While a Michigan couple knew the home they bought in 2020 needed a major renovation, they didn’t expect to uncover a hidden piece of history.
Hayley Gilmartin and her husband, Trevor, were removing an old hot tub from their home on Lake Huron, the body of water that separates the United States and Canada, when they discovered a mysterious chamber filled with water 20 feet below the surface.
The chamber, which connects to the lake via a six-foot pipe, is believed to be a Prohibition-era tunnel that likely served as a covert route for smuggling alcohol across the border.
Haley told Newsweek that the house “had all that ’70s style” and that they had always planned to remove the jacuzzi that was in the living room.
The couple said they knew it would be a difficult task to remove, but discovering the “sewer-like thing” under the hot tub changed everything the couple knew about the house.
Hayley Gilmartin and her husband, Trevor, were removing an old hot tub from their home on Lake Huron, the body of water that separates the United States and Canada, when they discovered a mysterious chamber filled with water 20 feet below the surface.
The chamber, which connects to the lake via a six-foot pipe, is believed to be a Prohibition-era tunnel that likely served as a covert route for smuggling alcohol across the border.
“Our house has about three feet of concrete between each floor,” Haley said.
At first, Haley and her husband were not thrilled with the discovery, as they found it disturbing at first.
“I think anyone who finds a manhole under their house in the dark will find it creepy,” he said.
“But it’s super clear water and nothing strange has been found in the water.”
After gathering enough courage to see if it was safe to venture down the manhole, the pair discovered another completely different room.
“We dove into the river and found the other end, which is a huge tunnel,” Haley said.
He also explained that it is “impossible” to pump the water out of the mysterious room because it “is still receiving water from Lake Huron and the rivers it is connected to.”
Pictured: Trevor diving to see the outside of the mystery room.
When the couple dove headfirst into the history of the house and the reason behind the room, they were bombarded with a number of theories about what the room was actually intended for.
“Local people told us that our house used to load brine onto cargo ships during World War II, but we’re not sure how accurate that is,” Hayley told Newsweek.
‘The wildest theory we’ve heard is that it was used in the Prohibition days to smuggle alcohol from Canada, since it’s so close. Although in our area we found a lot of bottles from the Prohibition era.’
They also learned from several neighbors that they also have tunnels that lead to some sort of secret rooms under their houses.
Inside the hidden room that Haley and her husband discovered.
The couple learned from several neighbors that they also have tunnels that lead to some kind of secret rooms under their houses.
The six foot tube that connects the chamber and the lake.
The other side of the wall leading to the lake/river.
During Prohibition, Lake Huron and the St. Clair River became bustling smuggling routes where opponents of the American temperance movement transported illegal alcohol from the north across the border.
Historian Douglas Bancroft said the area was the reason for 75% of illegal exports during Prohibition, he said. The Herald of Time.
Hayley and Trevor also found a boarded up wooden door in the room, which they have yet to remove, but plan to do so in the future.
“We’re going to continue to explore it and, if possible, we’ll drain it and maybe create an arcade or a bowling alley there,” Hayley told Newsweek.
