What's the oldest thing in your house?

[bjorn_skurj]

I think in mine it may be a 1908 nickel or a book - a translation of the Iliad by Alexander Pope which certainly looks late 19th-early 20th century, but has no date.

[mountain bed]

I think I have a few coins that are from the early 20th century. Poca has a nice cedar chest from the '40's.

 

There's nothing here that is as old as the house itself - built in 1890.

[poppydawn]

The house itself was built in 1928. Does that count? I've got a dog who's almost that old in dog-years.

 

Otherwise, I've got quite a few of my grandmother and great-grandmother's table linens and cookbooks, some that go back to the late 1920s. I've picked up Victorian-era stuff at antique shops that I don't have an exact age on.

 

I love old stuff.

[viatroy]

I've got the Ark of the Covenant in the bottom of my linen closet.

[Reni]

I have a lithograph by my great grandfather - likely printed in the late teens.

 

I also have a copy of Robinson Crusoe that belonged to my grandmother when she was little. It has her named signed inside the cover.

[IATTBYB]

Me.

 

ETA: But when the S.O. is here, she is.

[owl]

My grandma?

 

If my grandfather was still alive, it would be him. He'd be 106.

[Guest Jules]

House - 1897

Dining Chairs - 1900

[LouieB]

I have an education book that is from the early 1800s...not in really good shape, but old...

 

LouieB

[Lammycat]

I've got a cedar chest from the early 1900s, some old clay pottery from early 1900s, and a butter churn from a little earlier. The butter churn is currently on vacation though.

[the carlos]

House-1919

Cabinet framed family photo. 1890-1900 based on home and clothing.

[Gobias Industries]

The oldest thing in the house are probably my parents...and I'm half-serious. From what I know our house was made in the 70s...

 

I think probably the oldest stuff-stuffs, though, are various little jewelry things or military things my grandparents have left behind.

[alison the wilca]

I have a few Halloween postcards from the 1910s. I don't think I have anything older.

[fickerson]

i have a miniature stove - probably from the early 1900's - that sits on my coffee table; i got it helping my mom clean out my great aunt's home after she died last summer. it's from belleville, illinois, where my great uncle worked on the railroad.

 

oh, and my grandma's diamond wedding ring, its about 60+ years old.

[the carlos]

oh and bjorn, cool thread idea.

[aricandover]

I have an old boot, from the civil war. there's a foot in it.

[darkstar]

I have a M1911 .45 pistol, that according to the Colt historians was built in 1916 ( I had the serial number researched ). I got it from an old timer neighbor of mine years ago. I still shoot it every once in awhile, it is in remarkably good shape.

[froggie]

a coin dating back to 1887

 

i dug it up in the garden a few years back!

[Katie3]

I honestly think its my mom. Not to be mean or anything, but we don't have anything old that I can think of.

[foolnrain97]

We've got a clock that was made in 1892, some 100+ YO chairs and the boots that my mother wore for my parents wedding are nearing 130 years. None of those things belong to me, and I'm not really sure what the oldest thing that I own is....I have some of my grandfather's cuff links and tie clips that would probably take the cake.

[cryptique]

House was built in 1956.

 

The oldest thing here is probably that bit of cheese in the back of the meat drawer that I never remember to throw out.

 

Wait, no ... it's probably the 19th century shaving mirror that I got from my grandfather's estate.

 

Our aesthetic is mid-century modern, so we don't tend to collect ancient furniture or anything.

 

edit: I forgot that I have some Civil-war era artifacts (a bullet and cannonball fragment) which may predate that mirror, and Melissa has a beautiful carved, octagonal table that may go back further than that (but might not, I have no idea).

[j4lackey]

I have an old boot, from the civil war. there's a foot in it.

At least it's not a codpiece.

[austrya]

I'm sure I probably have some old coins or stamps in the house, but I couldn't tell you where they are or how old they are.

 

Other than that, it's probably my dresser which is from the 1930's or 40's. It's got beautiful details and carved parts to it. The original hardware is still there and the joints are all dovetailed. Too bad my alcoholic grandfather tried to refinish it and broke part of the veneer off the top.

 

It's funny how I got it too. It used to be on my grandparent's back porch (more like a sun room) and held old magazines and craft supplies. When I was a kid, I always told my grandma that I wanted a dresser just like it. We'll she was doing some redecorating and told me I could have it. I was about 10 at the time. My dad said no, that I had a perfectly fine dresser and he didn't want me to have this one. I was devistated.

 

When my grandma died when I was 17, she left it to me in her will with the disclaimer that even if my dad said no, it was HER wish for me to have it and he had no say in the matter. I miss my grandma.

[yermom]

I've got a 1908 Copy of "The Lady of the Lake." It smells fantastic! And a lot of other older books but mostly from the '20s-'30s. I recently acquired an old Underwood yypewriter from the '30s too, which isn't really that old but it's still awesomeness (and weighs a ton, if we ever have a burglar, I'll just grab it and throw it on his foot). I like to tap at the keys just to here it go.

We've really got a lot of old stuff. Old stuff is the best! My partner has a coin collection he inherited from his dad, so our oldest thing is probably one of those but I haven't looked at them in a while so I'm not sure how old they go exactly.

[Leo]

Several pieces of majolica (a type of glazed pottery) made in the late 1800s, mostly in Pennsylvania. Also some hand-colored lithographs and frames dated 1870.