Sure, anyone undertaking a do-it-yourself home renovation expects to run into roadblocks. But, one married couple in Ohio were in for a shocking mysterious find when they began renovating their 1940s home. Home renovation projects are expected to increase the value of a property, but they sometimes uncover some surprises that have been hidden and left unnoticed for years. Everything was going as planned with the DIY renovation until these homeowners started work on the basement. Suddenly, something caught their eye that they couldn’t ignore. They had no idea that something was hidden beneath their main floors that would change their lives forever.
A Home Demo With Suspicions
The couple started renovating their 1940s home with high hopes of making it nice and livable. What they did not anticipate was what they were about to discover. Often, when you knock down a wall, a homeowner may uncover some unsightly issues. But, this renovation project was about to take an interesting turn. Things were moving along smoothly until they started renovation on the basement. As they began the process of demolition and tearing down walls, and then all of a sudden something caught their eye. The husband noticed something unusual that he had never spotted before. He knew he had to find out what it was.
The Writing On The Wall
As the homeowner was renovating the basement on their 1940s home, something stopped him in his tracks. He knew he had to stop the demolition process and carefully peel back layers on the wall to uncover what he saw. He carefully peeled back the wallpaper to uncover what was hidden underneath. To his astonishment, he noticed on one of the walls there was writings. If the graffiti was the only thing, however, he may have just taken a few pictures and continued the renovation. But, the writings on the wall was just the tip of the iceberg that would lead him to an even more mysterious discovery.
Lodged Above His Head
He knew that the writing that was all over the wall underneath the wallpaper had to mean something. He carefully continued the demolition but something made him look up. Above his head, lodged in the rafters, was something that caught his eye. Something had been carefully placed in the ceiling of the basement just below the sub-floor. Whatever it was had been lodged into place and purposely hidden there for safe keeping by one of the previous home owners. He reached up to grab it, whatever it was. He soon discovered that it would take all of his strength to pull the object down.
Slowly Peeling Back Layers And Documenting The Process
The homeowners had just begun what they thought would be a fairly normal renovation process of their 1940s home. They had no idea what they were about to uncover would change their lives forever. It all started when the husband peeled back some old wallpaper on the basement wall and noticed some writing and graffiti that had been written on a basement wall. He questioned what he had found but noticed something even more enticing above his head. He didn’t know what he was about to discover, but he knew he would need to document every step of the renovation project. So, he took pictures and video of the entire process.
What Was The Lodged Object In The Rafters?
As he continued to dig into the rafters, he noticed that some of the walls had already been broken down. It was as if someone had purposely made a secret hiding place for something. But, what was it? As he got closer, he realized that what he had seen hidden up in the rafters was stored there on purpose. It was a suitcase. The suitcase was green with gray accent. It looked as if it had been intentionally placed in the secret hiding place so no one would discover it. But, found it is exactly what he had just done. Though, the extent of what he discovered had not yet been revealed.
What Was Inside?
The homeowner had made his way to the discovery of a green and gray suitcase but had no idea if it was empty or what was inside. When he went to dislodge it, he soon learned that it was very heavy. Whatever was inside had a lot of weight to it. With great caution, he began to remove the heavy sealed suitcase from its hiding place. He wondered why a suitcase that was not extremely large would be so heavy. He could not wait to open it up to see what was inside. But, he stifled his excitement long enough to call for his wife to be part of the big reveal.
Revealing The Hidden Secret
Truth be told, as much as he wanted his wife to share in his exciting discovery, he also wanted someone else to be there when he opened it up just in case something went terribly wrong. After his wife arrived for the big reveal, he carefully examined the suitcase. He explained to her the whole story of how he discovered it tucked away in the basement rafters. Why was it so heavy for its size? Why would someone hide it so well as if they never wanted it to be found? What could be inside that was so valuable or so mysterious? He had to find out.
Secretly Hidden About To Be Revealed
The couple never dreamed that when they began renovating their home that they would come across such a mystery. The two were excited yet terrified as to what they were about to discover. What was inside this old suitcase that had been purposefully hidden? Could it be something sentimental, or something valuable? Maybe it was jewelry, or money. Or, maybe it was nothing but a suitcase filled with rocks. As the two braced themselves for what they were about to see, they dreamed, discussed, and worried about what they would see when they opened the suitcase. With trepidation and a thrill, they began to open it up.
Unveiling The Mystery
As the two cautiously unlatched the suitcase to open it up, they took a deep breath. What they saw at first was not impressive at all. It just appeared to be nothing more than old, yellowed wax paper that was wrapped around what seemed to be every-day objects. But their curiosity wouldn’t let them merely discard it and move on. So, they took one of the wax-paper-wrapped bundles out and carefully unwrapped it. Slowly, as they peeled back the wax paper wrapping, they both began to realize why this suitcase had been tucked away out of sight. But, what did they find?
Carefully Wrapped Bundles
Whatever was inside these carefully wrapped wax paper bundles must have been regarded as precious to someone because the items were wrapped with care. He started to peel away the wax paper wrap on the first bundle. To his surprise, the wrapping had been hiding a hefty stack of $20 bills. The two started to get more excited as they saw how many $20 bills were in the bundle. And, that was only the first bundle they had unwrapped. What could be hiding in the rest of the tightly wrapped packages? It was like Christmas morning as they dove in hoping to discover more cash.
More Bundles Of Money
After discovering the first wax paper wrapped bundle was a huge stack of $20 bills, they couldn’t wait to dive in and open all of the rest of the bundles. They started doing some fast calculations in their heads wondering how much money they would unwrap in total. They looked at the bills and noticed something else of interest. They noticed that all of the bills were dated and were old. This suitcase had been there for quite sometime. But, how long had it been hidden? And, why was it tucked away out of sight for so many years to begin with?
Documenting The Big Discovery
As the couple unwrapped stack after stack of money that had been tucked inside a sealed suitcase inside their home, they knew they had to document their findings. They began to search for a camera to take pictures of everything they discovered. The first stack was a pile of $20 bills. The two began to imagine how much money would be in the suitcase in total. They wondered if they were all stacks of $20 bills or if some would be worth even more. The two were flabbergasted and could not wait to discover the total amount of their big find.
Age-Old Wrapped Cash
It was as if the two had found an endless cash machine. After unwrapping the first bundle of $20 bills, they anticipated that the rest of the bundles would be similar and maybe even less, possibly filled with $1 bills. To their astonishment, as they began to unwrap each and every bundle inside that suitcase, they started seeing stacks of $50 bills and then $100 bills as well. The second bundle they unwrapped had no $20 bills in it. Instead, it was filled with $50 bills. The third bundle was even more surprising as it was filled with $100 bills. Were they dreaming? There had to be more to this hidden treasure.
Where Did The Cash Come From?
Of course, the couple were thrilled at their discovery that they had uncovered during their renovation project of their 1940s home. But, quickly all sorts of questions began to fill their heads. Where did this money come from? Who had hidden it, and why did they work so hard to make sure no one would find it? How long ago did this happen? They knew they had to get answers and started by looking at the dates on the money they had found. What they would discover as they began dating the money was even more surprising to the excited couple.
Clues To How Long The Money Had Been Hidden
Now that the hidden suitcase had been revealed and the contents known, many questions began to swirl around in the couple’s heads. Where did all of this cash come from? Was it legitimate money? Was it stolen? How long has this pile of money been sitting inside their house? An even more urgent question the two pondered was how much money had they uncovered tucked away in their basement? And, could they keep it? As they looked through all of the bundles of cash they had unearthed, they began to notice that it had been there for quite some time. Some of the bills were from the 1930s and even the 1920s.
A Glimpse Into The Past
In pursuit to determine how long the suitcase filled with money had been hiding in their basement, the two began to look through everything they had just found. They looked at each bill to see the date that was marked on it to help determine a time frame. They took each and every bundle of cash out carefully and then discovered a clue that gave them a telltale sign of a date. A newspaper had been folded up and placed on the bottom of the suitcase inside under the cash. This would have a date to give them an idea of how old their discovery was.
In The Spring Of The 1950s
As the two homeowners carefully perused the newspaper they had found on the bottom of the inside of the suitcase buried underneath the cash, they finally found a date. The paper had been dated March 25, 1951. The newspaper was from the Cleveland Plain Dealer which was an old journal. Now that they had a time frame of about when the suitcase had been stashed in their basement, they could begin to piece together the rest of the mystery. But, how? The main question pressing on their minds was how much is this money worth in today’s market, and what would they do with it now?
Value Of Old Money
As they continued to rifle through the contents of the green and gray suitcase the husband had discovered, they began to notice some details. They noticed that most of the cash was star bills. Star notes are used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to replace misprinted or damaged currency before it goes into circulation. These replacement notes go through the printing process like other notes do, with one small notation. These star notes have a star printed in the serial number. This made their find even more rare since star bills are not common. There are not many in circulation, but these homeowners had found a suitcase filled with them.
Contact The Authorities
The two could hardly contain their excitement, yet they wanted to make sure everything they found was on the up and up. They were also anxious to discover if their hidden treasure was valuable or not. They first contacted a lawyer who looked over the stash and determined a value. The two were surprised to discover that the money they had unearthed was worth an estimated $23,000. Surely the thought crossed their minds that maybe it was even enough to pay for their renovation project. But, they had to know more. They were curious about the history of how the suitcase filled with cash ended up in their basement in the first place.
Back To The Renovation Project
The couple was thrilled at their findings. According to their lawyer’s estimate, the two had stumbled upon a suitcase filled with old bills worth about $23,000 in today’s standards. As excited as they were about the hidden treasure they had pulled out of the ceiling in their basement, time was ticking away on finishing the renovation project that started it all in the first place. The two decided to get back to work. To their astonishment, as they continued the renovation, there was yet another suitcase tucked away in the ceiling. He was shocked that he had overlooked the second suitcase when he had discovered the first one. Once again, he waited for his wife to return home to open it.
What Was Inside The Second Suitcase?
The anticipation of whether or not the second suitcase contained as much cash as the first was exciting. He could hardly contain himself, but he wanted to share the experience with his wife. So, he waited for her to arrive. As he waited, he wondered if the second discovery would hold the same contents as the first. A lot of other questions also ran through his head as he waited for his wife to return home so the two could open it up and find out for sure. He was astonished that he had found one buried treasure of a suitcase filled with money. What were the odds that the second one would be valuable as well?
A Renovation That Pays For Itself
His wife finally returned home, and the two opened up the second suitcase. They were in disbelief yet anxious to see what was inside. As they opened the second hidden suitcase, they could not believe what they discovered. This one was heavier than the first, and what was inside would turn out to be worth even more than what they already had found. The second suitcase also contained cash. This batch was estimated to be worth about $45,000, almost double what the first find was worth. The couple wanted to stop right there and celebrate, but they knew they could not leave their basement halfway through a renovation project. Plus, they were curious to see if they would find more surprises lodged inside the walls and rafters.
An Unsettling Discovery
As the two continued with their renovation project, they wondered just how much cash had been stashed in their 1940s home. But, something else caught their eye that demanded an immediate investigation. There was an external door they had noticed in the home. The two had wondered before why it was there, but had never thought much of it until now. They were curious and ready for more adventures hoping to uncover even more hidden treasures. They opened the door and gasped at a disturbing find. At this point, the only thing they knew to do was to call in the FBI.
Calling In The FBI
The homeowners had discovered one suitcase filled with old rare cash worth $23,000, followed by a new discovery of a suitcase filled with an approximate worth of $45,000 cash. Now, they had questions about a secret door that they knew about when they purchased the home. They knew about it but had never investigated it thoroughly. They knew that whatever they were about to uncover would call for the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They called in the FBI to alert them of all of their findings. So, the FBI showed up to do a little exploring of their own.
Behind The Secret Door
When the couple bought the home with the intention of renovating it, the real estate agent had shown them a small white door inside the room where the water heater was stored. They did not open it at the time and did not think a lot about it or consider that it may lead to some secret mystery. But, after uncovering the two suitcases filled with cash, they wanted to make sure authorities were involved as they continued their renovation project that was filled with many surprises. Their discovery when they opened the little white door in the water heater room was astonishing.
What Was Beyond The Little White Door?
The homeowners knew about this secret little white door near their water heater. However, they didn’t give it much more thought until today. After they uncovered not one, but two suitcases filled with money in their basement, they now wondered what could be beyond that little white door. They anticipated many options with thoughts and speculations swirling through their heads. But, they were not quite braced for what reality was about to uncover beyond that little white door. It was more than just a small storage area. But, what was behind that closed passageway in their house? They were about to be shocked.
Mysteries And Lies
As they carefully and reluctantly opened the little white door, they were shocked at what was behind it. When they were looking at the house to buy it and eventually renovate to make it into a house of their dreams, the real estate agent had mentioned this doorway. What the agent did not tell them, however, was what was behind the sealed white door. As the couple opened up the small white door, they soon discovered that there was a mystery they were not prepared for. Whether or not it was intentional, their real estate agent had lied, or covered up, the truth.
A Secret Room Filled With Mysteries
Behind the little white door that the real estate agent had brushed aside when trying to sell the house was a secret room. This room was filled with even more mystery. Would what they found there explain the suitcases filled with money that had been tucked away in a separate hidden spot in the house? Or, was there something even more sinister going on inside this house? The pair had come this far, and they knew they couldn’t stop now. They had to pursue the answers to their questions even if it was unnerving to see what they discovered behind the door.
What Was Behind The White Door?
When they opened up the little door, what they saw was astonishing. The renovating homeowner’s mind swirled with what ifs. What took place in this room? It appeared to be something sinister. After all, if it was innocent happenings, why would the previous owner feel the need to hide it? Behind the little white door was a hidden room. It was filled with mismatched carpet squares and lacked proper furnishings. His mind raced as to what took place in this hidden spot underneath their house tucked away behind the water heater. He warned his wife to stay back until he could explore a little more.
Homeowners Were Unaware Of What Took Place In Their House
The homeowners had lived in the house for a couple years before they decided to renovate the basement. They knew when they bought the house that there was a little doorway that was sealed off behind the water heater. They, however, had not paid it much thought until now. But, after discovering the two suitcases filled with unique star bills worth thousands of dollars and dated back to the 1920s and 1930s, they knew something more must have happened inside the walls that they called home. They had to know what it was before they could continue with their renovation.
Dark And Dingy Shocking Discovery
Beyond the little white closed door that the homeowners had not yet attempted to open until now, they would discover some dark and dingy mysteries. For starters, the room had been soundproofed. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling and extending across the floors and the ceilings, with white tarps that blocked off any noise or sounds that might come from the room. For what reason would you need to soundproof a room tucked away behind a water heater? It was dark and dingy with mold covering a large portion of the room. It was clear that the room had not been used for quite awhile.
Breaking The Lock
After entering the forbidden room, they discovered another door. But this one proved even more challenging. Before they could discover what was on the other side of the door, they had to first break through. The door was not only closed but was bolted shut. It had a master lock and a guarded bolt to keep whatever was on the other side safe. But, safe from who? What was so mysterious about it that the previous house owners saw the need to lock it up tight and out of sight. The current homeowner was determined to find out what was beyond the door. He took a hammer and began to pound with all of his might in an attempt to break through the locked doorway.
A Mysterious Brief Case
On the floor, he noticed a strange briefcase. Ordinarily, if a homeowner discovered an abandoned briefcase lying on a floor in an empty room, they may not think twice. But, after breaking a lock on the door, making their way through the little white passageway door, and locating two mysterious suitcases filled with money, they didn’t want to take any chances of what they might discover inside the briefcase. What had started as a simple home renovation project to improve their property value and living conditions had taken a sinister turn inside that hidden room with a locked safe and a discarded briefcase. What was inside the briefcase?
A Sinister Time Capsule
With trepidation but no hesitation, the homeowner began to open up the briefcase to see what was inside. When the hinges turned, and the case was opened, they were surprised at what they found. Inside the closed briefcase that was hidden inside the tucked-away room they never knew about were mysterious items. There were envelopes that contained notes from different countries. There were also two more mysterious boxes to open up. One was an ancient wooden box. The other was a jewelry box filled with rings , watches, and silver ingots. Who did these items belong to, and why did they demand such high level security for protection of them so they would not be found?
Hidden Trinkets
Had they discovered hidden trinkets or something more sinister? The feeling inside that room just did not feel right. It was as if something horrible had taken place in there years before the two homeowners bought the property. Their minds raced thinking and wondering what could have happened in that dark, dank space below their house. They had obviously stumbled upon some prized possessions. But, who did they belong to? Why were they sealed away out of sight? Had something unthinkable happened in their cozy little home? They had to find out more. They had to get to the bottom of things.
That Eerie Feeling
On a hunt for more clues into what took place inside their home, something caught their eyes. They saw something that would give more ominous clues into the history of their house. They were cautiously, yet curiously, looking around the room for any evidence that would lead them to the truth about the history of what took place in that room. To their dismay, they found something that made them contact the authorities immediately. In the meantime, while waiting for the authorities to arrive, they continued documenting everything by taking pictures and video of everything they were finding.
More Secrecy Inside A Safe
While looking around for more clues into what took place in the secret room in their house, the homeowners noticed something more than suitcases filled with bills. Along with the antique jewelry, watches, rings, and silver ingots, there was something more sinister that alarmed the couple. There was a black sentry safe tucked away in the corner of the room. They questioned whether or not they even wanted to open it up as they feared that their luck of finding dollar bills may have run out given the eerie feel to the room. But, they knew they had to find out what was inside.
More Secrets Revealed On Tape
Inside the safe were several video tapes. The homeowners suspected that what was recorded on those tapes would reveal whatever horrible events took place behind that closed little white door behind the water heater in their home. They could only imagine what horrific scenes the video tapes may reveal. If there was nothing sinister on the tapes, after all, why would they be tucked away and secured so tightly so as never to be discovered. What might be hidden on those tapes alerted the homeowners with enough fear, but something else that was included inside the safe alarmed them even more.
Unsettling Note
Inside the black safe was more than video evidence of what was probably unspeakable crimes that took place inside a potential chamber torture tucked away in the home they were renovating. The couple knew that their sweet 1940s home had a lot of character that they were going to renovate into something even more livable. But, they had no idea that there was also a sinister side lurking behind the walls that they knew as home. Inside that safe was more than video evidence. There was also a strange and eerie note that simply read, “Save yourself.” It was written in black ink. Was it a warning or a cry for help?
The Warning On The Tapes
As if the discoveries the renovating homeowners had stumbled upon so far were not enough to stop them, they kept digging through the items inside the safe. In addition to the mysterious video tapes and the sinister note to save yourself, there was more reasons to be concerned. The further the couple dug into the safe, the more worried they became. They found several video tapes that had messages written on them. The messages said, “Do not” or “No, no, no, no, no, no!” The husband realized that in order to find out the truth of what really took place inside this house, someone would have to watch the tapes. But, was he willing to endure possible trauma from seeing what happened in his home?
Unsettling Discovery
As the renovating homeowner went through the tapes and the scary messages of warning, he noticed something that was even more disturbing. While the money they had found inside the suitcases dated back to as early as the 1920s, there was something different about what was inside the black safe. The video tapes were VHS tapes. This meant that they would have had to have been newer than even the 1951 newspaper clipping they had found as a time stamp to the mysteries. The tapes were not labeled. But, they did find some series of numbers that appeared to indicate what was on the tapes.
Curiosity Killed The Cat
You know what they say about curiosity killing the cat, well curiosity got the best of this homeowner. He just had to know what took place inside this hidden room. He braced himself for the worst and managed to find a VHS player so he could view the contents of the tapes that they had discovered in the secret place, inside a safe. It did not take him long to learn that what was on those tapes was more than he could bear to watch. He watched just a very short portion of one tape and knew immediately this scope was broader than what he and his wife could handle on their own.
FBI Investigates Home
The gruesome and troubling discoveries of the homeowners led to them turning the investigation over to the police. The FBI investigated the home. They watched footage on the tape to determine what possible crimes or torture took place in the secret room. Whatever was on those tapes, however, may never be known by the general public. It must have been something severely gruesome because the FBI has never disclosed the contents of the tapes. The homeowner, however, will never forget the images he saw on the VHS before turning it over to authorities. The media has speculated what may have taken place, but it all remains as speculation.
What Type Of Monster Lived Here?
With the tapes kept as secretive as the hidden room and tucked away suitcases stashed with cash, no one else will ever know exactly what took place inside this home. The renovating couple had no idea what they were about to uncover when they bought the home to beautify it. They were also fortunate not to get caught up in mysterious danger that may have caused them harm. They definitely did the right thing by notifying the proper authorities to hand it over to for investigating. They will always have a fascinating story to tell about what would have otherwise been a typical renovation project. But, it will forever lead other home purchasers to wonder what is hidden or secretive about their houses. What could be hidden behind your walls? Other home renovators tell their unusual stories of discoveries.
Underground Bunker Discovered
Given the knowledge of what the renovating homeowners discovered in their basement, you may want to do a little exploring of your own. What is potentially hidden behind walls, tucked in rafters or ceilings, or buried underneath your house? Many people have unearthed some very unusual findings. One man purchased a house after the original owner had passed away. The real estate agent had sold the house as is. As the new owner was looking around inside his newly bought house, he went down into the basement to look around. What he discovered behind some plywood was a hidden room filled with ammunition and guns. He also found a safe packed with only pennies.
A Hidden Room Frozen In Time
One couple discovered a hidden room that appeared to be frozen in time. They were looking through the basement inside a family house that had been occupied for years. What they discovered in the basement completely amazed them. Somehow, hidden behind walls in the old family home was a Victorian kitchen. The kitchen dates back to the 1830s and was completely intact. It is unclear if the kitchen belonged to a member of the family who never spoke about it or if it belonged to prior home owners. It was stocked with pots, pans, a cooking range, and was furnished to accommodate 20 people.
Priceless Russian Czar Miniature
In a home located in Upstate New York, an unusual find was discovered. For about 7 decades, there was a secret hidden in the New York home’s attic that would prove to be very lucrative for the discoverer. It was a Russian figurine, but it wasn’t just any figurine. This Russian Czar was a unique Faberge figure that had been created by Russian Czar Nicholas II and dated back to 1912. It had been presented to his wife, Empress Alexandra and is one of only 50 that were ever made. Whoever stumbled upon this treasure ended up with the profit after it was auctioned for $5.2 million.
A Stash Of Cash
Inside an Arizona home was a gold mine, figuratively speaking. Contractors were called to a home in Arizona to make repairs. They discovered there was $500,000 in cash packed inside a military ammunition box. This was the beginning of a legal battle to determine who rightfully owned the cash. The homeowner claimed it was theirs since it was found on their property. The repairmen claimed it should be theirs. However, in the end, the courts decided that it should be disbursed among the beneficiaries of the man who hid it in the ammo box to begin with. His name was Robert Spann. He had passed away more than a decade before the cash was discovered.
Bombs Away
When a couple moved into their new home, they had no idea. The wife was setting up house in the basement and discovered something of explosive magnitude. She ran and told her partner to quickly go downstairs and see what she saw. Her husband disregarded her requests until she insisted that he come look. He eventually agreed to come down to the basement, he was astonished at what he saw. There was a torpedo in their basement. They immediately contacted an Army veteran to come take a look. This expert thought the torpedo was either a mortar or a lightweight anti-tank weaponry left over from Vietnam or the Korean War and was possibly kept as a souvenir.
A Golden Opportunity
One homeowner had no idea they were about to strike gold, literally, when they hired a professional for plumbing repairs. The plumber showed up to handle a bathroom repair. While he working to make the repairs that the home owner had hired him to complete, something shiny caught his eye. He reached down to take hold of the shiny object. When he looked it it, he was pleasantly surprised. It was a gold brick. Thankfully, for the home owner, he was an honest plumber. He handed it over the rightful owner. The owner discovered that the gold brick was worth $50,000.
A Victorian Mystery Revealed
In an antique Victorian home in England, Diane and Pat Farla discovered an interesting grate in their basement. After a night of drinking some wine, the two decided to check it out and get to the bottom of what the grate was all about. They lifted up the grate and noticed there was a hole in the ground in their basement. The passageway was only large enough to fit their niece and a friend. They went through the opening to discover what was on the other side was what looked like a chapel underground. They immediately called in historians who said they thought it was a secret Catholic church during the 1700s when Catholics were abused and killed.
An Entire Hidden City Under Your House
In the 1960s, an unsuspecting homeowner was doing some renovation repairs on his house. All of a sudden he knocked down a wall that uncovered a hidden room. He began exploring to determine what the hidden room was all about only to discover another room and then another. As he kept exploring his newfound hidden rooms, he soon discovered that he had found an entire underground city. Derinkuyu is still considered to be one of the most impressive and rare archaeological findings of the 20th century. The city had been built by a large system of underground tunnels that once housed the Hittites.
Unveiling A Hidden Masterpiece
A family in Vermont discovered there was a fake wall in their late father’s home. But, the fake wall is not what was so astonishing. Behind the fake wall was an authentic Norman Rockwell painting that had been stored for years. It turns out that he had purposely hidden the painting so his ex-wife would not try to take it during their separation. He never talked about the masterpiece switch, so the discovery was quite a surprise. It ended up selling in auction for $15.4 million. They were not alone in hidden paintings. Another family in New York remembered that he had a $300 million Michelangelo painting in the back of his couch that he had stored there and forgotten about for almost 30 years.
Secret Love Letters
Love was in the air, or maybe it was trapped behind a wall. One day a brother and a sister were renovating a house together. They were pleasantly surprised to uncover a bunch of letters that seemed to hold sentimental worth. It turned out that there were 31 love letters that had been written by a World War I soldier. The letters had been tucked away inside of the walls. The sibling pair looked up the signatures that they found written on the letters. They were able to track down the names to the love-letter writers’ grand kids. They delivered the messages to them.
Safely Tucked Away
It’s not unusual at all to find a wall safe in a home, especially in an older home that is being renovated. But, for this home owner, they found a safe in a very odd place. This safe was discovered on the wall in the kitchen. What was inside? They managed to crack it open and explored what was inside. To their complete delight, the contents were exciting, yet some items left them in wonderment. The safe contained $50,00 in cash. It also had a bourbon bottle and a copy of E. F. Schumacher’s writing, “A Guide for the Perplexed.”.
A Discovery Up In Lights
A cafeteria in California had been around for years when the owner decided it was time to renovate the bathrooms. In 1935, the building had been renovated to resemble a forest theme as a diner. But, after the renovation, the owner had reported paying an exorbitant electrical bill. This new owner was about to find out why. During the bathroom remodel, they discovered a neon light. This news in and of itself is not very noteworthy. What made it a remarkable find is that the light was still lit. Experts think that the neon light was glowing for 77 years without burning out.
A Find Of Holocaust Proportions
When a couple in Hungary decided to renovate their home, they made a historic discovery. Stored inside their walls were more than 6,000 Nazi documents. All of the documents were from the Third Reich. Most of these papers had been destroyed so that they would not accidentally end up in enemy hands. These however, had been tucked away out of sight in the walls. It appeared that they had been hidden just a short time before the Nazis invaded Hungary. The papers included information about the holocaust. It specifically included a listing to count Jews and to assign them homes to be transferred to before moving them into the Budapest ghettos.
A Spy’s Cover Blown
When a family was restoring their home, they were astonished to learn that they were blowing the cover of a spy. The family came across a stash of spy-related items that included a machine gun, a classified photo of Berlin after the attack of World War II. They also located a communications from the War Office and Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Even more shocking to them was that the spy was now an elderly lady. Her name was Eileen Burgoyne. She was a spy who lived to be 98. She served as a shadow agent through Spain, Germany, Gibraltar, and Africa. When the war was over, she was most likely a very important part of the Cold War efforts.
Comic Relief
Everyone needs a little comic relief, especially during a brutal renovation project. For one Minnesota homeowner, they found something special that sent them laughing all the way to the bank. When they tore into the walls, they discovered that newspapers and other paper items were used as insulation. As they pulled out the newspapers, among them was an old comic book. It turned out to be a first, The 1938 Superman comic book. The comic sold for $175,000 at auction and would have sold for more had it not lost its cover while being used as insulation. In comparison, a near-mint copy of the same comic once sold for $2.16 million at auction.