If Walls Could Talk: Essex’s “Concealment Shoe”
Essex’s “concealment shoe” may date back to the early 19th century.
A recent discovery within the walls of a local home shed new light on folk practices in early 19th century life in Essex Village. Courtney Becher and Luke Patterson bought their 18th century home on Grove Street this summer and have been busy with restoration work. To their great surprise, they discovered an old shoe hidden in their walls. Dark and misshapen with age, the shoe posed many questions for the homeowners, so they reached out to EHS to learn more.
As far as our collections team is aware, this is the first “concealment shoe” that has been documented in Essex, although other cases are known in Deep River, Haddam and Simsbury. It was discovered on the second floor of their home, behind boards by a chimney abutting a later “ell” or addition to the house.
A correct dating of the house is complicated, but the owners believe their house dates back to 1758, according to their paperwork. However, former town historian Don Malcarne dates it to 1788 under a title search. Either way, a safe bet would be the late 18th century. In certain early folk traditions, placing a shoe within a wall near a chimney, door or window would theoretically strengthen the “weak” parts of a house so evil spirits would not enter. Shoes tended to be single, older, cast-offs that were no longer useful and could be buried out of sight.
Homeowner Courtney Becher consults with members of Essex Historical Society’s collections team about her recently discovered “concealment shoe.”
The house was extensively remodeled and updated in 1929. The present homeowners believe that the shoe may have been found during the 1929 remodeling and then put back in the walls. The present owners will also do this as it has “taken care” of the house thus far. Nothing else was found with the shoe.
The shoe itself is in fair condition. It seems to be made of dark brown leather, with a fabric lining. The cloth shoelaces are still intact, but the sole is completely missing. It has a bit of height to it near the ankle area, but due to the missing sole, it is nearly flat. Tiny holes for stitching the upper and lower sections of the shoe can be seen around its toe area. The upper leather portion and lining are still sewn together around the ankle area with some sort of basting tape/trim.
As it is fairly fragile, EHS has been careful to handle it very gently when photographing it, as flaking has occurred. The shoe measures 9.25 inches from heel to toe, and 4.50 inches at its widest point across the toes. At its tallest point by its ankle, it measures about 1.75 inches high.
It is very hard to determine if the shoe was made locally. Essex Village (early name Potapaug) was a bustling port near the mouth of the Connecticut River at this time with several connections in international trade, so the shoe could have come from anywhere.
EHS reached out to two larger museums with extensive shoe collections to learn more. The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and the Northampton Museum in Northampton, England responded enthusiastically to our requests. In reviewing the photographs and learning of the shoe’s local history, the Bata Shoe Museum felt that the shoe dates from the 1840s or 1850s, while the Northampton Museum places it earlier between the years 1800-1820. The Northampton Museum also included the homeowners’ discovery story into their collections database of concealment shoes. Only 1,900 documented cases exist worldwide, mostly in the United Kingdom, Australia and the Northeastern United States. Very early documented cases date back to the Middle Ages and the practice became increasingly rare by the turn of the 20th century. The consulting museums also provided the homeowners with advice about maintaining the shoe’s preservation and possible “viewings”.
EHS returned the shoe to Courtney and Luke, who plan to return it to the wall as it is part of the house’s history and has “protected” them so far. With the wide range of possible dates, it is unclear who put the shoe there or when. One also wonders about the extent of using concealment shoes as a folk practice in the Lower River Valley – is this an isolated case, a holdover from an older tradition or a rare surviving example of a much wider custom? In any case, EHS is grateful to Courtney and Luke in sharing their unique find with us and learning more about the town’s early folk and building traditions.