Saw a chimney in Savannah that still had a functional trap door from 1890

I was down in Savannah last month for a job and noticed this old house's chimney still had a working cleanout trap door from the 1890s, anyone else ever run into those historic features that still work?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicew682mo ago

Love finding old stuff like that that still works... I ran across one in Charleston where the original iron hardware was still moving smooth as butter, no rust or nothing. It's wild how they built things to last back then, compared to the junk we slap together today. That trap door probably outlasted three or four roof replacements by now. You gotta respect the craftsmanship even if you don't know who did it. Makes you wonder what else is hiding behind those old bricks.

the_riley2mo ago

Right on @alicew68, found a 1800s farm gate hinge that still swung perfect...

hill.andrew1mo ago

Yeah, "built to last" is exactly right. I had an old barn on my property with a hay loft trap door that still lifted smooth as could be, and the hardware was probably from the 1880s. No fancy rust proofing, just good iron and a simple design that works. It's kind of humbling to find something that basic that still does its job after all those years. Makes you realize we don't always need all this overengineered stuff.