Carroll Mansion

Archaeologists discovered a buried cistern two and one half feet below you. A cistern is a receptacle for holding water, especially rainwater.

In eighteenth-century Baltimore, water came from wells, creeks, and natural springs, which were found throughout the city. Beginning in 1804, the Baltimore Water Company, a private corporation, supplied water for fire emergencies and household use west of the Jones Falls.

East of Jones Falls where the Carroll Mansion is located, water from shallow wells was unpleasant tasting and often contaminated from surface drainage and privies. The water was also hard, and left laundry still gray, and dingy. Nineteenth-century architectural guides advised the installation of two separate cisterns, one for drinking water and the other for wash water. Archaeologists do not know if a second cistern exists on this site. This is a question to be answered by future excavations.

(Inscription at the bottom) Diagram of a typical cistern system: 1. Roof Gutter collects water for drainpipe. 2. Drainpipe carries water to cistern. 3. Barrel mechanism cleans fouled rainwater. 4. Overflow pipe removes excess water. 5. Barrel contains more filter elements to clean rainwater. 6. Storage well holds water until needed. 7. Pump retrieves water.

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Carroll Mansion
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