4 Interesting Things Discovered in Old Homes

Have you ever rummaged through your attic, basement or other rarely visited cavity of your home only to find something that belonged to the previous owner, or owner before them? Who knows, maybe there is something hidden away in your home right now, waiting for its day of discovery. If you’re thinking “NO WAY! EWWWW!” you’ll be surprised to learn that this happens all the time. Let’s face it, sometimes people hide or place items in secret locations only to forget about them as the years fade away. And, sometimes these precarious items resurface after years of solitude, like a time capsule waiting for a fresh breath of freedom. Either way, the moment of discovery can bring on a variety of emotions: shock, curiosity, joy, even terror. So, without further ado, here are some of the best findings.

Deceased Bodies

Of course, when reading the first paragraph of this article you probably assumed this would be on the list, so that’s why we’ll cover it first! Regardless, you probably didn’t know that during the recent restoration of Benjamin Franklin’s former Georgian abode over 1,200 human bones were discovered. Hmmm. Let’s shed some light on this number. There are 206-208 bones in the adult human body and 300-350 in an infant. Before you get all bent out of shape, the best explanation for these bones is not murder. Rather, Benny boy’s protégé, William Hewson, ran an anatomy school. Apparently, however, they didn’t consider giving their specimens proper burials.

Live Bodies

Sometimes it’s not the dead that surprise us! Thisstory broke in October of 2013, but has happened on more than one occasion – according to the internet at least. Anyhow, this instance took place at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. A group of male students were convinced a ghost was roaming their university digs. They quickly attributed the noises to the houses age until one day when they decided to give it a thorough shakedown. There was a door in their basement that they assumed to be a maintenance closet.  Turns out, it was a room. A well lived in room with some dude’s belongings! After the event, the residents said they felt bad for kicking him out because he was a nice guy.

Cold Hard Cash

Have you ever reached into the pocket of a clothing item you haven’t worn in months only to discover a crumpled up bill? This usually happens when rotating through seasonal threads. This kind of event can brighten anybody’s day. Now, imagine finding $182,000 in bills archived away in your walls. If you’re Bob Kitts, you know the feeling. Except Bob was a contractor. The home actually belonged to Amanda Reece. The dough was Depression-era and instigated a dispute between Amanda and Bob. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on the dispute. Little did Amanda and Bob know, the real owner, Patrick Dunne, had 21 heirs. The Dunne estate sued. At the end of the day, Amanda blew most of the cash and claimed $60,000 was stolen. Bob Kitts received $5,287 and each of the heirs received $1,586.

Priceless Art

This one isn’t about a home but follows the same principle as the rest and is quite interesting. You’re familiar with Leonardo da Vinci, right? Well, in 1502 he was commissioned to paint a depiction of the Battle of Anghiari. It’s a massive piece of work that spans 20 feet wide and 10 feet high. Later in the century, a man by the name of Giorgio Vasari was told to paint over da Vinci’s work, but his admiration of the painting allegedly forced him to do otherwise.

In 1970 a man by the name of Maurizio Seracini noticed the phrase “cerca trova” etched into a flag on Vasari’s mural. Maurizio had been looking for da Vinci’s lost piece for decades and he believed Giorgio Vasari built a wall in front of the painting to save it. Recent imagery techniques have been used to detect pigments that indicate a painting probably exists behind the wall; however, due to political issues the wall remains. This is one mystery the world may never find an answer to!