"No" wrote in message
...
I really doubt that the walls are 16" concrete. They may be stone with
stucco applied or brick with stucco but not concrete. The insides are
probably plaster. They may be 16" thick but certainly not concrete

For those interested, concrete, as we know it today, is a relatively
modern
invention that followed the invention of Portland cement. Its history is
here.... http://matse1.mse.uiuc.edu/~tw/concrete/hist.html If this house
IS
1898 and it really IS concrete it could be one of the first in the world.
Concrete was very new in 1898.




Indeed. Here in the upper midwest, pre 1900 homes virtually all had stone
foundations. From about 1900-WWI you see cast stone blocks, and poured
concrete really isn't too common in the foundation until you get to 1920 or
so.

That said, an old stone foundation isn't necessarily a bad thing - they
might not keep the basement bone dry, but chances are your basement has
minimal headroom anyway - so it isn't likely you're going to finish it off
into a media room or something.

An old house is a different animal - and, yes, it will be a continual
project for as long as you live in it.