Closing Bell: Boerum Hill Dig
Speaking of urban archeology, The Brooklyn Eagle reports on artifacts found in a Degraw Street renovation. The home was first owned by a tugboat captain on the Gowanus Canal and was built in the 1850s, or at least before the 1870s, according to the eight-inch-wide planks for flooring. After removing such flooring the homeowner uncovered…
Speaking of urban archeology, The Brooklyn Eagle reports on artifacts found in a Degraw Street renovation. The home was first owned by a tugboat captain on the Gowanus Canal and was built in the 1850s, or at least before the 1870s, according to the eight-inch-wide planks for flooring. After removing such flooring the homeowner uncovered buttons, nails, a spoon, and a medallion along with other finds. You can see the renovated home here, as it was a HOTD in November!
Rick, that’s so great, you leaving thing for the future, and with notes.
C’mon – where are the neighborhood police?
This is not Boerum Hill by a long shot. Carroll Gardens or Gowanus. Take your pick.
I love this kind of story, and like you, Rick, we’ve found many interesting items while renovating our home. I started a flickr group “Accidental Time Capsules” where I’d love to invite anyone here to post photos/stories of things they’ve uncovered! http://www.flickr.com/groups/accidental_time_capsules/
Does anyone know what the small hook tool was used for?
Does anyone know what the small hook tool was used for?
Over the years while working on old houses I’ve found a few interesting things. I seem to always find newspapers. I enjoy that because it dates when the last renovation was done. Many old tools seem to fall behind radiators. I have a nice little collection. I once found a hand made knife that was made from a wood file. A few years ago I found an old doll that fell inside a pocket door, that was neat. Once in the west village I found a British half or quarter penny called a Bun under a baseboard. But my favorite find was an antique stick of gum still in the wrapper, used as a shim behind the hinge of an old door! Inspired by these finds, Just for the fun of it, I’ve been leaving items in walls with a note to some contractor in the future.
I have never read that one positively date a house by 8-inch boarding. Really wide boards 12 inches wide and more would definitely mean an early date but 8-inch wide planks were used well beyond the 1870’s. Later houses, say after 1870, would have a finished floor made of tongue-and-groove pieces above the wide planks, but the planks, or subflooring was still there.
A much better way to date an old house is through the nails and through decorative moldings, which changed along with fashion every ten years or so.
So, is that definitely the case, that 8″ wide flooring means a house was built pre-1870?
wow, an ancient protractor -maybe to help with someone’s ancient geometry homework? And a button hook to help button one’s shoes.
But where are the doubloons??