Uncovering the 1883
Locke and Montague Range
An Archaeological Investigation
What it looked like 1925–2021
This range had been covered up since 1925. The dish cabinet was placed on top. The circle on the floor was where the water tank was connected to the range and to the brass pipes on the wall to upstairs.
What we discovered underneath
We found the cast-iron shelves under the house. The Gillilands who last lived in the house cut off the range doors to add the panels to disguise it. We have not found the doors yet.
Pipes to heat the water
Under the rings you see the pipes that were connected to the water tank. They were heated by burning coals and provided hot water to the house.
What's inside?
As the water got hot it returned to the water tank. The pressure sent the heated water to the upper floors. There are two full bathrooms upstairs. Three bedrooms have their own sinks.
Newspapers
The fire box was full of newspapers that were used as fire starter, wadded up around matches. The dates on the papers we found were 1925–1926.
Coal pieces
The house water and rooms were mainly heated with coal. The residue on the walls, furniture, flooring and elsewhere reflects that time period. Gas ranges were developed in the early 1900s.
In the fire box
As we dug deeper we found eggshells, onion skins, pieces of chicken bone, and hair pins. We think the hooked metal was used to hold fowl legs while cooking.
Inside the oven
Inside the oven, we found a metal bar in the back right and a piece of a broken iron on the left. They might have been used to spread out the heat. The round Ghirardelli's Chocolate tin showed upside down in the picture was filled with water to add moisture.
Under the house discovery!
The cast-iron back shelf was found under the house in three pieces.