Rare Four-Panel Door of 1890s
Seth Hinshaw, 1/19/2019
A colleague of mine recently spent some time in a bed and breakfast facility that was constructed in 1892. The house had the following front door:
This is a rather rare type of four-panel door that features two vertical panels over two cross-panels. The door appeared in only two millwork catalogs: Bradley 1894 (page 14) and Gernert 1898 (page 202). The image from the Gernert catalog is shown below.
Because the door only appeared in two millwork catalogs (1894 and 1898), I didn't include it in the door book. Another similar door featured two vertical panels over three cross-panels, a door that remained in production into the early twentieth century. I included an image of this door in the book. During the 1890s, door manufacturers were beginning to experiment with doors produced with multiple small square panels, as these complicated doors could be produced with new dowel technology.
The knob and door plate are also very interesting. The knob is a cast metal item typical of knobs from the years 1885 to 1900. Metal knobs of the years 1875 to 1885 mostly had the shape of a disc with low-relief deocrations. This knob represents the high-relief knobs of the very late nineteenth century. Its design was not included in the book Victorian Decorative Art, which outlines the most common doorknobs of the years 1875 to 1910. The door plate is more elaborate than the simple rectangular plates usually found at that time; it features an Egyptian motif at the top, an inset Moorish arch framing the kob and keyhole, and pinnacles and pendants at the four corners.
Earlier blog posts
8/28/2020 Chicago Millwork Supply Company catalog of 1931
10/6/2019 History of Hinkle & Company (1833-1870)
9/17/2019 History of Mulliner Box & Planing Company
6/3/2019 J.R. Quigley Plant, Gloucester City, New Jersey
4/23/2019 Cleveland Cottage Door
4/13/2019 Trenton historic door #2
4/10/2019 Trenton Doors #1
3/6/2019 Pressed Wood Door Knobs
2/23/2019 Gettysburg Doorscape, Part 4
2/18/2019 Gettysburg Doorscape, Part 3
2/12/2019 Gettysburg Doorscape, Part 2
2/9/2019 An Introduction to the Gettysburg Doorscape
1/22/2019 The Blake Latch
1/19/2019 Rare Four-Panel Door of 1890s
1/5/2019 Cast Iron Rim Locks
12/28/2018 Inaugural Blog Post