When I bought my first home, I received all of the typical flyers, ads and house-warming cards in my mailbox one would expect to get when moving into a new place. But for one couple after purchasing their home, a trip to their new mailbox gave them a bit more than they bargained for.
Courtney and Matt, known as living_in_history on TikTok, began quickly sharing their experience after receiving a letter from an anonymous person claiming to be the former owner of the duo’s house. The letter, simply addressed to “Purchaser,” was sent from somewhere in Canada.
The location of Courtney and Matt’s 130-year-old house is not being released, nor is any information available on the previous owner. But that hasn’t stopped the stunning video from going viral, garnering more than 1.8 million views on TikTok.
@living_in_history We have secret rooms!?!? #secretroom #secretroomcheck #historichome #livinginhistory #hiddencompartment ♬ original sound – Courtney & Matt
The letter writer’s eerie message claims that they are a member of a family who once lived in the house.
The letter starts out:
Let me introduce myself. I am the last surviving member of the Madison family who once owned the house, and I grew up in it. I would like to … tell you about the secret rooms and a few things you may not have been told when you bought the house.’”
The video shows the homeowners as they carefully begin the cryptic tour around their sprawling Victorian-style house.
First to be found – a hidden liquor cabinet situated above their fireplace in the front room. Full of decades-old alcohol, the entire cache was concealed behind a mirrored panel that slid open with a quick touch. Dozens of never-before opened French wine from the 1970s, along with aged bourbon, sherry and beer, filled the cabinet.
Next, the letter led the pair to another secret room located “in the (bathroom), directly opposite the door in the wall.” The couple, along with their toddler, searched for the secret opening in the bathroom. Courtney called this “by far the scariest room” in the house – due to its drab and rundown appearance.
However, what was to be a hidden room, was instead just a tiny crawl space. A picture on the wall revealed what the bathroom once looked like. “My guess is there probably used to be some kind of room up here,” said Courtney, “but really, it’s just a creepy attic space.”
With that eerie find done, the pair then located a small door across from their toilet. The door opened up to reveal an expansive trunk room, once used as a spot for storing luggage. “There is this huge space,” she said. “We’re going to try and figure out how to use this space, but right now it’s just kind of a cool, cool room.”
Fascinated TikTok viewers couldn’t help but agree:
- “I love your house! This is like a treasure hunt!”
- “This is my literal dream! So jealous!”
- “I love that [the previous owner] mailed you a letter telling you all about the house. So cool!”
One hidden room still remained. The letter writer instructed the couple to look in the basement, behind a particular wall. Once there, Courtney found a space where the wall had been patched at one time.
A family recently moved into a house that had hidden rooms. They learned of the home’s secrets from a mysterious letter they received in the mail. Photo by @Living_in_history
The letter referred to an empty space behind the patched wall. Concrete and brick prevented them from being able to see much, but an open area was behind the structure. At the end of the cramped space, you could see a lone window, which let in a small bit of light.
But not all of the hidden surprises were as creepy. In additional TikTok videos, Courtney and Matt showed viewers the vintage furniture and antique trinkets that the former owners also left in the house. One especially surprising item was an old music box that played the “Wedding March” song when cranked. “Oh, my God!” yelled Courtney, in the video of the discovery. “Every day, a new treasure.”
