Goal for the Day: Make Your Mark in History

My house circa 1890.

Whether your home is old or new, you’re a part of its history. We live in a society that likes to tear down its history. So few architectural examples of America’s past remain. Progress is one thing, but forgetting our roots is something else entirely. Nevertheless, we can assume that your home will continue to stand even after you’ve long left it. One thing that I remember doing as a child was—each time we moved—leaving a note tucked away behind a piece of molding. This little memento—out of sight—said something along the lines of “We lived here from this date to this date.”

I liked that idea as a child, and I like it now. As an aficianado of historic architecture and the owner of a Victorian home, I am always thrilled to find little clues and reminders of the families and people who walked the same floorboards. Each of us contributes something remarkable to our world history—even in the most minor of ways. It’s time to record it! So, today, if you own your home, print out a little something that states who you are and how long you’ve lived there or any other information you’d like to share and hide it in some place remote where it might be found in a century. Someone in the future will be very happy to find it.