When you hire an electrician, you expect them to find wires. Maybe some old insulation. Perhaps a junction box that makes them sigh heavily. But San Diego homes — especially the older ones in neighborhoods like North Park, Hillcrest, and Golden Hill — have been hiding secrets behind their plaster and drywall for over a century.
We talked to electricians across San Diego County and asked one question: "What's the weirdest thing you've ever found inside a wall?" Here are the best answers.
1. A Possum Family in a La Jolla Crawlspace
An electrician rewiring a 1960s ranch house in La Jolla opened up a wall cavity and found a mother possum with five babies curled up on top of the old knob-and-tube wiring. "They'd chewed through the insulation on about six feet of wire," he told us. "Honestly, it was the most polite eviction I've ever had to arrange." The homeowner ended up needing a full rewire and a visit from animal control — a $12,000 day that started with a $200 outlet repair.
2. Sixteen Mason Jars of Coins Behind a Hillcrest Bungalow Wall
During a panel upgrade in a 1920s Hillcrest Craftsman, an electrician pulled out a section of lath and plaster and heard clinking. Behind the wall were 16 mason jars filled with coins — mostly pennies and nickels, but some silver dollars mixed in. The oldest coin was from 1887. Best guess? A previous owner who didn't trust banks (fair enough, given the timing — the house was built right before the Great Depression). The homeowner donated the collection to the San Diego History Center.
3. A Fully Intact Newspaper From 1943
Stuffed inside a wall cavity in a Normal Heights bungalow, an electrician found a complete copy of the San Diego Union from December 1943. The paper had been used as insulation — a common practice during wartime material shortages. The front page covered wartime news from the Pacific theater. "I've found old newspapers in walls before," the electrician said, "but usually they're shredded. This one was perfect. You could read every word."
4. Someone's Entire Vinyl Record Collection
This one's from an Ocean Beach remodel. When an electrician opened up a wall to run new circuits for a kitchen renovation, he found roughly 40 vinyl records stacked vertically between the studs. Mostly 1970s rock — the homeowner's theory was that a previous owner hid them from an angry spouse. Several were in playable condition.
5. A Love Letter From 1952
Tucked behind an outlet box in a South Park Victorian, an electrician found a handwritten letter dated June 1952. It was a love letter — deeply personal, written by someone named "R" to someone named "Dotty." It referenced Balboa Park, the Coronado ferry (which stopped running in 1969 when the bridge opened), and a restaurant on Fifth Avenue that no longer exists. The current homeowner framed it and hung it in the hallway.
6. An Active Beehive With an Estimated 40,000 Bees
In a Rancho Bernardo home, what started as a simple ceiling fan installation turned into a bee removal operation. The electrician cut into the ceiling and found a massive beehive — roughly three feet long — with an estimated 40,000 honeybees. A local beekeeper relocated the colony, and the homeowner ended up with about 15 pounds of honey. "I've seen hives in walls maybe four times in my career," the electrician said. "But never one that big. The whole wall was warm to the touch."
7. A Hidden Room
The winner. An electrician working on an old home in Bankers Hill was tracing a circuit that didn't make sense — there was a wire going into a wall that shouldn't have had anything on the other side. When they opened it up, they found a small, sealed room about 4 feet by 6 feet. Inside: a chair, a shelf with three bottles (empty), and a light fixture with a pull chain. The home was built in 1919, right at the start of Prohibition. The room appeared to have been used as a hidden drinking spot, then sealed up and forgotten about for over a hundred years.
What These Stories Tell You About Old San Diego Homes
Beyond the entertainment value, these discoveries highlight something important: older San Diego homes are full of surprises, and not all of them are charming. Outdated wiring, animal damage, and DIY electrical work from decades past are real safety hazards. If your home was built before 1980, it's worth having a licensed electrician do an inspection — you might not find a hidden Prohibition speakeasy, but you might find something that prevents a fire.
Need an electrician in your neighborhood? Find top-rated San Diego electricians who've seen it all — possums included.