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This Old Victorian House Has A Mind-Boggling Hidden Feature

By  Emma Taubenfeld
On the left is the exterior of an old Victorian home with a white columned porch and brick siding. On the right is a still of old wooden stairs leading up to an attic. @buckeyetrailergirl/TikTok

A house isn't always what is seems, and we love a good home secret. We were baffled by the history of the milk door and even this mystery bathroom fixture, but the questions keep coming as people continue to share hidden features in their homes that are both intriguing and confusing.

Most recently, TikToker @buckeyetrailergirl has been sharing their experiences of transforming an 1872 Victorian house into a modern masterpiece — and with a house that old, we know there are bound to be a few enigmas.

The creator found something odd in the upstairs portion of the home that was once considered "servants' quarters." They begin by taking followers up to a back door on the third floor of the residence to reveal a narrow (and presumably haunted) wooden staircase.

On the left is a hand pulling out a hidden clothesline from the top of a staircase. On the right is a clothesline over old wooden stairs.@buckeyetrailergirl/TikTok

The TikToker noticed an odd piece fixed above the door to the stairway, and after some sleuthing, decided to pull on the piece. The tugging revealed what appeared to be strings built into the wall that stretch all the way across the length of the stairs.

The creator asked users to comment what they thought this contraption was and people were in agreement that the piece is actually an old clothesline, specifically used in the winter months when it was too cold to dry pieces outside. Many even mentioned that they want one of their own.

Instagrammer @littlehouseonalittleland recently shared a more contemporary version of the old invention that you can grab on Amazon for less than $40. The retractable clothesline can be hung anywhere, saves a ton of space, and can be easily hidden. Another TikToker even shared their own clothes rack a couple months ago that lowers down from the ceiling with a pulley.

Sometimes you just have to get creative when it comes to saving space — whether it's 1872 or 2022.

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