Contractor just told me there might be a window problem - 26" might to too wide for a single swing - it might sag - which may be why I ended up with the double swing. He's going to look into the options. Double hung is a possibility, but a pain to reach to open and a horizontal view obstruction. I asked about the... the window that opens up - canopy window(?) and he's going to check into that.

This part of our demo was so fun...digging into things and finding surprises!! My DH would try to smoke that cigarello...I know he would!!

They are removingthe drywall and found old wallpaper applied directly to the plaster.

How exciting! Love the found treasures. The napkin rings are interesting to me. And that wallpaper - hope you can save a piece of it and frame it.

Interesting finds! Good luck with the window and floors! (I think you might mean an awning window.)

Houzzgirl - one of the rings is engraved with a name, NY and 1840!

crl_ contractor just got back from Home Depot - no problem with switching out the window for a single swing. It should be in in three weeks.

That wallpaper is awesome! If there are any pieces big enough, you should definitely save some and frame it. Or if not, maybe you can take pics.

We've got 30" casement widows throughout our home and have suffered no sagging problems.

Here's a picture

Atmoscat - I have a section of that wallpaper saved!

willtv - Yeah, contractor is getting me the correct window - it'll be here in three weeks!

Yay on the window!

That wallpaper is crazy! Fun treasures. :) Are you having fun yet?

Personally, I wouldn't leave the window selection to the contractor. If I were you, a trip to HD or other stores that sell windows and a look-see on various window company websites would be on my agenda. There are so many window options these days. You might as well put some thought into this to get the best one for you.

Fingers crossed on the floor!

ETA: x-posting....window problem sounds solved. Still might be fun to explore options to make sure that's really the style you want.

Funkycamper - I'm totally having fun! Ask me again in two or three weeks, though...

Good thoughts on the window/door. I made as many decisions as I feel capable of making right now... oh, where oh where do I draw the line?

We are definitely optimistic about the floor!

Window, wallpaper and napkin rings - all great!!

How cool is all this? You know, when I first saw my house, and then when I moved in, I just liked how the house feels. Now, I don't really believe in karma, and I don't really believe that a house can have "good energy" or "bad energy." That said, I always felt like my house was a happy house, like if it had a soul, it was a very happy, wise and kind soul. Now, remember, that I don't believe any of that crap. I just feel it.

I love your found treasures and that you feel you have a "happy" house. Framing the wallpaper is a great idea.

I second the advice to not leave important decisions, like windows, to the contractor. I know you're on decision overload, but every decision I wasn't fully invested in in my bathrooms or kitchen remodels, I have a bit of regret over.

Glad you're having fun so far. Great attitude.

I have a casement window where each window is 30" x 76" h.

How cool your little hidden treasures! Glad the window got switched. I'm so excited for you Carrie!

When we wallpapered our last house, we left messages on the plaster walls before putting on the new paper for future wallpaperers to read.

Yesterday was a good day. The schedule for the rest of the week, if all goes as planned:

Today (Tuesday): Builder drops off cinderblock & other materials to seal up old door & for new openings. I think that's all that's happening today.

Wednesday: Frame out new openings.

Thursday: Seal old door, cut new holes, install lintels, etc.

Friday: install new door/transom.

Here's a closeup of my back brick wall, near the window, and an overall photo:

As someone who lives alone, it's really nice to be sharing this. Y'all have become a really pleasant & supportive community. Thank you.

I love the found treasures! I wonder what I should put down under my peninsula! Too much!!! (I know under my garage foundation people from the future will find about 100 empty water bottles, and bits of paper.... I'm watching them accumulate...)

That old wallpaper! Lively, all right!

I'm looking forward to seeing your floor done up!

Artemis - a friend suggested that I leave something under my cabinets to be found in the future. I think it's a great idea. I'm thinking maybe a combination of some of the items I found, plus some added items.

I also emailed an older neighbor - with the photo of the found items - who I know was friendly with former owners. I'm hoping that maybe they were the ones that left the items & will be happy to know how thrilled I am to have found them.

I'm looking forward to the floor, too!

One of my favorite things found in our house after we moved in...the original owner, over 75 years ago had written on a floor joist in the basement, the year they built and the date they moved in, the date each child was born, his wife's death (sad) and when he moved out, each of the 2 subsequent owners followed suit and we have continued it. It's literally a history of all the important events that occurred in our home...I absolutely LOVE knowing that over the last 75 years 14 children were raised within the walls I love so much and sadly, 2 husbands lost their wives while living in my home. It really feels like a lot of living and loving happened in my regular old, nothing fancy, but real house.

I love that, dcward. It reminds me of a Passover tradition in my family. Every year, my parents had a large Passover gathering. Those gatherings have ceased, but the tradition has continued in various iterations of passover gatherings in my family. The Haggadah is the prayer/story/song book that's read every Passover seder (the traditional holiday dinner.) Each year, each person would have a Haggadah, and each person would sign his or her name and the year on the inside cover. Forty (or more) years later, those Haggadot (plural) are still in use, and we look at who had our Haggadah last year, and twenty or forty years ago. People who are no longer alive, people sitting across the table still, and, sometimes, our very own childhood handwriting.

The POs in our house had been there for 60 + years and were a large and tight knit family. Part of the reason they sold to us was that they knew we were starting a family and intended to stay. They left sheets of colour copied pictures of their family occasions taken inside and outside of the house under a shelf liner in high closet (they left a note with the pics so I know it was intentional). I didn't find it for a couple of years, but we've since used the pics to help us restore the windows, etc. to match the original.

Just make sure they put proper headers above the windows and doors. When they tore our house apart, they found they needed to do this because of different construction techniques used back then. When they took over the old plaster, they also had to take off other boards in order to drywall. Those boards had acted in place of headers, but with them gone, headers were required.

Daisychain - I love that they left those photos for you. That made me smile.

Here are the supports (lintels, I believe) left for the openings. They look very sturdy to me, though, admittedly, I'm the furthest from an expert:

Carrie-how old is your house?

As frustrating as old houses can sometimes be, it is so interesting to both live in such an old city with so much history, and to find these things from previous owners. It's like an unplanned treasure hunt.

Leela4 - I wish I knew more about the history of my house. I did ask a neighbor who has a particular interest in the history of our neighborhood if he could estimate the age of my house, he said that it would have been built between 1815 & 1860, and that his closest estimate would be right around 1830.

The plates and the little bowl and at least one of the napkin rings are stamped sterling - so cool. My sister has suggested I go with her to her favorite antique shop in Wilmington, DE to ask the knowledgeable owner if he can tell us more about my found pieces. I plan to go on Saturday afternoon.

Is there a fireplace in the basement? That could give some indication.

Palimpsest - hard to say. There were at least 4 fireplaces - first floor front (uncovered soon after I moved in, pictured below,) second floor front and back and third floor front (still sheetrocked over, but the brick hearth remains.) There may have been a fireplace in the first floor back (where the range was most recently) and 3rd floor back (where there's now a tiled bathroom.) In the basement, there's an area (front an back, for that matter) that may have been a fireplace at one time.

I love all the treasures those of you in older homes have found. And I include dcedward's written dates as a treasure!

And loving your updates Carrie! Thank you!!

Love this Carrie! Thanks for sharing. I'll be following...

Wow, can you imagine building and tending fires in all those fireplaces? And chopping all that wood? Oh, Carrie, the more you tell us about your little home, the more charming I find it. Can't wait to hear about day 2.

Thanks, folks! Yesterday was a nothing-day. Those are, by far, the ones that start to wear on us, right?

The builder was originally going to drop off supplies for framing out new openings yesterday, but, apparently, was finishing off another job so he & his crew could give me their undivided attention. Today is framing out day, tomorrow is cutting the openings, and Friday should be installing my new back door. Updates to follow on a new thread. I may combine the next few days into one thread.