Not too long ago, every home had a phone landline. Even so recent as a single decade the chances of walking into a home and finding a landline were pretty high. Going even further back, phones were bulkier, heavier, and needed more room, which is why some homes boast huge phone niches in their walls.
Homebuilders didn’t foresee tiny, science-fiction computers in every pocket. If you still have a landline, there’s no reason not to use this handy cubby, but if you don’t they’re perfect places to leave purses, backpacks, lunch boxes, or mail. Or, fill it up with a potted plant!
These Things Used to be Cool
Small cabinets with tiny doors might be a handy place to keep some valuables, but back in the day, they had a specific use. They're called iceboxes, sometimes known as cold closets, and before the advent and widespread use of refrigerators they were used to keep cold food cold. Before electricity, delivery people would bring ice and put it in from outside, so they didn't enter the house.
Iceboxes slowly improved. Some joined early refrigerators or sat in cabinets built into the wall. As technology advanced, drainage systems were added to keep melted ice from ruining floors. But, over time, freezing refrigerators made this piece of tech obsolete.
A Solitary Basement Toilet
A strange feature of World War II-era homes is a random toilet in the basement. Known as “Pittsburgh potties” (thanks to how frequent they are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), they're found all over the U.S. It's a bit of a mystery why these toilets were here. Some think they're for workmen to use without dirtying the proper bathrooms, but architect William Martin says they aren't for use at all.
Martin says the strange lonely toilet in the basement was to be used as a sewage backup – if a pipe becomes clogged, the bathtub or toilet could overflow. A basement toilet was used to detect overflows quicker, and give the sewage a little bit of extra space.
House Bees Have Been Around for Ages
If you live in (or are renovating) an old home, there's a chance you'll find a surprising beehive behind one of the walls. This is actually on purpose since close bees mean close, fresh honey. Settled behind the walls, bees used special pipes and openings to keep the living spaces buzz-free.
First discovered in homes that date back to around 60 AD, homeowners have been encouraging house bees for almost two thousand years. Homeowners would sometimes even uproot old hives to encourage bees to move in. The bees usually ended up staying, since walls provided warmth in the winter and shade during the summer. At least it isn't a wasp nest.
Bombs Away!
It's likely you've seen a home with one of these laundry chutes, even if it's nailed shut for the protection of little ones. Some homes still even use them to reduce clean-up time – and if you're young, there's nothing so fun as dropping something down into the laundry basket waiting at the bottom.
Newspapers first described linen chutes back in the 1890s, but no one is really sure when they started popping up. They're usually in central locations such as hallways or main rooms, but they can sometimes appear in bedrooms or bathrooms. If you have one, your laundry is sure to be a breeze.