20th-century terra-cotta drain outlet

Excavation to a depth of approximately 15 inches uncovered the 1970s terra cotta drain pipe outlet exterior to the north wall near the northeast corner of the kitchen wall. This drain was set too high above the water table range and did little to reduce either the volume of water saturating mortar joints and wooden elements of the doorway or the duration of the contact of those elements with water. A mortared aggregation of stones against the foundation is seen above and below the drain pipe in the left third of the photo. This was possibly a retaining wall, a revetment against creek incursion, or a buttress providing lateral support for the un-banked north gable wall. Laurence Ward, 2009