Funny enough, one of the most exciting parts of the remodel so far has nothing to do with the improvements we’re applying to the house.
It all started when the exhaust fans in the master bathroom needed some work. It was found that the existing fan was blowing the humid air from the bathroom into the soffit space. To fix this and direct the air outside instead, a hole was poked into the wall of the master bedroom loft, which is directly above the bathroom.
The unfinished area behind the wall contained this old Dr. Pepper can. Because the space showed no signs of being accessed at any other time (other recent repairs or changes, etc) we are assuming that the can was left there when the house was built in 1979. Oddly, there is no date anywhere on the can.
We also found a carton of Mayfield milk. Again, there was no expiration date on the carton.
The last item we found in there was this old metal cable spool. ‘Least we know ‘quality’ items were used in the building of this home?
Stay tuned for more about that unfinished space that was revealed when they poked that hole. It’s surprisingly spacious, and our overhead attic is surprisingly… not… for such a large house. We are toying with the idea of adding a half-door or disguised panel (as a built-in bookshelf or something similar) so we can utilize the space for storage.
The most exciting find was discovered by our electrician. This jar was tucked into the basement ceiling, waiting to be found.
Inside was a spiral of… what could it be!?
The majority of the folded papers were children’s drawings.
I was able to figure out that the family who hid this jar consisted of a mama, a dada, and two kids – Nikki and Alex.
C’mon, you got excited when seeing this as well. A treasure map?! I knew this house was special. Does anyone have the phone number for Nicholas Cage? Maybe I should brush on a little lemon juice and hit it with a hair dryer…
As I got further into the jar, I found a real treat! This is a photo of the couple who used to live here. Judging by the date – 1995 – this was the family prior to the one that sold us the house.
There was also a photo of the two children, but to protect their privacy I won’t post that one.
But the MOST exciting item was this lovely handwritten letter! It says:
“Dear Finder,
We lived in this house happily. I got married in this room on April 5th, 1987. Which it snowed on 4th. I raised my son Alex born on Jan 3, 1990 and my daughter Nikki on April 25, 1992. We are from Iran.
I move to states after the revolution on Aug 1978. We became U.S. citizens on Sep 21, 1995. I love this country and this house. We always have big (60 people) parties.
My husband is nuclear engineer and he owns his business [name redacted for privacy].
I have B.S. in Biology and two masters degrees. I also take care of my family. I love my husband and children. I hope you have a good life as we did. “
There is some writing at the bottom I am unable to read (can anyone translate?) and then their names, which I blotted out. The letter is dated Nov 21, 1995.
I went straight to Facebook and found the wife’s profile. I messaged her – excited to tell her that we had found their message… 25 years after it was hidden! I haven’t received a response yet, but I’m excited about being able to learn more about the house and its history. Maybe she can share some old photos with me of how it used to be decorated and furnished?! So fun. I’ll share everything I find out (with her permission) right here, of course!
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Diane
I absolutely love this. What a treasure and straight out of “If these walls could talk”. In 2001 we buried a time capsule at our home in Placentia. We planned to unearth it before we moved, but couldn’t remember where we buried it!! I hope someone will unearth it yearssss from now. 🤫đź¤đź‘€đź‘Ť
Nikki Hashemian
Hi there! I’m Nikki, the girl from the time capsule that my Mom left! My parents and brother still live in Knoxville and I live in Nashville now. My brother become an engineer and I am a lawyer. My dad still owns his company and my mom is slowly conquering the world.
I can’t believe you found it and were kind enough to share! This has brought my family so much joy! My brother, Alex, and I have very fond memories in that house and cherish it! I’m excited for your family to enjoy that home and create new memories! Good things someone is finally de-shagging those carpets!!
Erin
Oh my goodness, how awesome!! Thank you so much for commenting! My kids loved looking at your drawings. My daughter asks over and over who drew them and when I showed her your photo she said, “that’s who drew them!!” I don’t think she believed me when I told her you guys were all grown up now!
And wait wait… the house had shag carpets?! I must know more. They were gone before we got there thankfully, hahaha!!
Alex Hashemian
Hello 🙂 This is Alex, the world-renowned artist of the time capsule drawings! I am so incredibly surprised and happy to see that you have found our capsule. I remember when we did that together, but I could not remember what we put inside that jar. I cannot believe that almost 25 years have passed since that time. We moved out of the house in 1998 when I was 8 years old and lived in several houses around Knoxville before my sister and I grew up and left home, but that place will always have a special place in my heart. My first and best friend lived at the top of the hill across the street, and we are still dear friends to this day. I have many wonderful memories with my family there, and I am so happy to see a new family make a home in that house. I wish you all many years of joy, fortune, health, and fond memories. Thank you for documenting this process, and I will look for old photos/videos from the house to share as well.
Erin
I love it!! That’s amazing that your best friend lived across the street – that is an amazingly beautiful house up there and I love that our home looks right at it. Thank you for your well wishes. I love that we’ve moved into a home with such a warm family history. I would LOVE to see old photos!