Reanimating 1894
When the Cross House was built in 1894 it was quite high-tech in having gas/electric combination lighting.
Every night, to light a room, one would reach up to the turn-key switches on the overhead fixtures or sconces, and click on a bulb. Each gas jet had to be individually lighted.
Today, this would seem tedious but in 1894 this must have been a wonder.
The house had not a single electrical outlet. As no electric devices had yet been invented.
I did though find two wall switches: one in the telephone closet and one to, it seems, the porte-cochère.
In pondering this curiosity I arrived at this:
- A gas fixture in the small telephone closet would have asphyxiated a person during a long telephone conversation. It is also of interest that the closet has the only transom window in the house. Obviously, ventilation was a concern.
- A gas/electric fixture hanging from the very tall ceiling of the porte-cochère would not have been reachable. Except by a tall ladder. Which seems ridiculous.
By having these two fixture electric only, the above problems vanished.
But, could the 1894 switches be reanimated? They have visible porcelain bases, with metal covers, and then a wood knob. Way cool. I have desperate to use them.
But could I? I have been pondering this question for years now.
Today, Justin sent an answer.
Click here:
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That is really cool! And, what a satisfying clunk! Very exciting!
That is a very cool switch! I have experience with the turn-style switches of this format (which usually house some form of rotating knife or button contacts), but never a push/pull one like this. Very neat!
If you haven’t already (or needed), the contacts are likely heavy and durable copper, which can be cleaned with fine emery cloth and/or an electrical contact cleaner (like Caig DeoxIT), and moving components lubricated with silicone dielectric grease.
Wow – that is so cool! 🙂
Awesome!!!
It takes a village…..
Thought of something after my post… in olden days chandeliers were lowered & raised w ropes to light the gas lights individually. Perhaps in the Porte-cochere this method was used?
Omg! Ummmm that has to sound/feel so satisfying for you! How cool is that?!?!
How interesting. Looks more like a doorbell than a light switch. But it works.
That’s so cool! Glad it’s working. I would love to hear more details about how you got it working.
Could you also please reply to the lighting related messages I sent you? Thanks!
Pretty amazing, that is so cool. So many things we take for granted.
It’s ALIVE! ALIIIIVEE!!!!!
thrilled to see video on this blog! thx so much @Ross – so fun.