof of our house. However, most were not that fancy.

If not a root cellar, my other guess would be old ceptic tank or well.

I have no real worthwhile guesses, but I've always dreamed about finding a stocked bomb shelter. Something build in the 1950's with something mysterious dug in the backyard screams that to me. This clearly isn't one, but you could pretend! In the real world, I vote for the grease pit.

I'm changing my vote to the former home of a small septic tank.

Where do you live? This information will be a big clue.

In California, this could have been an oil pit, an old mine entrance that is collapsing (this happens here...) or cold storage for fresh fruit/veggies back in the day.

If you live in the land of storm cellars (where my relatives all lived), I need to think differently.

Thanks for all of your ideas. I live in Ohio, but it is much to small for any type of storm cellar. I have contacted my local extenion office agent. He basically told me that I would need to get down in the pit after removing the rest of the top and checking the floor to make sure it was solid. One of my friends thought it might be the pit for a old smoke house. We just got 5 inches of snow and the temp has dropped into the single digits so anything out doors will be on hold. I will post my findings when I can get in the pit.

That reminds me of my septic tank about 15 years ago. When I was having it pumped out, the "honey dipper" operator told me that the lid on the tank was cracked, and was an a dangerous condition. I shovelled the dirt off the top of the tank and sure enough, it wasn't just cracked; it was a mosaic. A wonder it hadn't collapsed and someone hadn't already fallen in. I carefully removed the broken pieces, managing to allow only a few hunks of concrete to fall into the tank. I temporarily covered it with a sheet of 3/4" plywood.

I called several companies in the area, and they all told me there was no way I could get a replacement cover; I would have to have the whole tank dug up and replaced with another one to the tune of thousands of dollars. I continued calling around, and found an out-of-town ready-mix company that was willing to pour a new lid to my specifications. I gave them the dimensions, and had the new one made a full 6" thick, reinforced with re-bar. They delivered the completed lid on-site and dropped it in place. The total bill? A little over $100! That septic tank is still functioning perfectly.

I also think it's a root cellar for storing fruits and vegetables by taking advantage of earth's cool temperatures. The walls are deliberately left as soil to keep moisture levels high.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lost art of pantries and root cellars

Faylon where do you live in Ohio? I am in NE Ohio and we have old mines here. Our neighbor had a perfect circle of a hole collapse in here yard it was about 3 feet in diameter, scary enough though! We went to the county archives and requested info on the property around us and this is how we found out there are coal mines running below us. Scary enough back in 1900 they say a horse vanished in a field and come to find out a mine shaft gave away and swallowed the horse! I wouldn't go crawling down the hole if I were you. I would get someone with a camera (sewer techs have this equipment) and let them do it that way.

See link for info on abandoned mines in NE Ohio.

Here is a link that might be useful: Abandoned Mines

I live in Appalachian Ohio in mine country, and in some parts of our county you need a rider for mines on your home owner's policy. I have to have one at a property I own in town since that section was built over old mines. I also have an old coal bank on my rural property. It was mined privately by an individual, by pick and I'd expect it not to have conventional looking excavating, either.

There may be no rhyme or reason why this wasn't just filled in and a piece of wood thrown over it and left to rot. It could be anything, actually including an old dug well or spring or rain water cistern where the bricks had been removed and used for landscaping or something, lol. That's almost the exact measurements for my spring cache basin near the house.

We have a concrete bomb shelter that was built in the 50�s in our backyard. I would like to ask you where I might inquire as to finding more information regarding the shelter, the possibility of selling it, digging it up, the value of it, etc??

If you could give me any information at all, please email me.

Thanks,
Sharon Bunch

Sharon L. Bunch
Compliance Coordinator
Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge
Phone - 225.709.7754
Fax - 225.709.7746
sharon.bunch@pngaming.com

Faylon, depending on your section of the country, I'm wondering if it could also be a "storm cellar?" In north Alabama, my grandparents had one dug on their farm very close to the house. It had dirt covering it, and they regularly used it for keeping milk cold and foods from going bad. When tornado weather approached, that is where they headed.

So if the land your house was built on had a prior residence there, could be a storm cellar.

Back in older days people would just bury their dead in the back yard.

Because maybe I didn't check the damn date just thought it was a funny post so I chimed in. Damn take a chill

You make a moronic post and than attack someone that pokes some fun?

You shouldn't be here with real people. Go away!

Well excuse me if I dint see your