As far as finding chimneys, most of the sites on this page
were disappointing, but I found a few decent remains...
Old Homesite TO07 - Towns Co., GA
I found the remains of two adjacent homesites on a tributary of Sims Branch.
Both chimneys were just collapsed stone piles, but other evidence remained.
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There were a couple of large terraces supported by stone walls.
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Part of another stone faced retaining wall
This property was acquired by the USFS via exchange from Thomas & York in 1963.
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Corner stones for house foundation
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An old washbucket...
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Old Homesite CL03 - Clay Co., NC
I scouted out three old home sites off Perry Creek. After a lot of rain, the water was way up, but I found two of the sites.
Saw nothing but two chimney piles, collapsed long ago. It was too wet to continue further looking for the third location.
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Hard to distinguish, but I finally located the remains of the first chimney pile.
This property was purchased by the USFS from F.A. Mosteller in 1942.
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Collapsed chimney pile at the second home site.
It's obvious that these chimneys have been on the ground for a LONG time...
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Old Homesite TO08 - Towns Co., GA
I searched for an old homesite on a tributary of Hog Creek.
Found lots of stone piles and eventually a cellar hole and chimney piles.
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One of several dozen stone piles in this area.
Probably the result of field clearing.
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At first glance, this looked like another pile, but the
squared corners indicated the base of a chimney.
This property was purchased by the USFS from J.M. Johnson in 1939.
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Nearby was a distinctive cellar hole
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On the opposite side of the cellar was possibly
another collapsed chimney, covered by deadfall.
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Old Homesite TO09 - Towns Co., GA
I looked for three home places along Gurley Creek. Only found one, and it was not easy to make out.
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The stone foundations of the left and front walls are visible, and from the shadow you can faintly make out
the cellar dug below the center of the home. Remains of the chimney pile are barely visible at the rear.
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Old Homesite UN03 - Union Co., GA
Blackwell Creek, another spot where I searched for two home sites, but only found one.
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Base of the old chimney, from the rear
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Chimney base from the side
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Old Homesites CL04 & CL05- Clay Co., NC
I noticed two homesites on the old maps far up along Barrett Branch. I got up in there and found both,
one with a completely collapsed chimney and the other still showing the lower section of the chimney.
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Collapsed stone chimney at home site 1 (CL04).
The rectangular base is still discernible.
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At home site 2 (CL05), the bottom section of the chimney still remains.
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I have seen these groups of parallel stone terrace walls in drainage areas at several other sites.
The terrace walls follow the contour of the land. A second, shorter wall is visible at left rear.
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I came across a number of large piles of big stones lined up in a row.
The stones were piled onto larger flat "ledgy" boulders.
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Old Homesite TO10 - Towns Co., GA
Off FSR 724, near base of Hunter Knob
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This was an interesting home site, although as with so many others, the chimney was knocked down.
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Unlike most, rather than collapse into a pile of rubble, this chimney had
fallen backward, so that the entire 20+ feet of length was obvious.
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Several sections of chimney were still together,
although covered with decades of moss growth and leaves
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Several stone foundation supports outlined the perimeter of the house;
seen here are a mid span support (above) and a corner support (below).
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Daffodils in the woods are always a good indication of an old home site.
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Near the house site was the remains of a once stone-lined springhead.
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One of the Stalked Puffballs, Calostoma lutescens
(aka Collared Calostoma, or Lattice Puffball)
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