10
Loading video...
By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A couple purchasing a property in California were shocked to discover an unusual feature that didn’t appear in the original floor plan: a bomb shelter.
Gail Gatan told Newsweek there had always been something mysterious about the house in Lodi. "It’s always been one of those places people talk about in the neighborhood," Gatan said. "It’s the biggest one on the block, and growing up everyone was curious about it. Lodi is a small town, and the house sat vacant for years."
When the opportunity then arose to purchase the property, Gatan said she and her husband Tony felt "a mix of excitement and a little fear" at the prospect. "With all the stories and history surrounding the house, we weren’t sure what we’d find," she said. "It was eerie and mysterious at first."
Read More on On the Internet
That nervousness only deepened when the couple learned the house was harboring a deep, dark secret: a bomb shelter, built within the depths of the property and designed in the era of the Cold War and increased nuclear tension.
In the 1960s, the Department of Defense encouraged homeowners to build shelters, explaining millions of lives would be saved in the event of a nuclear attack if these spaces were created. Only a fraction of homeowners did or could afford to, but the previous owner of this property was evidently one of them.
...
"The original owner built the home himself in 1974, and during that era, some custom homes included bomb shelters," Gatan said. "Another quirky feature is an in-ground jacuzzi in the primary bedroom, which shows how bold and unconventional the home was for its time."
Gatan and her husband had looked at the listing for the property online, but it made no mention of the bomb shelter. "We actually didn’t know it existed when we first saw the home," she said. "During a private tour, the owner showed it to us and said her father, who has since passed away, had always told her never to go down there. She had never opened it herself."
Despite those warnings, Gatan and her husband wasted little time in opening it up once they got the keys to the house. Their first foray into this mysterious space was one captured on a video Gatan later shared to her TikTok @lodi.unique.homes.
"We honestly didn’t know what we were walking into. It felt eerie at first because of the mystery around it," she said. "But once we got inside we were completely surprised. The space is big enough to fit a large family and it’s tucked beneath the basement stairs in a way you’d never expect."
Gatan has been a realtor for over 20 years and, in all that time, has never come across this kind of feature. "It’s exceptionally rare," she said. "I have never come across a bomb shelter built beneath a basement like this, especially one that remained completely unknown and unused for so long."
...
The more the couple looked around the property, the more they realized the bomb shelter was only the start of its quirks. "There are hidden rooms, storage spaces, and even under-stair wine storage that make it feel like a secret world below the house," she said.
Gatan and her partner have had the property fully renovated in the time since their first foray into the bomb shelter, making sure to retain its unique features. It is now for sale, listed at $1,299,000 through Intero Real Estate Services.
"We’re hoping someone will fall in love with both the history and the unique elements," Gatan said. "It’s a home for someone who loves quirky details and surprises whether you’re into entertaining, collecting cool stuff, or just exploring all the hidden nooks."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines