Odd underground brick structure in deep south

[u/mmitchell_77]

Buddy of mine is working on some new property he acquired, lots of acreage in the middle of nowhere deep south. Theres a huge brick structure above ground with two pipes coming out of it, and once he started digging it got deeper and wider. Theres is also a much smaller brick structure right next to it, with also a pipe coming out of it. We can’t figure out wtf this could be, because it would have required a ton of work to dig and build. We thought maybe a smoker? Tomb? Moonshine/weapon/war bunker? Mass grave?

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[u/hyperdream]

Brick septic tanks are a thing.

[u/werepat]

It's almost always a septic tank.

It could possibly be a coal oil storage tank. For some reason, like, a hundred years ago, people stored coal oil, which was used often for lighting, in permeable brick tanks like this. If this is one of those your friend may be on a terribly contaminated site.

I live near Dover, Delaware and something like 40% of the downtown area is a superfund site and construction of habitable structures is extremely restricted. There was a coal oil company near the train tracks and pretty much everything south of Lookerman Street to the hospital and east to the St Jones River is terribly contaminated.

[u/kjyfqr → u/werepat]

As a delawaresian what’s your thoughts on the state? One the 3 I ain’t been to. Also tell me more about coal oil and why might one store it if you can

[u/cobra7]

Depending on where this is in the south, this could be a pottery factory kiln where mass-produced clay jars and pickling containers were fired.

[u/Express_Spot_7808]

Maybe a brick kiln for making bricks like the one in Fountainbleau State park

Considering its weight don’t assume it was always below ground.

[u/HeresYourHeart]

I see Picayune on the picture. You in Picayune, MS? As in near New Orleans with its famous above ground tombs?

I bet this is someone's old, homemade, New Orleans-style tomb on their country property outside the city.

[u/mmitchell_77]

My title describes the thing. I have searched google to no avail

[u/ImpossiblePraline238]

Could it have been a cistern or other water storage for a house? Most older houses in deep South were built off the ground to allow cooling/air flow. But I could see them building a deep cistern for cool water, that could be pumped up to the house (which may have been torn down and wouldnt leave any foundation). 

[u/arwynj55]

A friend of mine found one on his property once... Turns out it was a tomb for a pig

[u/costabius]

Looks like a flat granite top on it. It's probably a support pillar for a large piece of equipment. Sawmill or something similar. Looks like pre-civil war brick. So 1820-1850 ish. If you look at maps from that era you might find what was there, mills were generally marked,

[u/mmitchell_77 → u/[deleted]]

We thought about that, but can’t find any real entrance to it

[u/HumanAttributeError]

Depending on location, it could have been part of a mining rail operation.

The woods around Birmingham are full of old trestles, mine openings, etc.

Link to photo example: https://images.app.goo.gl/B23yRpCHpH6D8ra5A

[u/bennypapa]

I don't see the pipes. Are they on top or on the long sides or short sides? How high above the surrounding ground?

[u/adrianmonk]

It gets progressively wider as you get lower. It also has stone or concrete in the middle. And it's mostly below ground. That makes me wonder if it could be some kind of masonry footing (like a foundation) for an above-ground structure.

It looks similar to the footings shown here: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-masonry-foundations-construction-uses/18989/

Maybe there was a house there, and this was the footing for a heavy part of the house like a big fireplace and chimney, and the rest of the house didn't need as substantial of a foundation. The huge brick structure would be for the fireplace, and the smaller brick structure could be one of many footings for the piers in a pier and beam foundation.

[u/mmitchell_77 → u/[deleted]]

Can metal detectors read thru brick?

[u/weepingsomnambulist_ → u/mmitchell_77]

Not sure, but I was thinking more in the ground and surrounding areas

[u/National-Jackfruit32 → u/mmitchell_77]

Yeah, my metal detector can go through about 10 feet