The Hopper House

            Peggy Jones, 74, did not grow up in a household where it was acceptable to throw away old things simply because they were in fact that, old. Six years ago when Jones began noticing dumpsters around the York neighborhood being filled up with perfectly good household items, tossed away by college students moving houses, she began dumpster diving. Dumpster diving is the act of rummaging through trash looking for anything usable. She has always abided by the Bellingham custom of leaving out unwanted items on the curb and after she began finding things in dumpsters that had no right to be thrown away, she put out her findings on a table in her front lawn for others to scavenge through.

            The house at 1473 Franklin St. is now commonly known by Yorkers as the free exchange table. Also known as “The Hopper House.” Items are left on the table by anyone wanting to get rid of an item and are on display for anyone to come and pick up. It is a mini neighborhood “Goodwill.”

            Peggy lives with her son Leonard Hopper, 54, at the house and together they monitor the table and repair and clean some of the items. “It’s my hobby and I like doing it. I don’t like to see things go to waste,” Jones said.  Hopper works at a local mill.

            People leave a lot of different things there, ranging from old pickle jars to used bikes. Electronics and sporting gear are commonly left at the table but do not stay for long. Other popular items that are both brought to the table and get quickly snagged away include books, clothing, bicycles, dishes, tools and clothing. In the wintertime many Yorkers bring extra warm clothes to the table. “We once had a homeless man come to our door crying because it was very cold out and he was so grateful for the shoes he found in our yard,” Hopper said. The free exchange table benefits college kids who are constantly uprooting all their belongings and moving houses. “ My house brought boxes of random little things to that house when we were moving,” Harrison Mills said. “We would have probably just thrown that stuff away but I remember seeing things like it at that house, and I would rather it didn’t end up in a landfill.” Goodwill is also a place where Yorkers can get rid of old things, but due to the Hopper House’s convenient location, it is a welcome alternative to most.

Six years ago when Jones first put the table out, it was only for the summer, due to weather. But last year her son Leonard built a sturdy table complete with an electrical outlet, a plexiglass top and three walls so the table can protect its valuables all year round.

The Hopper House is warmly received by neighbors and is of constant use to many. “I check out the table every once in a while. I like it because I can always find something I can use, like jars to keep my paintbrushes in,” neighbor Jess King said.

Since everything is free trade, city officials did not make The Hopper House apply for a permit.

The Hopper House does not accept beds, large pieces of furniture, potentially hazardous material (oil, rubbing alcohol), weapons, sharp objects, trash or food. People leaving unusable garbage on the table is a problem for the Hopper House, so much so that multiple trips a month to the Recycling and Disposal Services Center in Lynden are required.

            Future plans for the table include Hopper giving it a fresh paint job and adding a plexiglass door to the front of the table, protecting it 100 percent from rain.