09/30/2026
There are some things you expect to find in an old basement. Gravestones are not one of them. This is one of the strangest things I’ve ever discovered while showing a house. 🪦
I was showing an older home recently when we noticed an old plank covering a section of the basement floor. We moved the plank, and underneath it were gravestones.
One had a man’s name and the dates 1886–1945. Another was completely blank.
And then we found two more under the stairs that simply said “Mother” and “Father.”
Naturally, we had questions. So, I contacted the listing agent and asked the question I think any buyer would have:
“Why are there gravestones hidden underneath the basement floor?”
And that's where the story gets even more interesting...
She reached out to the seller, who apparently had wondered the exact same thing.
After doing some research with the town, he was finally able to piece together the story.
The gravestones had originally come from a nearby cemetery that was eventually turned into a playground.
And here’s the really strange part…I played on that playground as a kid! 😮
The bodies had been exhumed and moved to an old cemetery, but somehow the gravestones themselves ended up in this home’s basement.
So apparently, at some point in this house’s history, somebody decided the basement was a good place to store a few gravestones.
You just never know what you're going to find in an old house! Sometimes, you’re uncovering a little piece of their history, too.
So, if you know someone buying or selling a house with a mystery in the basement…I’m your Realtor!
- Sue
