[revwardoc]

Many of the older homes, and by that I mean 17th century and early 18th century, in New England had escape tunnels in case of Indian attack. A friend lives in the oldest house in Leicester, MA, which was built in the 1630's. In the basement, he found the opening of a long caved in tunnel. With the help of an archeologist, it was determined that the tunnel led to the bank of a pond about 50 yards away. There are still arrowheads and musket balls imbedded in the original framework of the house from Indian raids. In fact, when first built, the only way you could enter the house was by a removable ladder to the 2nd floor, since it was built to serve not only as a home to the minister who had it built, but as a local garrison.

Once the threat of Indian attacks diminished after the King Philip's War, the tunnels were used for storage...and smuggling goods past the King's revenue agents.