1500

The date 1500 is carved above the principal door of Wuthering Heights, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, alongside the name "Hareton Earnshaw." This inscription, detected by Lockwood on his first visit, establishes the house as a structure of considerable antiquity, built long before the events of the novel unfold. The carving itself is a piece of grotesque ornamentation, yet it grounds the Earnshaw family in a deep, almost feudal history, contrasting sharply with the more modern and genteel Thrushcross Grange.

The House as a Historical Artifact

The date 1500 is not merely decorative; it is a key to understanding the physical and symbolic weight of Wuthering Heights. The house was built strong, with narrow windows deeply set in the wall and corners defended with large jutting stones, a necessity given its exposed position on a bleak hill-top where the north wind blows fiercely. The architect's foresight in building it to withstand the elements mirrors the stubborn, enduring nature of the families who inhabit it. The oak-panelled bed, a singular old-fashioned couch forming a little closet, is another relic of this bygone era, its design obviating the need for every family member to have a separate room. This bed, where Lockwood has his terrifying nightmare, becomes a threshold between the living and the dead, a space where the past intrudes violently on the present.

The Inscription and the Earnshaw Legacy

The name "Hareton Earnshaw" carved beside the date 1500 is a direct link to the family's origins. It is the same name borne by the last of the Earnshaw line, the rough, uneducated young man who is the rightful heir to the property. The carving thus serves as a constant, ironic reminder of what has been lost: the ancient stock, the legitimate inheritance, and the pride of lineage. When Heathcliff becomes master of Wuthering Heights, he usurps not only the property but also the historical claim that the carving represents. The inscription stands as a silent accusation against the interloper, a testament to a world that has been overturned.

The Decay of the House and the Passing of Time

As the novel progresses, the house itself begins to mirror the decay of its inhabitants. The once brilliant pewter dishes become tarnished and dusty; the furniture is damaged and neglected. The neglect of the physical space reflects the moral and emotional degradation of those who live within it. The date 1500, however, remains fixed, a permanent marker of a time before the story's turmoil began. In the final chapter, Lockwood visits the kirkyard and finds the three headstones on the slope next to the moor. The middle one, grey and half buried in the heath, is Edgar Linton's; Heathcliff's is still bare. The ancient house, with its 1500 carving, outlasts them all, a stoic monument to the enduring, often brutal, landscape of the moors.

The Cycle of Generations

The year 1500 also frames the novel's generational cycle. The house was built centuries before the events of the story, and it will continue to stand after the current inhabitants have passed. The marriage of Hareton Earnshaw and Catherine Linton, planned for New Year's Day, represents a restoration of the old order. They will leave Wuthering Heights for Thrushcross Grange, but the ancient house remains, a symbol of the past that has shaped them. The date 1500, therefore, is not just a historical fact but a structural element of the novel, marking the beginning of a lineage that, despite all attempts to destroy it, finds a way to continue.