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Doors to the Past:
Architectural Elements of
Early Huguenot Street
Leslie LeFevre-Stratton
Curator
Recently on exhibit
in the Howard Hasbrouck Grimm Gallery were architectural elements
from the early houses on Huguenot Street. Early twentieth-century
homeowners probably originally discovered most of these items,
including fragments of doors, hinges, floorboards, and other
materials, during remodeling or repair efforts.
The examples were then stowed away in attics or basements and
later salvaged by the Society as important historic material. Many
of these objects retain vestiges of early paint and original wrought
iron hardware. Most examples are well crafted, exhibiting the
construction skills of their builders. Considered as a group, these
architectural pieces will inform restoration projects conducted by
the Society in the future and help us gain a better understanding of
construction techniques used in the 17th and early 18th
centuries.
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This early 18th century pine door (ARCH. 97.07) with false
panel construction came from the cellar entrance of the DuBois
Fort (c. 1705). It retains original hardware including strap
hinges, a slide bolt, and latch with incised hatch marks. It
has been suggested that on very early hardware (17th century
and earlier) these marks were used to ward off evil spirits.
Later however, the marks simply became decorative devices. The
door retains its early blue gray paint. The molding profile on
the paneling is typical of early 18th century moldings found
in the area. The function of the patched opening is
unknown. |
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Upper and lower portion of a
door
Pine
Tongue and groove construction
Early 18th
century
This divided door, originally
installed in the Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck House (c.1721)
retains remnants of early
paint and has wrought iron hardware, including typical Dutch
form "pancake" strap hinges. A small window was cut into the
upper portion of the door at a later date.
ARCH. 97.01 |
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Shutters
Pine
False panel construction
Early 18th
century
The shutter on the left came from the oldest portion of the
Terwilliger House (c.1738-1764), a Dutch stone farmhouse
approximately three miles south of New Paltz. The shutter is
constructed with clenched wrought iron "T-head" nails.
The shutter on the right is from a small window located
on the west wall of the kitchen in the Jean [Jacob]
Hasbrouck House. It is exhibited here in its closed
position. Note leather washers under the nails on
the "pancake" nail pad of the top strap hinge. Small
pieces of leather were commonly used to tighten contact
between the nail head and pad.
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Panel remnant from a box
bed
Pine
Mortise and tenon construction with
floating
panels
Early 18th century
There is evidence that a paneled
box bed was originally located in the Jean [Jacob] Hasbrouck
House. A Dutch form, enclosed beds were apparently used
in early New York, but intact period examples no longer
exist. The remnant displayed here retains some original
paint in colors favored by the Dutch: blue-gray and
a reddish-orange. The projecting panels are fashioned
from one board, centered by the mortise and tenon framework
and applied molding.
ARCH. 97.03 | |
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