Homeowners Shocked by Discovery in 125-Year-Old House: 'Time Capsule'

Newsweek

8 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A couple renovating a 125-year-old Victorian home in Pennsylvania have uncovered a treasure trove of historical artifacts—culminating in the discovery of what they describe as a "literal time capsule," sealed inside the home's architecture nearly a century ago.
Nikk Alcaraz, 30, recently posted a video on his TikTok account @nikkalcaraz documenting the early stages of the home's renovation. Alcaraz is a content creator, author and artist. He is the author of the cookbook Peculiar Baking and creator of Practical Peculiarities, a social-media page devoted to peculiar food, DIY and lifestyle content, he told Newsweek.
"I bought a cheap Victorian house … and these are the cool things we found," Alcaraz says in the clip. It showcases old photographs, skeleton keys, a meat cleaver, and what appears to be an original porch post.
A caption shared with the video reads: "It's almost been a whole year since I bought my cheap old Turn of the Century Victorian House. I gotta say, it's definitely not cheap anymore! …" The clip has had over 2.2 million views since it was shared on July 18.
@nikkalcaraz
It's almost been a whole year since I bought my cheap old Turn of the Century Victorian House. I gotta say, it's definitely not cheap anymore! 😂 Though I pictured we'd get a lot more done in a year, we've quickly learned that this is gonna take a lot of time. For instance, we've been working on one bathroom for 7 months! 😱 yes! Bathing in an old enamel basin has become my norm. And though it's not ideal, there is something special about slowing down and taking my time to clean myself. 🤣 Same goes for the house. The more time and care I take, the better the outcome will be. Can't wait to share the next loads of videos with you. For now, here's a recap of all the cool stuff we've been finding along the way. #cheapoldhouse #victorianhouse #turnofthecentury #historicalhomes #nikkalcaraz #hiddentreasures ♬ original sound - Practical Peculiarities
Built in 1900, the home is featured prominently on Alcaraz's social media, including on his Instagram account @practicalpeculiarities, where he shares about its eerie charm.
The median spending on home renovations in the United States was reported to have surged by 60 percent in recent years, rising from $15,000 to $24,000 between 2020 and 2023; this is according to a 2024 survey by Houzz, a home design website.
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Alcaraz lived in Los Angeles for all of his 20s before moving to Pennsylvania. Alcaraz said that he and his partner bought the Victorian home after submitting a low offer.
"We only saw the listing photos and [had] a low-quality walk through of the property before purchasing," he said. The estate sale home had been long vacated, and the owners were eager to sell. "We put in a low offer just for 'funsies,' and it got accepted. That's when we got serious and decided to move from Los Angeles to southwestern Pennsylvania."
Having never visited the state before, Alcaraz and his partner were drawn to the idea of a quieter, more-meaningful life outside of Los Angeles. "We felt as if there was so much more to life than working hard every month only to flush out our accounts," he said. "I've always dreamed of owning an old Victorian house … it was almost like a gravitational pull."
That pull led them to a 1900-built Victorian home filled with secrets, including one major surprise hidden inside the newel post of the home's staircase. Calling it "one of the coolest" discoveries from the home, Alcaraz told Newsweek about it for the first time, noting that he has not previously publicly shared about the "time capsule" they found on social media.
"When we were taking down the drop ceiling in the downstairs hallway, we discovered a small piece of paper sticking out from beneath the upstairs newel post," Alcaraz said.
"To our surprise, it was an old Ivory soap wrapper. We continued to look up through the post from below and discovered it was stuffed with things."
Inside, the pair found brittle papers, candy wrappers, children's drawings, a friendship bracelet, and a torn storybook page. "It was a literal time capsule. One of the papers was dated 1925, so I knew it was put there by the three kids that used to live here. Through my research, [I learned that] their names were Lucy, Maggie and Eleanor Edel," Alcaraz said.
In addition to the capsule, Alcaraz and his partner have uncovered wedding photos, a 1950s Valentine's Day card, newspapers from the 1940s and 50s, a photo of Maggie hidden behind the fireplace, antique garden tools, seven layers of wallpaper from different decades, and an original mason jar from the 1800s.
The pair have also found many functioning skeleton keys, milk bottles and caps from 1902 to 1940, and a large meat cleaver hanging in the basement ceiling rafters. "We plan on incorporating all the finds into the decor of the home to honor all the families that once resided here," Alcaraz said.
The renovation is extensive. "Every room needs to be renovated, some more than others," Alcaraz said. While certain rooms just need wallpaper and plaster repairs, the home still has knob and tube wiring and old gas light lines that must be brought up to code. Plumbing-heavy rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom have been the most challenging.
"We already completed the biggest, which was rebuilding the entire second floor," Alcaraz said. "The floor was slowly falling in one corner. This was the most-stressful project because we had never done anything like this before."
He added that the couple are learning through YouTube videos, books, and advice from preservationists. "Most contractors in the area don't specialize in old houses, so I don't trust their fixes," he said.
Despite the challenges, Alcaraz has a clear vision. "I envision this home to be the right mix of peculiar and historical; almost as if a whimsical witch lives in an old manor," he said. "Think like the houses in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Practical Magic with my unique, peculiar twist.
"Every day, we peel back more layers and discover the original beauty of the house," Alcaraz added. "It feels as if the house is breathing in relief and gives back to us more gifts. I do believe it has its own soul, and sometimes, I whisper to the walls, 'Thank you! You're beautiful,' or 'You're in good hands.'"
A close-up view of some interior features in a 125-year-old Victorian home in Pennsylvania, including a staircase post (left) and a keyhole (right).
A close-up view of some interior features in a 125-year-old Victorian home in Pennsylvania, including a staircase post (left) and a keyhole (right).
Weston St. James
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