Why are some brownstone doorknobs so low?
Does anyone know why some brownstone doorknobs are so low? I don’t buy the “people were shorter back then” theory, as I’m 5 feet tall and it’s still pretty low for me. Any other ideas?

zblaxghbenyptkoq
in General Discussion 8 years and 10 months ago
17
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hancockone | 8 years and 9 months ago
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I can answer MDR’s question about where the door swings. Doors that swing into the room are called privacy doors and were popular in the 19th century. You could leave the door partly open for ventilation and still have privacy, in that you can’t see into the room. Also, when domestic servants were the norm, you had a moment to arrange yourself before the maid entered the room. I still have them in my 1881 brownstone.

cate | 8 years and 9 months ago
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MDR, is it possible the doors you are talking about were originally pocket doors that were adapted? OP, fashions come and go. The knobs on our 1890s are mostly about 35 inches off the ground, though there are a few lower ones. If you look at American interior decor during the Victorian era (1837-1801), you will see it’s all very elongated and top heavy: For example, the protruding hoods over doors and windows on 1860s brownstones, the extremely long parlor-floor windows, and the giant top moldings towering over the small bottom moldings on doors throughout the era. If you look at illustrations of 1880s Victorian interiors, you’ll see the chairs, doorknobs, tables, and such all appear relatively low to the ground compared to the windows, ceilings, and such — perhaps an effort to make the latter appear as high and tall as possible. In general, it was a very vertical era — especially compared to the 20th century, when design became horizontal and spread out (Greene & Greene, Frank Lloyd Wright, ranch houses, suburbs), in part because of changes in transportation.

zblaxghbenyptkoq | 8 years and 9 months ago
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I just measured the height of the doorknob, it’s at 24-25″. That’s super low, even for a short person like me! I estimate the brownstone was built in the 1850s-60s, based on old maps and newspaper clippings. I’m pretty sure the doors are original, but less sure about the doorknobs/locks. They do look old in any case
@cate Curious why it was the fashion back then?
@NeoGrec I’m not British, but that’s interesting to know!

AndrewPorter | 8 years and 9 months ago
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Has anyone ever thought that people were shorter in the 1800s, when these buildings were built?

MDR | 8 years and 9 months ago
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The knobs on my 1870’s house are at 31-32″. I think the standard just evolved over time – now typically 36″. It also used to be the standard for bathroom vanities to be 30-32″ tall, now that seems way too low. Also perplexing is why they would mount the doors so they swing into the middle of the room instead of towards a corner. And why my nine foot tall parlor doors are mounted with just two hinges…

NeoGrec | 8 years and 9 months ago
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Trees, Are you British by chance? The doorknobs in Victorian houses across the pond are placed much higher up. It’s always surprised me how low they are here and family and friends from the UK often comment on it.

BobMarvin | 8 years and 9 months ago
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Cate’s answer may be the best. On a slightly related topic, regarding height and doorways, when I bought my house I found an old, perhaps original, front door awning frame and canvass awning stored in the cellar. When I installed them at the top of my stoop I found that the awning was only about 4′ high, requiring me to bend over double. The old canvass disintegrated almost immediately and I removed the frame.

cate | 8 years and 9 months ago
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It was the fashion.

catbk | 8 years and 9 months ago
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Probably a very short door contractor in 1880?

BobMarvin | 8 years and 9 months ago
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I’m not sure what’s considered low but, FWIW, the one modern door I have in my house has the knob at about the same height as all the others. However, my 1099 house is fairly late as brownstones go–earlier houses mught be different.

Arkady | 8 years and 9 months ago
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Maybe Montrose would know.

zblaxghbenyptkoq | 8 years and 10 months ago
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I’ll have to measure the doorknob when I’m home. It’s both the front door and vestibule door knobs. I live in Carroll Gardens, and walking around the neighborhood and Boerum Hill area, I’ve noticed a few other brownstones with the same feature. Just an anomaly I’ve been curious about! Haven’t been able to find anything on google either.

BobMarvin | 8 years and 10 months ago
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LOL–having lived in brownstones since 1970 I probably consider 19th Century standards to be the norm.

neilw | 8 years and 10 months ago
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Definitely the case in my brownstone, which has I think the original doors, and no idea why. The center (lock) rail is very low on all the doors.

BobMarvin | 8 years and 10 months ago
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I don’t doubt that the OP has encountered unusually low door knobs, but, FWIW, my house doesn’t have that, nor do any of my neighbors’ houses, that I’ve seen, or any of the hundreds [thousands?]of brownstones I’ve seen in 40+ years of attending house tours

lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 10 months ago
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What height is the doorknob?

lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 10 months ago
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What height is the doorknob?