History Attic Research

Finding out all there is to know about a historic home is such an experience, but for me, it’s the stories and the people we uncover that intrigue me most.

Through my photography, I want to showcase their lives — particularly the women whose stories give me goosebumps. Not only the marks they left behind, but the fact that so many of their stories remain untold. I often find myself imagining the adversities they endured and the quiet strength it took to carry on.

This story centers around Rosina Hedrick, a midwife and healer whose manuscript I stumbled upon during one of our research projects. Penned between 1770–1819, it documented decades of service to her community, including 1,739 births she attended as a lay practitioner of obstetric medicine. I was beyond intrigued.

The image here is my re-creation of Rosina. I wanted to evoke the strength and stillness of a woman on a mission, toiling away alone with her potions and thoughts.

Endless thanks to my amazing friends willing to step into another life for these projects. (.burdette as Rosina)

I also highly recommend reading Rosina’s manuscript. Thanks to the efforts of the team at for translating and sharing her story. Link in bio. 👆

Local to Doylestown?!? This is a fascinating process used to date when a tree was felled, which aids in dating of historic buildings. Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle

Hello!! Yes, We are still at it!! Check this out, is it a sheet? Nope, it’s a MAP! It’s the entire map of Lehigh County from 1816 on original LINEN. One of our current projects is located in Lower Saucon township, PA.

Chris is looking at a modern map to narrow down our property, or maybe she’s praying for the research gods to help us?!? 😂 Either way, it worked, we found it!!

The gravestones are from an odd grave site we’ve passed a million times. Anyone local to us? It’s on Green Street off of Hilltown Pike. It’s on a tiny strip of land between two homes. We haven’t looked into them yet, but suspect it’s a family burial ground or from a nearby church.

Hope you’re all doing great and keeping up the charge to save historic beauties!! Happy almost spring!!

Please meet Sheshbazaar Bentley and his third wife Hannah. We thought “Thankful Bacon” was a wild name!! Sheshbazaar was a prominent figure and successful businessman. Sheshbazaar, commonly referred to simply as Shesh, was 64 years old when he purchased our subject property. He owned the property from 1786 to 1866, however never lived there. He rented it to a tenant farmer. In the 1850 census, Shesh listed his occupation as farmer with a real estate value of $46,500, an astonishing sum for that time.

My son said he looks like a character from Harry Potter. AGREED!! 🧙🏻‍♀️🪄🎩 Photos courtesy of Mitzi Wortman tree on

Road Trip! This weekend, we explored the rich history of a stunning property nestled in the hills of Washington County, Pennsylvania. Almost frozen in time, both the property and the quaint town nearby hold countless stories.

The site has a long history, dating back to when Pennsylvania was still part of Virginia. One intriguing aspect is the family graveyard discovered in the 1920s, which contains three remaining headstones. Some were found broken, and we suspect more may still lie beneath the surface.

Among the headstones is that of Thomas Crooks, a soldier of the Revolutionary War who served in the Continental Line and as a Frontier Ranger. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Washington County militia from 1781 to 1784 and held positions as county commissioner and justice of the peace starting in 1781. Thomas and his wife, Judith Parr Crooks, owned the property from 1772 until 1796. He passed away in 1815 at the age of 80. The gravestone of Judith Parr, who died in 1802, marks the resting place of Thomas’s mother-in-law. Additionally, there’s a grave marked with the initials “CTC,” which remains a mystery. It’s common for less affluent individuals to have stones with only initials, leading us to wonder if this could belong to a laborer unlisted in census records. In our research on Find A Grave, we discovered that a few neighbors are buried here, suggesting “CTC” might be one of them. Alternatively, it could serve as a footstone for Thomas Crooks, inscribed “Colonel Thomas Crooks” (CTC). The search continues.

The cemetery is situated at the highest point of the property, offering a serene view of the hills and valleys below. Its location and exposure to the elements bear witness to the many headstones whose engravings have been worn smooth over time. Despite this, it remains a peaceful sanctuary, and is just one of the mysteries that surround this historic home.

FIRE—second only to bulldozers—has been one of the biggest destroyers of historic homes.

We delved into the history of a fascinating house in Lower Milford, Pennsylvania. Our research, as always, includes deeds and family records, which revealed a property with a troubled past. This is just ONE of its stories.

During our initial visit, we were given a tour, which, alongside presentation day, is one of our favorite parts of the process. While touring the property, were shown a severely charred beam discovered during restoration.

Fortunately, we found newspaper articles detailing the events. They are attached for reference.

Mary and Frank Eck moved to the property in 1931, where they raised three daughters. However, their life took a tragic turn when Frank Eck passed away from pneumonia at the age of 39, just two years after their arrival.

The articles state on September 26, 1962, catastrophe struck the Eck household. Mary’s daughter, 33 year old Lillie May was charged along with two men of setting fire to the family home. The article notes Mary and her other daughters Evangeline and Mary Ann escaped the flames, but lost all of their possessions.

A newspaper account of the outcome of the criminal case names another man, Lester Andreas along with Robert Farber and Daniel Byrne. The men apparently attacked one of the Eck sisters before setting the fire. According to this account, both Lilie Mae and Evangline Eck were committed for treatment at a local hospital. We can also infer from the article that the Eck home was in a poor state in 1962.

Sadly, soon after the fire, Mrs. Eck died and the property was put up for a public auction.

David O. Miller was the highest bidder at the public sale in 1963. He purchased the fire damaged house and 30.2 acres for $5600.

Dawn Brucale 😃😃😃

Do Otters have knees? Lol. A signal that it’s time to step AWAY from the research!

We are working on a project in Nashville! For the record, I did find the ATTORNEY I was looking for and a photograph too! Otters and their knees is a rabbit hole for another day. 🦦🦦🦦

One of our recent projects involved a stone house, which is one of our favorites. The craftsmanship of these buildings, constructed entirely by hand, is crazy impressive. They also offer many insights into their history. Notice the line on the front, dividing the left and right sections? The left side is built with rough stone, while the right side features more squared-off stones. This suggests that the left section was constructed before quarried stone became available. Additionally, there’s a faint line running down the center of the older section, to the left of the front door, possibly marking the original structure.

Originally, this house served as a tenant residence on a farm. Newspaper articles mention an “old Russian” living there. One article recounts how a previous owner, after purchasing the property, discovered the stone house while walking through the woods, unaware it was even there! Talk about a bonus! The estate house, which is on the main road was later used as a residence for Presbyterian clergy.

We’ve been off social media for a bit, as life sometimes takes over. Nevertheless, we’re still busy helping owners uncover the stories of their homes and grateful to do so. One of our current projects is all the way in Washington Township, PA! We’re planning a road trip there in the next couple of months.

We’ve encountered some amusing names recently, but this one stands out as particularly unique.

with .repost
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May 23, 2021- We’ve just finished a writing session for the project with . As always, our research is stranger than fiction. This one is a real standout—her name was Thankful Bacon and in marrying Timothy Hope, she became Thankful Hope. It’s a beautiful name, don’t you think?

And just for fun: could Thankful be related to ? That would make for an interesting seven degrees of separation!

😂 ❤️ 😴