TIL the odd carvings in my cellar walls might be a lost mason's code

I was scraping old paint off the stones down there and saw these weird shapes etched in. They don't look like any decoration I've seen before. How do you even start to research something like this? I'm wondering if it's tied to the old quarry workers around here...

3 comments

3 Comments

angela2271mo ago

I remember hearing about the quarry workers from the 1800s around here using symbols to mark stone grades. The idea that those are in your cellar walls now is blowing my mind. I once went down a rabbit hole on old builder codes after finding weird scratches in my attic. Definitely get in touch with the local history museum, they eat this stuff up. Could be a real piece of hidden history right under your feet.

tara_chen541mo ago

Whoa, take clear pictures first, then check with the local history society.

brookebailey2d ago

I get what you mean about the quarry marks, but I'd check with a stone mason first before the history people. They see this stuff all the time.