"Kentucky Walls Can Talk" or

"Kentucky Couple Finds Opium Cache"

by Steve Keith

This past summer a young couple in Lebanon, Kentucky purchased an older home and began the long task of trying to restore it. Little did they know what treasures would be uncovered as they endeavored to rebuild their new old home.

Located on the corner of Mulberry and Harrison Streets across from the Lebanon Baptist Church this stately Victorian home in desperate need of repair found a young willing couple to attempt the arduous task at hand. Having received a call from Jackie and Michael Wright asking for help in identifying some items they had found I reluctantly arranged a meeting (how many wild goose chases have you been on?) and much to my amazement I was shocked at what they had found!

The house built in 1860 during the Civil War by William Woods is more commonly known as the Brewer House now. The Brewers bought it in 1956 and while doing some restoration in the kitchen, lo and behold the walls revealed narcotic and Jamaica Ginger bottles believed to be the cache of a manservant whom had occupied a small attic room many years ago (according to the Lebanon Enterprise at that time).

And to the astonishment of Jackie and Michael as they began their restoration of the same kitchen they too found over 350 undamaged Dr. McMunn's Elixir of Opium bottles, some 30 plus Jamaica Ginger bottles, an open pontiled cathedral peppersauce, an open pontiled Dr. Jaynes Alternative, a couple of label only pontil era Lebanon medicine bottles, an 1880's label only Salutaris mineral water bottle from St. Clair, Michigan, some children's boots, a Civil War saber and other odds and ends. The house was purchased by a Dr. McChord in 1887. Were these bottles his and part of his business or did somebody have a REAL addiction? The opium and ginger bottles are all smooth based and BIMAL so they fit that era.

Another intriguing item they found was that the walls have brick laid between the studs up to a height of about 6 feet---and supposedly was done because of the fear of bullets penetrating the clapboard siding and entering the house harming someone during any Civil War battles--which actually did take place in Lebanon.

Found during the Brewer's restoration was info carved on a beam under the house: James Patterson carpenter, William Craig contractor, and William Woods proprietor Sept 12, 1860.

I can remember visiting Mrs. Brewer when I was a teenager and seeing an immaculate painted deacon's bench, which she stated her family had brought across the Allegheny Mountains on a covered wagon. I also remember the story about her placing a painting out by the street one day for garbage pickup. Fortunately one of her sons happened to see it, retrieved it and shipped it to Sotheby's where it fetched $150,000-- much to her amazement.

This home, once a beaming showplace, hopefully will be returned to its deserved grandeur. There is also the possibility of some digging at some point in the back yard-------yes, you guessed it------there's an obvious circular depression there that smacks of a Civil War period privy.

The house has seen its share of fabulous finds and is now giving up some more, so always be sure to check those walls when you get the chance--because they actually CAN talk!

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