How would you update a 100-year old time capsule room hidden away in your home? That's what one Columbia Heights, Minnesota couple is thinking about after finding a secret room boarded up under the stairs of their porch. Inside, they found old typewriters and some other items that seemed to be intentionally left behind for someone to find. The exciting discovery has led to thoughts on what the room was used for so long ago, and what items they should leave in the time capsule for the next homeowners. KSTP News checked out the mystery room earlier this month.
Realtors and home inspectors didn't notice the room either when the couple bought the house in 2011. What's interesting is that both homeowners are writers, so finding typewriters was a weird coincidence. Quinton Skinner says he actually wrote a book 15 years ago entitled "Amnesia Nights" where the character secretly buries items in the basement. Skinner's wife, Mo Perry says, "I'm working on a ghostwriting project right now and I'm kind of thinking like, this gives ghostwriting a whole new sense, these ghostly typewriters existing right underneath us and we never knew."
Tom Fisher, a professor of architecture at the University of Minnesota weighed in on the discovery. In addition to secret rooms being a common "go-around" of the Prohibition when the house was built, he says it's fun to think about the home builder's intention behind the time capsule room. Fisher says, "I do think this is a fascinating topic. I think the idea of a hidden room and something mysterious happening in a house is something that resonates with a lot of people."
Skinner and Perry say they're planning to update their time capsule with an old MacBook or unused electronics and seal the room to protect against weather and pest damage. Perry says, "We'll make it our own little updated time capsule for whoever manages to get in there next!"
Leave a comment