This one is just low ceilings in the basement. By the lay of the lot there probably wasn't much more they could have done.Is it, or did some turn part a dirt crawl space into a basement?
A neighbor had a 5x7 foot "basement" that they apparently built, put the oil burner in, and then built the house over/around. Decades later when it could no longer be kept on life support, they had to have a basement "installed". Lots of odd looking features after that.
That was my thought. It was done by some of the new central americans that have recently arrived.Looks like they used a shoebox as a form!!!
Just because that's the way you do it wherever you came from.....