The slate-roofed stone springhouse at the bottom of the hill was built in the early 19th century to protect a source of drinking water for the people living in the house on the hill. Archer Hays had the house built in 1808, and the property remained with the family for more than a century. Before refrigeration, springhouses were often used for cold storage, with a trough of flowing water inside helping cool crockery filled with milk, butter, and other perishables.