19th Century Well

19th Century Well. . This well likely dates from 1856, the year in which construction on the lighthouse tower began. In order to mix the lime mortar used to secure the bricks of the tower walls, the bricklayers needed access to a convenient water supply., Mechanized well drilling was invented in the early 1800s, but our well was probably dug the old fashioned way - by hand! Workers used shovels and buckets to remove sand, dirt, and clay. Since the lighthouse is on a bluff (a geographic term indicating a rise in elevation), the shaft had to be forty feet deep to reach the water table., After construction was completed, the well likely would have still been used by keepers and their families. However, because the well is so close to the bay, the water would have been too salty to use for drinking or cooking. Instead, the water would have been used for chores like bathing, laundry, washing dishes, and scrubbing floors. Eventually, the well was abandoned, at which point the shaft was filled with dirt and the walls were cut to ground level., Did You Know? , The practice of tossing coins, or other small tokens, into "wishing wells" appears in cultures around the world. Throughout history, water was a precious and often scarce resource. As a result, wells and springs were commonly revered as mystical spaces associated with luck, gifts, and healing, and which were capable of granting a person's wishes in exchange for their gifts., This practice can be dated back as far as the Roman Empire. In a letter to a friend, the Roman magistrate Pliny the Younger described the Spring of Clitunno in Umbria as "so clear that you can count the be visited today in the Italian region of Umbria small coins and pebbles that have been thrown into it.", Pulleys: Lightening the Load , We know from archaeological evidence that the keepers and their families hauled water from this well using a bucket and a rope. The 1893 photograph below shows that a fixed pulley was used to draw the bucket from the well. Over time, the friction of the rope left deep grooves on the bricks of the well's rim., A fixed pulley is the most basic type of pulley. It consists of a rope looped through a wheel which is mounted to an axle suspended from a secure beam. This allows you to use the gravitational force of your body weight to help you lift, which makes the work seem easier., (caption) The Spring of Clitunno, referenced by Pliny the Younger, can still be visited today in the Italian region of Umbria