When you were kids, what houses did you dream of growing up in, Pandas? Did Tony Stark's mansion with its futuristic gadgets and sleek design seem like the perfect place to live? Or did the Pink Palace Apartment from Coraline look way more to your taste? If you've always been a fan of old houses, this list might be just for you.
We searched the Internet for the most fascinating finds that people discovered in their old houses. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just ghosts and ghouls that reside in houses built in centuries past. Sometimes, new owners might find authentic pieces of history!
#1 Collection Of Reference Seeds Found In My Grandad’s Attic
Image credits: HungryBanana07
#2 I Was Advised To Post Here The Authentic Tiles I Found In My Newly Purchased House. The Wooden Floor Is Also Original
The house is from the 30’s. Both have been pretty well preserved as they were covered. There some dust as well because we had just removed the new floor.
Image credits: SSBBFF
#3 Engagement Ring Found In My Grandparents Safe
I’m not sure how old it is, but it was a cool find. My grandparents moved into a nursing home and assisted living. Going through their stuff before we auction the house and items. Ignore the nails, I didn’t have much time to redo them.
Image credits: RIPMYPOOPCHUTE
Buying an old house can be fascinating for more reasons than just the possibility that you'll come across an interesting find in the attic. In fact, current trends are all about old character houses. Just like with everything millennial-related, the new generation is rejecting the modern millennial-gray houses, which, according to them, lack character.
There's a whole subgenre of videos on TikTok about shaming millennial house flippers turning vintage, charming houses into 'sad beige.' In one such video, creator @everyones.junk.drawer points to how realtors covered up and painted over a whimsical and authentic clinker brick chimney. "They see something charming or that has character and say: 'Nope! Cover it up.'"
#4 Before It Was Torn Down, My Wife Preserved A Section Of Her Late Grandmother's 100+ Year-Old House, And Framed All The Layers Of Wallpaper
Image credits: ZippoS
#5 Photo Found In The Walls Of Our 1912 Build. Then vs. Now
Image credits: badsneakers
#6 The Ceilings On My House From The 1890's
Image credits: Drive7hru
Why are people getting so mad? It's because new owners buy fixer-uppers and take most of their charm away. They cover the hardwood floors, paint over colorful, original wallpaper, or rip out and replace vintage tiling with off-white floors that give off the vibe of an asylum more than that of a modern house.
Katie Way writes for Vice that these "modernizing an old Victorian house" renovations are "the nouveau-McMansion chic." These houses are often characterized by "shades of beige and gray, brushed silver fixtures, a 'clean,' monotonous look." Basically, something you'd probably see on HGTV.
#7 I Found This Old Lightbulb In My Grandparents’ House Finished In 1902 And It Still Works
Image credits: gap343
#8 My Great Grandmother Kept A News Paper Of When America Landed On The Moon. Just Found It Today
Image credits: captaincook-
#9 Dinosaur Bone Found In The Basement Of My Friend’s 15th Century House In North-Eastern France
Image credits: what_to_be
There's a reason why millennials like their interior and architecture to be clean and minimalistic. As designer Katelyn De Spain of Makehouse Design Studio explained to Apartment Therapy, they are, too, rejecting what they grew up with. "The neutral grays emerged as a way to counterbalance the ruddy browns and overly warm beiges that dominated home interiors in the early 2000s," she said.
#10 Cleaning Surprise. Love When My Century Home Rewards Me For Giving Her A Deep Clean… Found This Underneath A Radiator Today
Image credits: meripalko
#11 Our New To Us House Has A Secret Panic Room That Wasn't Included In The Listing! Built In 1978 And I Love This Place!
Image credits: gundam2017
#12 Found Old Crystal Glasses In The Attic Of My New Old House
Image credits: duckduckpass
The best example of the houses millennials grew up in and are now desperate to rebel against is Tony and Carmela Soprano's home: Tuscan villa-inspired golden brown countertops, terracotta lamps, and even some golden accents, which today, no doubt, many would deem to be tacky.
#13 Removed An Old Nasty Drop Ceiling From A Home Built In 1840 And Found This Hiding Above
Image credits: Michellehas2ls
#14 Victorian Wallpaper, Found In A Broom Closet, 1880s/1890s House, Kensington Market, Toronto
Image credits: A_G_Wynne
#15 Antique Games We Found In The Attic Today. They All Look To Be Around 1920’s
Found these in the attic today while getting some renovations done. Some have all the game pieces, so may still be in a bag/box that I have to finish going through. No idea of value, happy to learn anything about them that you all may know.
Image credits: Flimsy_Situation_506
Yet even therapists are defending millennials' taste in homes. Jennifer Chappell Marsh, LMFT, explains that we have to look at the "sad beige gray" trend through the lens of what that generation went and still is going through. They experienced two major economic crises, climate anxiety, student loan debt, and a housing crisis. "An uncluttered house done up in palatable, neutral tones can provide a sense of stability and control," Marsh told HuffPost.
#16 When You Discover A Beautiful Murano Glass Grape Lamp In The Attic
We've been living in my grandparent's house for 8 years and I'm STILL discovering treasures!!
Image credits: BFarr14
#17 Nerve Gas Grenade At The Family Cottage (Circa 1920). Details In The Comments
Our family’s 1920 cottage has had this extinguisher on the wall for decades. According to some Googling: “In 1900, the Red Comet fire extinguisher was a glass sphere filled with CTC, or Carbon tetrachloride. Early Red Comets used salt-water, but CTC was more effective. Firefighters hurled the Red Comet at the base of a fire to extinguish the flames. Carbon tetrachloride was suitable for liquid and electrical fires and the extinguishers were fitted to motor vehicles. Carbon tetrachloride extinguishers were withdrawn in the 1950s because of the chemical's toxicity. Exposure to high concentrations caused damage the nervous system and internal organs. Additionally, when used on a fire, the heat converted CTC to phosgene gas, formerly used as a chemical weapon.” At least there’s no asbestos in the place…
Image credits: S7RIP3YG00S3
#18 Jewellery Found Inside A Wall In A Victorian House
Image credits: Tomato_Tomat0
Essentially, when buying a house today in America, you can either choose a modern one, or a home with character. Home&Texture has gone over the pros and cons of buying both and suggests that choosing a timeless character house with history connects its occupants to the past, while modern houses offer contemporary aesthetics and convenience.
#19 Heavy Metal Cone With Some Sort Of Measuring Markings On It, Has Threads On The Inside
Found while cleaning out an old house. It looks like it was maybe buried based on the state of the bottom half. It is entirely metal. I didn’t get a picture of the threads but they seem to start where it’s not rusted/decayed.
nitro479
Looks like an artillery shell detonator. Set it down gently and notify the authorities. Cue the EOD bot.
Image credits: IGN_Aizawaa
#20 Renovating My 1850s Farmhouse And Found A Surprise
I’m an electrician and carpenter so I was updating the knob and tube when I found some original trim behind one of the device boxes.
SECRET CLOSET! Unfortunately the most valuable thing found is the extra storage space. Still a win for today!
Image credits: Jakeria77
#21 Pre Great Depression Columbia Grafonola, Supposedly 1 Of 2 In The World, Sister Might Be In The White House
I recently uncovered an antique Columbia grafonola in my late grandmother's garage. The item was originally owned by my great-great grandfather Jacob E. Pierce. He used to be a wealthy newspaper owner in Huntsville, Alabama before the Great Depression and owned the locally infamous wedding cake mansion. The item stands at about 3 ft. tall and features textured floral designs, a vinyl rack, a built-in speaker/horn, and elaborately carved wooden legs, two of which have broken off. During the economic crisis, my great aunt took the grafonola. Upon her death, my grandma ended up with it in the late 90s and brought it down to Florida. Now that my grandmother has passed, I now have it. These are the facts as I know them, what I don't know is, if it really is 1 of 2 in the world and if it's sister was ever in the White House, it's only hearsay passed down from my grandma, to my uncle, to me. From the research I've done, I've come up empty handed. I can't find an archive detailing all of the antiques in the White House. That being said, I can't find any other grafonolas of the same model. If nothing else, that means it's either pretty rare or a really nice commission. Is the family legend true? What should I do about this antique given its less than pristine condition?
Image credits: ContactFlyer25
A modern home comes with some financial perks. It's likely to be more efficient than an old house and require less maintenance through the years. Modern houses also come with technological advances, such as smart home improvements, making daily life more convenient. And, for those who like clean contemporary aesthetics, the sleek minimalistic look could be perfect.
#22 Was Replacing My Vanity And Found This Gem Behind The Wall
Image credits: jacove
#23 Does Anyone Have Any Idea What This Tiny Door That Leads To The Outside Would Be Used For (House Built In 1950)
tectuma
Could be for leprechauns or gnomes... I still would not leave any food out.
Same-Gear-4978
Not sure if milk doors were still a thing in the 50s, but potentially that?
sugar-magnolia
it leads to John Malkovichs brain
Image credits: Equal_Comedian9222
#24 Found A Box In The Rafters In The Garage… Thought I Found A Safe, But I Ended Up With Even Better. Now I Have To Get A Player For These. I’m Dying To See What’s On Them
Image credits: Downtown-Growth-8766
An old house is certainly rich in history and one-of-a-kind charm, but it has its cons. Many old houses have limited amenities, such as central heating or insulation. Because of their age, they also tend to be less energy efficient. That's also why they might need repairs more often. After many years, after all, some things just don't work how they used to.
#25 An Opening In The Bottom Floor Of An 1850s Home In Charleston, Sc
Image credits: bikematt7109
#26 My House Has Portraits In The Crawl Space From The Original Owners In 1960 That Have Never Been Moved
Image credits: 11-110011
#27 Crying Caulk/Plaster Girl Here With News
Crying happy tears today because:
WE WON THE FLOOR LOTTERY! Pulled up the ugly, cracked tile in the bathroom and found the original hex tile in great condition underneath 😭😭😭. I’m ecstatic!
Image credits: DenverLilly
Modern house haters say that they can feel cookie-cutter, sterile, and devoid of personality. And what old houses lack in efficiency, they certainly make up for with their authentic charm. Things like creaks in floorboards and brick walls can add a unique sense of style, and, as the years have already proven, much of the design features stand the test of time, remaining visually appealing even after a long time.
#28 Anyone Know Where It Looks Like These Originate From? In My Friends Very Old Mansion. The Previous Traveled Around And Collected These From Diff Countries
Image credits: cheesethechameleon
#29 Found This Old Watch In My Grandma's Attic. It Looks Pretty Special, Anyone Able To Identify It?
I've found very similar looking watches online around the 1920's. There are two markings, one seems to read 156 and the other maybe E 791.
Image credits: Gehii
#30 Just Bought Our First Home (1909) And Found This Under The Carpet
Image credits: l33zy4r33zy
What do you think about old houses, Pandas? Do you think their quirky aesthetics and authentic design details are worth the disadvantages? After going through this list, I certainly think so! If you liked these fascinating finds, be sure to check out previous articles about even more things that people have found in their old homes here and here!
#31 Renovating A 100 Year Old House, Found What Looks Like A Samurai Sword Under A Section Of The House That Had A Dirt Floor. The Sheath Is Metal On The Outside And Wood Inside. Still Sharp And Heavy
Image credits: BriCins
#32 Found This Old Ouija Board In The Attic Of My 100+ Year Old House
Image credits: geewhizliz
#33 Hello, Just Bought A House Built In 1900. The Fireplace Was Boarded Up And Upon Removing The Board This Is What We Found. Anyone Have Any Ideas Or Info? Would Love To Find Some History Out Or Maybe How Much This Is Even Worth
Image credits: jgriffi13
#34 My 1921 House Never Ceases To Surprise Me. I Found This Painting While Finally Cleaning Out The Attic To Re-Insulate It
Notable other attic finds from previous owners: some lovely mountain dew green carpet, a shotgun bullet press, and a functioning 10" CRT.
Image credits: templeofdank
#35 This Set Of Ball And Claws Found In The Attic Of A 19th Century Pagan Farmstead In Vermont
Image credits: rawdaddykrawdaddy
#36 Circa 1792 - Before And After Fireplace Reno
Image credits: bat007007
#37 Wallpaper Piece My Wife Kept From Our 1890s Farmhouse Remodel
Image credits: Wooden-Cancel-6838
#38 Old Glass Water Jug Full Of Pennies I Found At My Grandparents House
Image credits: zhmorrow13
#39 Love The Wall We Found In Our 1892 Norwegian Farm House
Image credits: SiljeM91
#40 Found Hand Painted Folk Art On Stairs When I Removed Carpet
I removed the old carpet and 8 gazillion staples and nails. Every other riser has hand painted PA Dutch folk art. I'm going to see if I can get down to nice wood on the treads and touch up the painted risers. This is in my old restored Barn outside Philadelphia. It was built in the 1740s and converted into a house some time in the 1940s. There are at least 4 layers of paint on the treads. But the steps are really beat up. If I can't get down to good bare wood, I may paint them again. I tried citrus strip, you can see areas on the bottom two steps. Took a lot to get to that, not ideal. I ordered a craftsman IR paint remover. Just waiting for it to ship. I'm the meantime I am using carbide scraper on the stringers and will paint those up with a matching ivory color. The folk art isn't really my style, but it's beautiful and someone really took a lot of time and care to paint it. I feel I owe it to the house to try to restore it and put it on display. It will be the first thing you see when you walk into my house. Am I crazy? Do you like it? Any advice on the approach if I'm not heading in the right direction? If I have to paint the treads, thoughts on color? I'll also paint ( or maybe wallpaper) the walls. I welcome design thoughts on that too.
Image credits: StrangePresent7430
#41 I Should Never Have Opened The Attic
Image credits: jkmayne
#42 Today We Found All Of This Stuff In An Old Power Box In My House—it Turns Out The Previous Owner Tapped The Phone Line To Listen To His Wife’s Calls. All Of The Cassettes Are Filled With Phone Conversations Called From My Houses Landline ~20 Years Ago
Image credits: wazowski_kachowski
#43 We Found A 7th Grade Scorecard From 1917 In Our Wall!
The electrician found the scorecard hidden in our attic wall.
The scorecard lists little Catherine Klinkerfues’ (born 1906) grades monthly from September 1917 to February 1918 but the last signature from her mother was in December 1917, which makes me think that the little girl hid her scorecard from her mom in January 1918 and eventually shoved it into the wall after receiving her February grades to avoid scolding for her poor performance :)
Catherine probably lived in this house with her widowed mom Katherine, half-brother (from her bio dad’s previous marriage) and her step-dad Arthur something (I can’t make sense of the signature in the scorecard).
Her dad George died the same year she was born in.e. 1906.
Image credits: motheroflittleneb
#44 136 Year Old Note Found On A Shingle When My Parents Renovated Their House
Text: “I was discharged from work on this house by McBride the Bulldog for being drunk only once, when he is drunk all the time. Carpenter Smith, Plymouth March 27, 1888”
Image credits: GlitteringWeird3670
#45 Window Lottery
I've been doing some restoration and playing lots of wall chicken and window lottery. I didn't have a lot of hope for the bricked over windows.
Image credits: forgetfuljones79
#46 I Just Found A Wall Of Whiskey Bottles From 1914-15
Image credits: fork_yeah
#47 Decent Floor Lottery. Appalachian Log Home Built In 1864. We Found This Old Linoleum Under Carpet And On Top Of The Original Wide Plank Floors
Image credits: bearpondholler
#48 Suprise After Opening Wall. My 1914 Home I Opened A Wall To Move Some Plumbing And This Is What I Found
Image credits: Supreme_Leader_30
#49 Door Lotto
This door casing made no sense and we had a feeling there might something hidden! Bought this 1860s house about two months ago now and still finding fun surprises.
Image credits: Current_Cost_1597
#50 Bought A House And Found A Vintage Safe In The Garage. Locked, No Key
Image credits: Supertracto
#51 Hidden Staircase
We decided to do swap old tub and surround for a new, nicer, tub and surround. Nothing fancy, but the old one had to come out. There were stairs behind the tub! I have no idea why these were walled off since the front stairs are in location that cost a window and 2 closets. These stairs make so much more sense. We knew there were pipes in the wall. But the stairs were a complete surprise. I wish I could keep them but that would wreck the budget. Maybe next time we remodel I can open them up from the other side.
Image credits: sotiredwontquit
#52 Found Some Jars Of Coins In A Stone Wall In My Basement
Found these coins in a Michigan basement (stone wall), when I was remodeling my 1890’s farmhouse. The newest coins are from 1941. I counted 174 brand new 50 cent coins. Next day I went back to digging and another Jar popped out of the wall. This one had 10, $5 gold coins, 2, $2 1/2 coins, and one $1 coin. My pictures aren’t the best, and I might send some of better ones off for grading. Any idea what they are worth? (eBay prices are all over the place)
Image credits: devildog762
#53 Buying A 140 Year Old Home, Contents Included. I’ve Found 7 Of These Trunks So Far
Image credits: JLearie
#54 Wall Lottery!
Image credits: Woobediewoopwoop
#55 Found In An Unfinished Basement Of An Old Home. Looks Like A Coin But It's Hollow And Opens Up. Possibly It Was A Coin Lighter
Image credits: NeverBenFamous
#56 How Do I Restore A 1930 Gas Fireplace Insert Found In My Basement?
Image credits: VindDifferential
#57 Racks Or Hangers. Above An Old Kitchen Range In 18th House In Canterbury UK. Around 3ft High And 4ft Across In Total
Image credits: Reasonable_Effort882
#58 I’m Helping To Renovate An Old House In Detroit, And When We Pulled Up The Floor We Found That Previous Owners Had Used 1940s Ww2 Era Newspapers To Pad The Flooring
Image credits: nood4spood
#59 A Box Of Heavy Metal Chunks. It Was At The Bottom Of A Deceased Hoarders Basement
It looks like someone was melting scrap lead or tin in a large spoon, likely cast iron, and letting it cool in the spoon.
Image credits: javi0119
#60 Bought A House And Found A Bag In The Loft With Photo Albums Hidden Inside. Digitised Everything (The Oldest Dated Item Is From The 1870s) - A Rather Interesting Glimpse Into An Unknown Family Over The Years. Spot The Cat, Dogs, Morris Dancer, Proud Labourer, Chickens And Badass Clothing
Image credits: Mfombe
#61 Found Some Victorian Transferware Tiles Hidden Behind Several Layers Of Paint On An Old Fireplace (Scotland)
I would love to know the part number of these without taking them off and looking on the rear side. My Google lens results aren’t returning the correct type although I am getting a rough indication of date. Also, I think it would be wonderful to have a transfer wear sub on Reddit if anybody fancies setting one up. I can imagine these tiles can be very addictive to collectors .
Image credits: samcornwell
#62 Newspapers From 1938 Found Under Some Old Flooring In My Attic
Image credits: TrekkieChan
#63 I Found Someone's Secret Stash While Renovating My Basement
Image credits: Desidiosus
#64 Look What I Found Hiding Behind A Wall In My Kitchen. The Sign Was Logo Towards The Wall And Must Of Been A Heat Shield For A Stove Way Back. So Cool To Find This And It’s From 1936
Image credits: SaltyKauaisurferdude
#65 Found On The Basement Door Of 1800s Lodging House
Image credits: Fancy_Pickle_8164
#66 Keys My Brother Found In The Basement Of A Very Old House That Used To Be A Hotel. The House Is From The 1800s
Image credits: carry_on
#67 Found A Dry Sink In My 1807 Home. We Just Got This House. As I Was Cleaning Out The Bottom Cabinet I Realized There Is A Sink Under That Strangely Shaped Cover On Top
Image credits: greatbigredog
#68 Won The Ceiling Lottery
This is the feature I’m most excited about in my new home! It’s a little damaged in the corners because of the radiator pipe but overall it’s so much better than the drop ceiling. Sadly I did lose the flooring lotto - the planks (under plywood, under vinyl, under carpet) are too thin to serve as an actual floor.
Image credits: icekink
#69 Me And My Wife Found This In A Home Built In 1954 That We Were Touring. It’s The Amp For A Built-In Stereo
Image credits: shakybusters
#70 Found Mural In 1890 Townhouse (Harrisburg Pa)
Had renovations done on a townhouse in downtown Harrisburg Pennsylvania this summer- when they removed a false wall with ductwork we found this mural painted into the plaster. Looking for any insight/tips on restoration or preservation or any idea on how to find out who may have painted it. Local arts/historical associations said it was definitely a commissioned piece, that it may run all the way up the stairwell. The whole thing is in relatively good shape for its age/lack of preservation!
Image credits: Theheech
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