Architecture question

"The Lurktastic Opponaught" (oppolurker) 08/26/2016 at 18:47 • Filed to: None

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Second edit: I just asked one of the other people that was there: 1880 was the first phase of construction. Given the following (original?) equipment in a house, how would you date the structure? We thought this might be a electromechanical call bell for the help. Edit: If anyone’s interested in a 800k-1M project house, this is a good candidate. I was just tagging along with some friends who were looking. It’s a really cool structure but needs 400k in interior and exterior work to correct deferred maintainance and modernize.

Radiator at the base of the main staircase. There were four other staircases in the house.

Thermostat

Coal burner in the sitting room. The original furnace was also present, and burned coal.

for Michigan > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 18:51

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That’s a pretty unique radiator. Never seen anything like it.

shop-teacher > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 18:52

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Whoever built that house spent a LOT of money on it. I’ll guess late 1800's.

NostalgicCarLife > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 18:57

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The thermostat is around 1910s-1920s vintage. But everything else looks older. 1900? 1890s?

jariten1781 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:03

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My great grandma’s house had a radiator very similar to that. It was built between 1900 and 1910 (forget the year exactly).

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:05

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Got any pictures of the wood work? It looks like it is cross of the Victorian and Edwardian styles. That would date it between 1890-1910. Woodwork pictures would help verify or dispell the guess.

wafflesnfalafel > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:09

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twin pipe radiator would be about the turn of the last century - I’ll guess 1897

Brian, The Life of > NostalgicCarLife 08/26/2016 at 19:11

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I think you’re right.

Brian, The Life of > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:12

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The mechanical bell crank is very likely ca. 19th century. Is it a help call or door bell crank, tho? What is on the other side of that wall? A bedroom? If so, is it separate from the other bedrooms of the house?

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:32

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Too damn old.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Brian, The Life of 08/26/2016 at 19:48

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This was in the master bedroom. The other side of the wall was a sitting room.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > NostalgicCarLife 08/26/2016 at 19:52

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The first phase was 1880.

BorkBorkBjork > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 19:56

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1870-1890. The thermostat is probably a later addition. Whoever built that house sunk a ton of money into it, everything looks state-of-the-art for the late 1800s. Would be very interesting to look into the family who built it, probably an influential group.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Brian, The Life of 08/26/2016 at 19:57

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It was a service crank. I didn’t see the terminal in either the original basement service kitchen (!) or the third floor staff quarters, but there wasn’t much light down there. I was navigating coal bins, root cellars, and a 136 year old kitchen-cum-1950's photo lab by the light of an iPotato.

gmctavish needs more space > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 21:08

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I don't have any insight, but that much original old stuff in a house is really cool

The Lurktastic Opponaught > gmctavish needs more space 08/26/2016 at 21:15

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OMG I was squealing like a kid. I love that early electromechanical stuff. I collect old lab equipment, and that early use of crude electrical systems is fan-fucking-tastic.

As an aside, this reminds me that I once had the opportunity to buy a mint condition functional mahogany and brass Sartorious balance for $400 back when I was in college. I just didn’t have the money. It’s the one “almost had it” that stings a bit more than the rest.

gmctavish needs more space > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/26/2016 at 23:18

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I didn’t know what that was, but thanks to google, now I do. I know that feeling, that’s too bad, those things look gorgeous. Maybe one day!

kanadanmajava1 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/27/2016 at 15:53

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Awesome! Is the house itself nice too? More pictures?

I live in a house built in early 50's. It’s a house model that was built in huge numbers in Finland after the WWII ended. Sadly it has been renovated couple of times and quite little remains from the original equipment. There are some cats iron vents, couple of doors and around 75% of the windows but the rest seem swapped to something more boring.

The only positive addition is the attached garage that extends the already nicely sized original garage.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > kanadanmajava1 08/27/2016 at 17:54

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No point in reinventing the wheel. Here’s the listing:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/39…

kanadanmajava1 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/27/2016 at 18:42

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That looks very nice. It seems to be in fairly original condition or at least the renovations are well hidden. The kitchen area seems to be modernized but they stay vary rarely on original condition.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > kanadanmajava1 08/27/2016 at 18:52

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As I mentioned, the house includes the original basement service kitchen with a back stair leading to the formal dining room. It has a root cellar, and the original ice box (refrigerator ?) with a wood exterior and galvanized sheet metal interior. The place is a historical treasure trove. There were preserves in really old mason jars in a cabinet in this area of the house.