Open House, Hidden Space
On Sunday I saw a sign advertising an Open House by Sotheby’s. On a whim, I followed the signs to a twisty, narrow part of East Santa Fe, an old and respectable part of Santa Fe. In fact it was one street over from Canyon Road. I knew it would be expensive. On the way I passed an acequia so I knew it would be even more pricey. When I got to the house, it was pleasant but unremarkable from the road, so I knew it was definitely top dollar. Also there was a guest house.
As it turned out, it was very, very nice. From the grounds to the professional interior decorating that was laid on top, I could tell it was going to be very expensive. I took at look at the kitchen: newly renovated, moderate country kitchen sink, top dollar cabinetry throughout, very nice. I took at look at the flyers on the kitchen counter: 2.5 million. Yep. East Santa Fe compound. I asked the broker how old the house was and he said it was all redone, and that it had developed over time, the main house had the kitchen addition put on in the 60s. The back guest house (also very well done, but not in the immense high style of the main house, with slightly dated but still charming painted bathroom sink, tile, and kitchen) had been a blacksmith's adobe outbuilding until they renovated it too.
Now the remarkable part was when I pulled open a door in the kitchen area, and instead of a pantry or supply cabinet, it was a drop off to the dirt floor of the basement. There was no lighting, just a few ladder steps down. I was as surprised as if there had been a merry-go-round in the backyard.
I mentioned to the broker that this was an unusual feature and he made a slight face showing distaste, saying that the owners had decided not to finish off the basement. I said to the broker, I've been reading a lot about the Holocaust (Daniel Mendolsohn's The Lost, and also more recently about persecution of Catholics in Elizabethan England (The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England), and it occurs to me that a secret compartment that you could hide someone (or yourself) in when things go awry, could be worth your life itself. He gave a disbelieving look and said something non committal. However, knowing how things can change quickly, it would have made sense for someone wealthy to put these precautions in place. If not for this generation, perhaps another.
He gave me a blank stare – he is in the business of selling dreams, not nightmares. But it occurred to me that among certain people – either savvy or paranoid – a secret refuge could be a kind of backup insurance that makes the sale.
This broker had a nice shirt and slacks on, but his shoes were all wrong -- athletic shoes that did not go with the rest of his clothes. Granted he was probably on his feet all day, but if I were selling a 2.5 million dollar house, I would wear dress shoes.