CAMDEN, Del.- With its timeless green accents and robust brick structure, the Cooper House in Camden appears to transcend time.
Current owners Helene Scholler-Altevogt and Charles Altevogt were drawn in by its history nearly 25 years ago.
"The previous owners told us a lot of things about the house, there was supposedly a very good ghost here and we felt it," Scholler-Altevogt said.
Stories passed down through generations hinted at the home's role in the Underground Railroad, prompting Mr. Altevogt to spend significant time at the Delaware Public Archives eager to learn more.
"We knew from the documentation about the home and people had told us that these things were there but we couldn't see them because somebody had covered them up," he explained.
It wasn't until the owners were installing a new air conditioning system when they discovered un-deniable evidence behind a wall panel in what was known as the home's summer kitchen.
"That's when we found the room," Scholler-Altevogt noted. "It was divided, and we suspect it was for men and women. We found brooms, gingham, little leather headsets made with wire and leather for the ears," she said, calling everything found 'unusual.'
Mr. Altevogt described it as an "a-ha" moment. "It is like anything," he said. "Seeing is believing."
The couple expressed pride in preserving the history of the Cooper House, first constructed in 1782. "We are the caretakers of a place like this; it is not so much being the owner as much as a caretaker."
A photo of Harriet Tubman now sits in their back room, serving as a constant reminder of her legacy that may have unfolded within their home.
Everything that was discovered remains in the upstairs attic, which has since been closed off. The couple promises to pass all of the knowledge along to the home's next owners.
