…FOR THE DEAD! Coffin doors are often found in old Victorian New England homes, and we’re going to guess you know what they’re for. Due to the placement of homes, the front parlor was usually the sunniest and warmest, meaning it was where homeowners entertained.
In the event of a funeral or wake, everyone would gather to say their last goodbyes. Some homes made it difficult to turn or maneuver the coffin, so an additional door was commonplace. This feature is said to be where we get the phrase “at death’s door.”
Hello, Operator? Get Me a Better Method of Communicating
Long before cell phones came about, if you needed to talk to a family member in another part of the house, you might use a speaking tube. These metal pipes ran through the walls and let you shout at each other to request more tea, ask about dinner, or trade juicy house gossip.
Believe it or not, a few places still utilize these devices: Naval ships and playgrounds. Communication is paramount on the first to avoid dangerous accidents, and for the second, why, what's more fun than shouting into a tube and having your friend on the other side of the park hear it?
Kchh, We're Getting Closer, Kchh
After speaking tubes stopped making sense, intercoms filled the void in almost-useful home communication. Set in walls and featured in numerous rooms around the house, you could toggle these intercoms to speak to certain places, adjust volume, and even ask who was at the front door. During their heyday, they were the height of convenient tech, but if you still have one in your home, it's just waiting to be removed.
The funny thing is, these have kind of made a comeback – front door cameras and speakers are essentially doing the same thing, just with better methods and technology.
Playing Double Dutch with the Doors
What was the purpose of a door that is halved through the middle? As the name suggests, Dutch doors were common in the Netherlands in the 17th century and were primarily used on farms to keep animals out and children in, while also allowing a fresh breeze to blow through. Dutch settlers brought the style to the US, which is why it's not uncommon to see Dutch doors on rural houses in New York and New Jersey.
They aren't super useful nowadays unless you're a farmer, but if you like the look it isn't too hard to make your own with some simple woodworking skills.
No Answer Needed
The landline is gone. So are the phone book, and the address book. Next to go is the answering machine, which people used to leave voice mails to each other if they couldn't pick up. These still exist inside your phone, but even they are getting less and less use (other than from telemarketers and scammers, though I repeat myself) since most of the time it's easier to leave text messages.
It's sometimes fun to browse the old messages that might still remain on these devices, but they're so outdated – and few people consider them worth keeping around – it's unlikely you have access to one.