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Photographer: Michael Herrick
Taken: November 10, 2009
Caption: A Chamber Under the North Potting Shed: Archeological Discoveries
Additional Description: [ detail from the marker ]
1n 1992, after the remains of the north potting shed were dismantled, archeological excavations there led to the discovery of a buried vaulted chamber. The vault was the location of a heating system that had been in place since about 1833 and in use until the mid-20th century. A coal-fired boiler was installed in the vault when the potting sheds were built in 1890.
In the vault, a single boiler circulated hot water up through cast-iron pipes that ran through the greenhouse and returned to the bottom of the boiler; here the steam or water was reheated and reused. At the Jay farm, steam replaced the hot water system. The greenhouses and potting sheds were kept at 50 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the colder months.
Submitted: November 21, 2009, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
Database Locator Identification Number: p86457
File Size: 0.064 Megabytes

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