An Old Cellar

I passed this cellar at an old homesite many times before I noticed it. It is on a corner of an acreage, where the main paved road is intersected by a gravel road. The roof is concreted and arched. The front and back walls are bricked, as are the stair guards and the chimney.

Large trees have grown so close that they have probably intruded and caused the cellar to leak. In that case, it is likely to be half filled with murky water. I couldn’t investigate the inside because of a fence around the property.

I think it was a tornado shelter, (the old timer’s called it a fraidy-hole), but it probably served also as a cool place to store fruits and vegetables. There was no door, but maybe never was one. From the side, you can see how low the roof really is; and you get a view of the chimney on the back, added to assure plenty of oxygen.

I’ve heard that this spot was once the site of a small rural community called Pumpkin Center. A country store and early gas station, and a house or two were situated there where now only cattle graze in the hot sun.