Front view of the cistern (the front low structure).
View west with the ice house in the background.

The original name of the ranch was the Spring Hill Farm and Stock Ranch - so named because of the underground springs that surface on the side of the hill behind the house. A cistern was built to collect the water which was piped into the spring house. Today, the spring has dried up, but the cistern is still used. Well water is pumped up once a month to fill the cistern which supplies water for both houses. The water is not potable because of the high levels of organic material. The water is however safe for washing and is safe once it is boiled.

The east wall has a semi-circular opening centered on the wall with a screen covering the opening. The roof of the cistern is arched. You will notice many arches in the Spring Hill Ranch. The arch has been used in construction for hundreds of years. For example the aquaducts of Rome.

The Spring Hill Ranch had an amazing underground water system. During the summer of 2002, an archeological investigation was began on what turned out to be a cistern from the original time of the Spring Hill Ranch. Below is a photo from that excavation. Note the arch of the roof that has caved in over the years.This cistern is directly north of the main house and east of the summer kitchen. The investigation was conducted by the Midwest Regional Office Archeological Team.

The water from the spring was collected in the cistern on the hill, then piped into the spring house below. The cool spring water was used to keep the butter, cheese, milk, etc. from spoiling. This was modern refrigeration at work. The overflow water from the spring house ran further down the hill to the fountain in the front yard. From here the water continued on downhill to the orchards and gardens across the road to the east. This was all made possible by a massive underground system of pipes. As more subjects are investigated, the more questions we have that only Mr. Jones has the answers to. But that is part of the mystery and intrigue of history.