A Hidden Room, a Trap Door, and A Private Stash

Now I understand why my grandparents kept secret supplies

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There was one room in my grandparents’ home that never saw the light of day. It had no windows, no heat, and a hidden entryway. Not until I was a teenager did I even know it existed.

In an extra bedroom, a single bed sat alongside the wall. Under the bed was an oval, rag-hooked rug. And under the rug was a trap door.

One day, when I was about 15, I saw that the bed was moved to the opposite wall and the trap door was propped open.

“ Whoa! What’s that, Nonni?” I asked. “Can I go down there?”

“Be careful,” she cautioned me. “It’s dark and the steps are narrow.”

As I descended the staircase, the smell of old wood drew me near. The room was hot and dry and dark. I pulled a long string attached to a lightbulb, and this secret room was filled with yellow light.

On one wall were shelves of empty canning jars and gallon jugs, another wall had stacks of tools, a third wall had a locked cedar chest, and the last wall housed a large wooden machine with a giant wheel and crank. I later learned this was a winepress used to make homemade wine.