Discoveries 5 – 7!
Refinishing the trim in the Round Bedroom continues. You can see the old dark finish on the baseboard, lower left. The lighter finish, long obscured, is the original “oak” faux bois finish. Now, see the vertical trim, left? It revealed an unexpected surprise.
The location of the 1894 call button! Zounds! I was soooooo excited! The only call button remaining in the house is in the dining room, and it is round. But the call button in Round Bedroom appears to have had a vertical rectangular back plate. You can still see the 1894 annunciator wiring in the round hole.
All excited, I was curious: Where were all the other call buttons on the second floor? I knew the location of the Sewing Room button as its original wiring sticks out from the door trim. But what about the Octagon Bedroom? It was found on the trim to the original closet, left side. The closet is now a bathroom. It also appears to have had a vertical rectangular plate.
The call button in the Long Bedroom was found on the entry door trim, left side. Curiously, this appears to have been a round button. Yes, how very curious.
I will be recreating the annunciator system in the house, and reinstating its attendant call buttons in their original locations.
I find this all…a lot of fun.
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I love that you are doing this. In our house we had 2 in the floor when we moved in. Unfortunately when we had the floors redone, they took out one. 🙁
Yay!, you are so lucky to have found those!
To test them, twist the ends together at the call button location, go downstairs to find the bundle of wires at the annunciator panel.
Get a cheap multimeter from Home Despot and check for continuity.
When you find the two wires that beep, label the pair in the kitchen as to the room you twisted the ends and try the next room.
The odds are pretty good that some of the wires are still sound.
If not, then you know which ones to replace.
Hi, Blair!
I plan to string all new call bell wiring. The house is so pulled apart that this will not be hard.
Hi Ross! I am so excited by these new discoveries as they happen! Thanks so much for sharing in your gleeful happiness! 🙂
Love this, great find!!
So exciting Ross, this small discovery is a big deal. Glad you are going to restore the annunciator system.
Oh what fun you’ll have! Love it! 🙂
Ross = Pinkerton detective
Love it!!
Hi Ross,
This is another fab new find and I cannot wait to see how all this comes together when everything is linked up once more.
Growing up, my family had an Edwardian house with bells in all the main public rooms and the indicator in what had been the kitchen, complete with servant bed space in an alcove. My siblings and I used to love ringing the ones in our bedrooms to make our Dad think it was the front door. There, each room had a bell button inset to the plaster next to each fireplace. Having them in the floor and attached to doorframes might be an American invention.
Excited to see the latest developments coming up.
Colin