One very fun thing about inspecting very old properties is seeing very old things still being used - like the antique door knobs in this house.
Antique door knobs are made of many things - wood, different metals, glass, and porcelain. They can be extremely artistic, decorative in design or colors or wonderfully plain.
The thing that stands out the most is that they last!
These wonderful door knobs were in an 1858 farmhouse way out in the wilds of countryside Virginia.
The left knob is the rear door and the right the front door. They are original to the house and still used!
They are both made of porcelain, with the white being the more "formal" and worthy of an entrance.
They both use the original "skeleton keys!"
Old skeleton keys are specifically made for the door they service. They can open many doors in the house if the wards inside the lock sets are made of the same configuration. They are called skeleton keys because they are cut to pass through the skeletal structure of the lock set they service.
THESE DOOR LOCKS ARE EXTREMELY SECURE AND CANNOT BE "PICKED" BY AN UNDESIRABLE.
The locks are called WARD LOCKS, which are a fabulous lock design and can be read about by clicking here.
There were other antique things in the house, which are always fun to see.
For instance, that tall thing in the photo to the right. Um, not the brush, which is old too.
What is it?
It was common to see these around the fireplace, actually for centuries.
I have actually used one!
And this thing works well!
Let me know what you think it is.
My recommendation: old is still all around us. Some things can still be used today! This particular house was full of old and new, the subject of a future post. On older properties I often have as much fun seeing what is still there as I do investigating it!
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