Like an icebox, a milk chute was built with two openings: one inside the home for the homeowner to take a fresh bottle out, and one outside for the milk delivery man to put the fresh bottle in. These delivery men usually came early in the morning – before breakfast – so they needed a way to deliver without disturbing sleepers.
Milkmen wouldn’t just deliver milk, too. Depending on your deal, they could deliver eggs, cheese, butter, and even soft drinks. Believe it or not, these doors might still see some use since some people in the U.S. still get milk delivered.
Here's One You Probably Know
Dumbwaiters are small freight elevators – mostly designed to go vertically, though horizontal versions aren't unheard of – that transport items from one room to another. Starting in the eighteen hundreds, dumbwaiters were used to transport food from kitchens to living rooms or bedrooms.
These items are still in use in some places such as hospitals, retirement homes, or restaurants. Modern versions have been updated with electric monitors, automatic control systems, and faster motors to keep food hot and fresh before it gets to its hungry patrons. Most homes don't need them anymore, so even if you do find one, they probably won't be in use.
Dirty Boots? No Longer
Sanitary conditions in rural and urban areas used to be a lot worse, with mucky streets and gutters full of refuse. Some homes featured small ornaments right outside the front door: boot scrapers, able to remove mud and other unseemly substances from footwear before entering the home.
Boot scrapers came from the French, and were called “decrottoir”, and came in many different versions. Some had ornate spirals or designs with animals. They don't seem like such a bad idea, especially if you live in an area that has lots of mud or dirt. Even if you don't need them, they're sure to start a conversation.
Just Hanging Out
Picture railings are small wooden railings near the ceiling, you have picture rails. Built mainly in the 1840s, architects added these items into homes to make hanging pictures easy. All you have to do is slip a hook into the railing to hang pictures with ease.
While picture rails may be outdated now, the basic idea has ended up being pretty helpful. You can even easily install your own picture rail if you aren't interested in pounding nails into your walls. Depending on your interior design acumen, you can make this old detail new again. Just add pictures.
Wiring Techniques Have Improved
Owners of old homes are sure to be used to copper wires and tubes stretching across their ceiling. They're called knob-and-tube wiring, a common method used from the eighteen-eighties to the nineteen forties. Covered in porcelain to protect them, copper wires went from room to room for power and other services.
This type of wiring may have worked, but installation was difficult and expensive compared to modern wiring. It isn't even legal to install this kind of wiring anymore, but if you look carefully, you may find old buildings that still have it hung up.