Basement & Crawl Space History

Crawl spaces, cellars and sub-cellars are all types of basement foundations. Basements have been around for centuries, however they’re more common in certain areas: 

• Where the soil is softer and it’s easier to dig 
• Stable areas that are not prone to earthquakes or flooding 
• In areas have a higher rate of tornado activity, like the Midwest

Once industrialization took hold in the United States, it became common practice to build a basement or partial basement in new buildings. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that basements started to gain popularity. At this point people began using the basement as a living space instead of just storage.