What is the neatest thing that you found in your old home? (house, live)

[ebyrnes]

We found a smoker built into the chimney in the basement. The house is about 80 years old, and we figure that someone added it shortly after the house was built. Once we get settled, we're going to try to smoke some cheese (:

How about you? Any secret passageways or other fun stuff?

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[theo2]

Just a thought, It may be a clean out door. What type heat do you have? Can you post a picture?

[UKyank]

My grandparents have a hidden room accessible from a panel on the side of a closet. House is from 1840s (well, was originally a tavern not a house).

[BrianTH]

There is an old electric motor and mechanism of some sort attached to a wall in the basement. Opinions on its purpose have varied, but the leading explanation seems to be that it was for an early washing machine called an extractor. Extractors spin a load of washed laundry to remove the excess water, and are still part of modern automated washers (which in fact were once called "washer/extractors"). But at one point the extractor was a separate machine, usually found only in commercial laundries (early home washing machines for a while continued to use a wringer system instead of a spinning extractor).

[greatblueheron]

Beautiful heart pine planks used as attic floor! Took them out and placed in kitchen/refinished ...

[PreservationPioneer]

Love this thread.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by UKyank

My grandparents have a hidden room accessible from a panel on the side of a closet. House is from 1840s (well, was originally a tavern not a house).

Cool! I've always wanted one of those--or even better, a secret staircase. If I ever build my own house I'm putting one in. My inner Nancy Drew would be so proud. (But my inner Scooby Doo would say Rotrow!)

We lived for a short time in a odd little house that was built piecemeal and had many strange little features as a result. My favorite was a knotted string hanging out of a hole in one wall. It took us the longest time to figure out what it was for. It turned on an overhead light for a storage cubby that was accessible only from the outside of the house.

[kubus_gt]

A laundry chute. It doubles as intercom. I can't imagine not having one now.

[osirus226]

I found an empty pack of chesterfield cigarettes

[FreightTrainRunning]

We found a framed certificate of indulgence signed by the pope from the 1950s. Apparently grandpa had died without the right qualifications to get into heaven and needed a little afterlife boost.