Twin Cisterns
Before May, 2004 there were the remains of two large cisterns located on the John Rutherford Fenn side of Oyster Creek. Only one remained in perfect shape. There was evidence of a structure also. The cistern was constructed like a giant bottle with the neck of the bottle above ground. The sides were brick lined with concrete and the bottom was concrete so the facility would hold rainwater without being contaminated with creek or ground water. The building nearby most likely allowed rain from the roof to flow into the cistern. This would be a sanitary source of drinking water or, as I suspect in this case, a source of mineral free water for a steam engine. A steam engine may have been used to crush the sugar cane barged in on Oyster Creek. Below are photos of the perfect cistern and articles uncovered around it. A decendent of John Rutherford Fenn, Joe Fenn says the area was called Burnside and 'the quarters' by his ancesters.
After May, 2004 Sienna Plantion housing development destroyed the cisterns and removed the dirt from Oyster Creek to make a levy along the railroad to the south of the cisterns. Old metal and small pieces of pottery are in the levy. Oyster creek was moved 200' to the West. A house was built where the cisterns once were.
