I started a renovation / extension of a friends house on monday. We pulled down some of the existing structure this week and today started prepping for the new concrete slab with a digger kindly lent to us by a mate.
I was removing some of the old house piles from the ground when i spotted a little square metal tin badly rusted in amongst the debris. Inside it was a King George One Penny, the date on it was 1919. I think the builders back then used to place a penny in the foundations or sometimes the roof to bring the house good luck.
I thought it was pretty cool to have found this penny after all these years, someone once carried it in their pocket way back then and made a point of putting it into a small tin and under the foundation of a house they built - that i was now working on!
If im not mistaken the date on the penny was not too far from the time of the first world war?
To the credit of the original builders of this house, it still stands strong and is in really good shape today.
And im not just saying that, i couldnt believe how straight the walls are and even the floor is nearly dead level across the 5metres where we will be joining into it.
As a carpenter ive found their simple act of goodwill towards the house and obvious care and expertise at their craft pretty inspiring.
I wish there was a way they could know i will be giving it the same degree of dedication and pride to add another chapter to its life.
(And yeah im going to put the penny back into the foundations, hopefully for the next builder to find!)
I was removing some of the old house piles from the ground when i spotted a little square metal tin badly rusted in amongst the debris. Inside it was a King George One Penny, the date on it was 1919. I think the builders back then used to place a penny in the foundations or sometimes the roof to bring the house good luck.
I thought it was pretty cool to have found this penny after all these years, someone once carried it in their pocket way back then and made a point of putting it into a small tin and under the foundation of a house they built - that i was now working on!
If im not mistaken the date on the penny was not too far from the time of the first world war?
To the credit of the original builders of this house, it still stands strong and is in really good shape today.
And im not just saying that, i couldnt believe how straight the walls are and even the floor is nearly dead level across the 5metres where we will be joining into it.
As a carpenter ive found their simple act of goodwill towards the house and obvious care and expertise at their craft pretty inspiring.
I wish there was a way they could know i will be giving it the same degree of dedication and pride to add another chapter to its life.
(And yeah im going to put the penny back into the foundations, hopefully for the next builder to find!)
kate:
if only!
buellher:
Thanks I love my new short hair. I working on getting a little video of cello practice together. I am getting better but I am not great yet haha