Some people think that all wild animals should be kept as far away from a house as possible. But old houses and curious critters sometimes find a way to be with each other. Opossums are not known for their need to get permission as to where they sleep, especially not from us mere humans. Opossums are good climbers and can pretty much get themselves into small spaces that we can’t readily access. Older homes were not always built as tightly as today’s structures. Homes were solid, but often grew to be what they became by the connecting of the original buildings meant for separate purposes. A good example of this would be taking the old kitchen house which once was separated for fire safety and summer heat abatement and connecting to the original living area. Connecting buildings can result in some unplanned spaces and tunnels that soon are forgotten.
Interior wall exposed during renovation.
During its life the Banks house had a visitor or two using access points not intended for nature’s critters. One of the houses’ temporary borders was a sly opossum. By the time the second Margaret Banks came along in the 1990’s the hundred year old house was in serious need of work. Margaret’s parents decided to have repairs done on the flat roofs of the house. As a three year old Margaret was content playing with her dollhouse, repairs went on all around her. The home’s unknown tenant was not prepared to have its snugly space interrupted by construction and soon made a break for it. The result was young Margaret was tugging at her mom’s dress exclaiming “Mommy, I made a mess!” As busy and reassuring moms will do, her mom let Margaret know it would be fine and they would clean it up. Still concerned Margaret let her mom know it was a BIG mess. Now mom was curious and with Margaret in tow entered the room. She was surprised to see the dollhouse in ruins and a hissing opossum expressing its displeasure. “I don’t think you did that honey.”
Audubon print of opossum.
The opossum was quickly evicted and sent packing for a more natural habitat. Oh, and the poor dollhouse, well it was restored by a Banks cousin, Ed Crow Allen, who fortunately lived nearby on Penny street. The dollhouse much like the Banks house still stands, much beloved and still played with by children. Stories are an important part of a home’s history and the older the home the more animal stories you will find. Today you may even spot a well placed Audubon print of an Opossum to help keep those stories alive today and in the future. During the extensive restoration of the Banks house some additional hiding holes were discovered, insulated, and sealed up – just in case you were wondering if that opossum was planning on coming back to visit.
Mary
