New Houseowner
Consider purchasing a property only to discover later that it contains a secret treasure deep beneath the ground. A hidden treasure or a wonderful hideaway place.
This fantasy became a reality for Jon Simms of Tuscan, Arizona after he double-checked the blueprints of his recently purchased home.
Blueprints
When he was checking over the designs, he was surprised to discover that his new pad had an extra room. The only problem was that the layout stated that it was in the backyard. But when he investigated his large back patio again, he couldn't find anything.
This could only mean one thing: it was deep underground.
The Digging Began
The logical next step was to grab a shovel and begin digging where X marked the location. A big area was covered in grass, and he wasn't sure if he had the means to unearth it all and see what lurked beneath. As he began digging, he grew suspicious because he found nothing but dirt.
To make matters worse, he had to risk destroying his backyard for no purpose. He didn't know for sure if anything was buried beneath the ground. So was it really worth it?
Doubts
He went over the plans once again, thinking that maybe the blueprints were incorrect. Since the house and plans were created in the 1960s, there was a likelihood that it was no longer in existence. But the thrill overtook him, and he decided to give it one more shot.
After all, if he did have a secret dungeon concealed underground, it would be the talk of the town, and it would undoubtedly increase the value of his new property.
Surprise Of His Life
He definitely wanted to make sure he was digging in the right place. He drew an X in a couple of places to make sure he was in the general vicinity of where the hidden treasure might be.
As he dug deeper, he discovered there was something beneath the soil. He came across a massive metal cap that appeared to be covering something. Raising the metal cap, gave him the surprise of his life.
A Cold War Fallout Bunker
The lid weighed a lot so asked some of his friends to help. Lifting it up he discovered that he had found a Cold War fallout bunker. The weight of the lid indicated that whoever created it wanted to ensure that once they were inside, no one or nothing could enter this sort of sanctuary.
And they did an excellent job considering it took a complete team of adult males, an iron bar, and some heavy-duty ropes to pull this off.
TLC Needed
As political unrest grew in the 1960s, many households built fallout shelters in their backyards. This shelter appeared to have been abandoned a long time ago, and it was in desperate need of some TLC.
It was so unkempt that Jon couldn't walk down the spiral staircase, at least not at first.
Clearing The Stairs
He was able to get inside after cleaning some metal and rock debris from the staircase. He was surprised to discover a chamber off to the side. But, before he could discover what was inside, he realised he had to tread carefully.
The spiral staircase was entirely corroded and on the point of collapsing under his weight.
A Masterpiece
Even though it was in terrible form, he could tell it was a beautiful piece of workmanship in its prime. Someone had spent a significant amount of time developing and constructing this masterpiece.
This is when ideas for restoring it to its former glory began to race through his mind.
Emergency Supplies
As he looked around, he spotted an air vent intended to deliver fresh air to the underground refuge. Although this would not have worked in a nuclear scenario, it would have kept whoever was involved safe during conventional battle. Other characteristics indicated that the shelter was designed for long-term living.
Jon discovered survival goods within the house, many of which were no longer fit to eat but would make excellent props once he restored it.
A Lot Of Work To Do
Fortunately, Jon had several helpful and passionate friends, because cleaning up this shelter was going to be a full-time task. They dragged bucket after bucket of shattered cement and mud up the rusting stairs to the surface.
It was a difficult job, but they knew it would be worthwhile once they were finished. They were, after all, sitting on a piece of US history.
More Space
After hours of emptying the small room, Jon and his buddies discovered there was far more space than they had anticipated. The walls and floors were now completely free of clutter.
The doorway, despite being modest and circular, exposed a large room. His ideas began to take off.
Replacing Staircase
Before he could get to the fun part, the aesthetic designs, he needed to repair the steps. They were not only completely rusted and ready to break apart at any time, but they also had nails and jagged edges protruding from every nook and cranny.
Obviously, anyone attempting to enter the underground layer runs a great risk.
Expensive Work
Of course, it wasn't all hard labour. Excavating the project was also enjoyable for John and his companions. Keeping the jokes continuing helped the team keep motivated when they realized this would be a long and costly job.
In fact, the job was becoming quite costly. Jon had recently purchased the house and was struggling to come up with the funds to fully renovate it. That's when he decided to set up a Go-Fund-Me page to collect funds from people all over the world.
Redoing The Entrance
When the stairs were finished, Jon decided the entire entrance needed to be redone. It began as a dirt hole, but he wanted to make it more beautiful, so he got to work. What he produced was unquestionably more inviting, and it gave the entire shelter a fresh feel.
It wasn't a simple task by any means, and it required the combined efforts of the entire crew.
New Entrance
While building the entryway, they found they needed to rebuild the airways since they were no longer stable, and if they collapsed, it would be a severe setback to their project. Fortunately, it was rather simple, and they were able to conceal the pipes behind the concrete of the entrance.
Once completed, the opening appeared secure and well-done, as the men performed at a highly professional level. Now that the entrance had been completed, it was time to spruce up the interior. Now comes the exciting part.
Revamping The Interiors
The dome-like ceiling of the shelter screamed for a one-of-a-kind decor to go with it. Jon deliberated for a long time about what to do with his newly discovered subsurface layer.
He didn't want to expedite the planning because this had become a critical project for him. He looked over the drawings and the cleared out places, knowing that because the room was so huge, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted.
Getting Popular
The story of Jon's amazing discovery swiftly travelled throughout town, and soon enough, local TV stations approached him to interview him and inquire about his bomb bunker. As it turned out, these shelters were built in the backyards of homes around the neighborhood.
It was as popular as having a swimming pool erected during the Cold War since many families assumed they would need them one day. Fortunately, they were never used, and many were never finished, much like Jons.
History Behind It
He wanted to connect with others who had discovered similar structures in their yards after learning the historical significance of his shelter. So when he posted about his discovery on Reddit, it quickly went viral.
He spoke with others in his situation and finalized his design plans for his freshly remodeled shelter. It would take a long time to come together, but he knew it would be worth it in the end.
The Work Continues
With his newfound knowledge, he decided he wanted to retain the Cold War concept at the forefront of the design. He made the decision to begin collecting mementoes and all of the furnishings he could find in order to make the shelter as historically accurate as possible.
His man cave's decoration will be historically accurate, but it's still a work in progress. This project, like excellent wine, will only improve with age.