When I re-did my old place in Chicago, we found 2 interesting things: Up in the attic, just laying between the rafters, were a bunch of newspapers from when the house was first built. 1892. Also, down in the front room, behind the hideous 1970's paneling there was the following written in pencil on the old plaster along with a bunch of measurements: "To whoever takes this panleing [sic] down put it back because it was really hard to do."