Owning an old house is a wonderful thing, especially when you’re snuggled away, beside a cozy fire, reading a good book on a cold snowy afternoon. It is easy to appreciate these warm, wonderful times and think of all past inhabitants. You bask in its ambiance and romance. After all, it is what attracted you and yours to purchase this fine old home in the first place. However, there is something in the back of your mind, something that happened last spring when you were repairing that squeaky pumpkin pine floor board. Now you remember, an 1851 three-cent piece rolled out of the wood work, at least you think it was the wood work, maybe there is a small crack in the wall behind the baseboard or in the paneling that no one has noticed over a hundred or so years. It’s a nice thought, but back to your reading.
You wonder, once again, about something you heard or read, something about somebody stumbling upon a stash of money hidden in an attic or was it a wall, you can’t remember but what would it hurt to go take a look, do a little investigating. So you put down the book, throw off the afghan, get up and walk down the hall. You take a good look at the wall where you think the coin may have rolled out from. You find nothing.
Maybe if you had a screwdriver you could pry back the woodwork just a little bit to get a better look. Excitedly, you walk briskly down the hallway. You fly down the stairs for your screwdriver and hurry back to your secret spot filled with riches and historical memorabilia. While prying back the baseboard the screwdriver makes a small mark in the wood, the damage is almost unnoticeable and is a small price to pay for finding your treasure.
Oh, now you are getting somewhere. There is a small crack in the horse hair plaster. The paneling is hiding the crack, so you still can’t be sure how big it is. You run downstairs, get the pry bar, the hammer, the flashlight, there is not time, just bring all your tools! You run back upstairs and get to work, but you must work quickly because there are only a few hours of daylight left and you want everything back to normal before your significant other arrives home. You see, they don’t understand that there really could be great wealth hidden within THE WALLS.
Now a couple of hours have gone by the baseboard and the paneling are down, there’s a rather large hole where that small insignificant crack was. You are sitting on the floor, sweaty, plaster dust sticking to you, staring at all the destruction in disbelief. Guess who’s coming through the door? Yes, that’s right, your significant other… who, by the way, has just spent an extra three hours driving home because of the snow and is in no mood for this foolishness. And, guess what, yup that’s right, NO TREASURE. Just a big mess, walls destroyed, your relaxation time wasted, impending arguments at the ready, the expense of hiring a professional to make this mess go away, and last but not least, an embarrassing story that will follow you for generations.
As funny as it may seem, this has happened. People have taken apart walls, cellars, foundations, attics, and floors because they have found the occasional old coin in or around their home. We have all heard stories of someone finding large amounts of forgotten money on their property. I am sure that most homes have no such stash. So if you do find the occasional old coin don’t let your imagination get the best of you. Keep the coin, show it off, wonder about the people who left it there, but above all, don’t start taking things apart looking for hidden treasure. Rest assured your beautiful old home is the treasure.
Written and Posted by Paul
Are you interested in the preservation of antique and historic homes? We are too! Do you have a story about your old home to tell?
