The writing’s on the wall.

Today we’re going to continue the wall theme — w/ a tribute to Dole House graffiti.  A mixture of old & new.

attic writing 1

attic writing 2

Upstairs in the attic, scrawled on the chimney plaster.  And on the attic beams.

writing on attic beam

Downstairs in the keeping room.

writing - keeping room

more writing - keeping room

behind the fridge

And in the kitchen.

kitchen graffiti

Downstairs in the basement there are signs.

basement signs

And yesterday – in addition to the dead rodent, I found writing behind the wall.

writing - dining room

12 thoughts on “The writing’s on the wall.

  1. Okay when I mentioned if walls could talk I was hoping for more than a dead RODENT 🙂 I love the growth chart…thanks for making me feel a part of this great adventure! It IS an AMAZING house!!! I am happy for you guys.

  2. Hah! Not quite what you were expecting huh? What would you prefer lovely Connie?? I am taking requests!

    Yes hayden- some dismiss graffiti as an eyesore. But truly it is art! as well as history. Long may it live.

  3. The graffiti on the wodwork is what the early residents scratched in the wood as inventory of their harvest and iron stores to keep the farm running efficiently. The edge of the kitchen wall is a piece of our family’s growth history. We girls were measured there, and then our children’s heights were added as they came along. For instance K could stand for me- Kathy-but I’m only 5’6 1/2″; therefore the highest K probably marks my son Karl’s height. M is for Megan; H, Holly; N, Nora; L, Liza or Laurie or Lucy; A, Abbie; C, Chase; S, Spencer. Kate

  4. The wide boards making up the keeping room walls were brought down from the attic. Dad felt their history worth preserving down stairs where folks could appreciate the etched inventories. The attic, when Dad first bought the condemned house, bought for taxes owed, was full of storage stalls/rooms. He built the shelved closet next to the attic fireplace so that games and toys and dolls/stuffed animals stored there from our left-behind bedrooms, could be used by the grandchildren when they came to visit Grandmother & Grandfather. Kate

  5. the growth chart is wonderful…don’t paint over it even though it’s not your kids!

    i love your house more and more each day. i’m going to bump bouncer off so i can have it (and cole hamels) all to myself.

  6. How wonderful! Have I mentioned how lucky you were? We left writing on the wall of our old house… if you strip down the chimney breast wall it says… in olde worlde white emulsion. ‘David is a hunk’ This is reference to my feelings towards my then, very young, very lythe husband… Now I would have to change hunk to hulk! ;o)

  7. Kate – such lovely names. So glad to be able to put them to the initials. And CURLY – we will not be painting over the growth chart! Heaven forbid. The attic itself is a treasure, but it’s also full of treasures, like the hidden cache of wallpaper we found this morning. Your dad also left a newspaper from 1965. The front story? the lunar landing.

    We’ve tried to decipher the graffiti – some is easier to read than others. The writing on the attic plaster says Don’t forget the song – or ring?? Hard to make out. The bit above that I think says Don’t forget the evening of – and then it gives a date Aug. 24th, Along w/ initials : H.P, L.D. H.D. Could they be Doles?

    Curls – not going to paint over any history. As for the House – he is swelling from all the attention Cut it out or I won’t be able to close the shutters! You should move north – the houses up here – just WOW – but leave Hamels in P{hilly will ya?

    Thanks Laura — skeleton is now safely stored.. in the shop vac!

    Daff – LOL! You crack me up.

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