I'm pretty sure that is an entrance into the Temple of Doom, and you should not disturb it any more. Vennne, are you still there? Maybe it's too late.

Toga parties in a Roman Bath just add mosaic tiles and fill it with water .

Atlanta/Buckhead Christmas Showhouse Interior · More Info

Curiosity perhaps :)

Was this house built on what was once farm land?

For some reason it crossed my mind that a Silo could have been there ,but its just a guess of course:).

Hope it's not in Illinois, most of the state has major radon exposure. Around here (Rock Island, IL) after you get your basement waterproofed you do a radon test. If it's high (about 70% are) the (one method of ) mitigation is to have a fan vent from under the basement floor to outside. Even the sump pump pits should be somewhat air tight.

I say keep it, very unique!

It seems like the foot area is too small for a group of people.

If you like it, and if it goes with your (mid-century?) house, I'd keep it and incorporate one of those pretty little "fireplace" features that don't require venting. Or a little recirculating water feature that would make peaceful sounds. It would be a fun place to read or talk.

sure, it is unique. but so were shoes with buttons. You're going to sit in it ONCE and never again.

It's hard to tell how useful it would be without seeing the layout of the rest of room. It looks like it's kind of stuck in a corner. Has anything happened with this area since January 2013? ? ? ?

My family would never use it. It looks like a big hole in the middle of the floor. Is it even permitted ? You would need to make sure it was safe for all ages, old or young. Why would you use this as a fire pit inside the home? It would need to be well vented. How would you see each other over the fire. It looks like a small space. Do you want smoke inside the house? I would not just for health reasons. I think it is a waste of space and old looking. I'd level it out to match the floor around it. and use the space in a better way. Looks like a money pit to me and then after a cuple of years you would get tired of having it and not using it.

Prior to yesterday, I would have said those things are very outdated and to get rid of it.

However, yesterday I went to a home tour of an expensive new build home and they had a conversation pit in the middle of the living area! I was surprised to see it.

My thoughts yesterday was that it could be a bit of a safety hazard if someone doesn't see it and falls into the pit. A couple of times yesterday, I found myself standing at the very edge of the pit, not realizing that it was there. If I had taken a step backwards, I could have fallen into it.

I guess it's a personal preference though.

What did you end up doing?

I know this is a really old thread and no one will actually read it - but I don’t think it was a conversation pit. To me it def looks like it was a hot tub in the basement that on second thought, previous homeowners realized it was a dumb idea - and filled it in.

I know this is a really old thread, but I found it hilarious.

Mark, sorry I called you no one! :-} Hehehe!