Spring House

Spring House. . A spring house is typically a small, one-room outbuilding constructed over the source of a spring or brook used for refrigeration. These were once commonly found in rural areas before the advent of electric refrigeration. The natural spring water maintained a constant cool temperature inside the spring house throughout the year. Its main use was for the long-term storage of food that would otherwise spoil., Spring house construction created a pool of water about two feet deep inside the building. A stone shelf, built around the pool's perimeter, was where milk, butter, eggs and other perishables could be kept. Apples, peaches, and vegetables were kept on an upper level and were cooled by the evaporative effect of the water below. , This historic spring house sits atop one of the original "Twin Springs" that made possible the earliest settlements in Brentwood. It, in particular, was one of the original springs tapped by the City of Brentwood during its fledgling years to provide water to its residents., The spring house was often the first structure constructed on the property. As a fresh water source and a place to preserve food, reliable springs played a major role in determining the location of plantation homes prior to the 20th century. Families wouldn't buy a piece of property without a good flowing spring., Early Spring House Construction Examples From Across The United States. , Stone Spring House Limestone, TN . Buttermilk Spring, Kentucky . Fain Plantation Spring Kingsport, TN, Regional materials and construction practices gave varying forms to these early "refrigerators" but all utilized the constant cooling effect of a natural all-weather spring to keep perishable foods from spoilage., Tidbits , Although the construction date of this spring house is uncertain, Williamson County historians believe it originates from the early 1800s. As late as the mid-20th century, supplying the community of Brentwood with water proved a challenge to its growth, and as a result, this spring house could have played a pivotal role up until World War II. , Jim Murphy (b. 1931), a life-time resident of Williamson County, spent several years of his childhood at the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home (est. 1891) on Franklin Road. He recalls that this spring house once housed equipment necessary to pump water to a water storage tower on the Children's Home property, a few hundred yards to the west. He remembers, "when I was about 10 or 11 years old we had to go to the spring house, down Concord Road (a country dirt road then known as Tollgate Road), in a rain storm to repair the pump in the he spring house."