New one to me!
 

Went to be interviewed by a couple to look after their home while they are away sailing for nine months. Just under 5000 sq ft. Three sections, the first built in 1730, the second in the 1800s, the last; ten years ago.

In the basement of the middle house (I believe) is a cistern! The gutters' downspouts (four) all direct into a "pool" in the basement! Never seen or heard of that before.

Bait !

I’ve seen that in many old homes in the Champlain valley
Flat with clay soils and few streams, lots of livestock to muddy what streams and springs there were.
The less expensive homes had wood cisterns, those have mostly rotted and all that remains is a base in the cellar.
The largest I’ve seen was 8x12x8 feet deep and still held water.
I think they were common till electricity came. That was done by the REA as part of The New Deal in the late 1930s and it wasn’t complete till the 50s.
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I have a cistern under my garage but I believe it was put in in the 1960’s. Number of gutters run into it.

Are you saying it’s an open pool? That’s wild
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I did a total rehab on a house in the village in Somerset, an old sea Captains house from the early 1800s. There was a cistern in the basement. Well, there was before I started there...it had been filled in at some point but very identifiable.