Thursday, September 11, 2008

What's Behind Door No. 1?

Any idea what's inside the space behind this door?
Maybe I SHOULD say: What used to be inside this space?

I am sure some of our wise, older bloggers will know!
Most likely some younger ones have a good idea.

16 comments:

Jim Klenke said...

No idea, but I will guess a lawn mower. LOL.

Tanya Breese said...

Well I feel dumb because I have no idea,lol...but I love that door!

We have a small door under the stairs outside that we haven't opened yet. It's been painted shut, I'll need a chisel to break in!

Janet said...

No Jim, no mower. There were no mowers when this place was built.

Hint: Look at the whole picture, not just the door.

Kate said...

The vent or vines must be connected somehow. A root cellar, wine? Food of some kind??

Virginia said...

Love the door and I am going with a potty!

Knoxville Girl said...

There are big stone barns in eastern PA with that same vent pattern, so this city girl guesses hidden livestock or hay.
Love that blue door.

Lucy B said...

My Mom said she thinks it is a house on Mabry where they once had a horse and buggy and the horse lived in that room.

My first thought was some type of an animal because of the breathing holes.

Janet said...

Lucy, your Mom is right about the location. It's on Mabry Street, but Kate is closest to its use.

Anonymous said...

My grandfather lived and died in the mountains of West Virginia and they had two kinds of root cellars there. One was totally under dirt or build into the side of a mountain. It had a door something like this but it also had what looked like a stove pipe sticking out of the dirt and the door had a square design cut into it for the chimney/vent to suck outside air through it.

The other type was built between two rooms and became like a third room that was always in the shade as it was shaded and was on the north side of the building. It had vents in the door. And the door opened into the kitchen.

So I would say something like Kate did. An upground cellar or a root cellar.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

how about bricks? :)

Janet said...

Kate and Abe are very close. This room did once contain a type of food, and there was an underground cellar right next to it in the same building,but it was used for another type of food, then another room on the opposite end.
The main house on this spread was built prior to the War Between the States.

Kate said...

I'll try again: mushrooms??

Janet said...

Okay folks, the room behind this door was used back before there was Winn-Dixie, and you couldn't just go to the grocery store to buy meat.

So, the correct answer is "Smokehouse." It's where meats, such as hams, were hung from the beams to cure.

So, Kate and Abe were right about it being connected to food.

There will be more to come later, but tomorrow is Skywatch Friday!

Thanks for all your answers.

This storehouse is located behind Sturdivant Hall, an antebellum mansion that is now a museum.

Marie said...

I am glad you wrote the answer before I wrote my proposal or else I would have made myself a fool :-)))

Anonymous said...

I will gladly accept the first smoked ham you come across as a door prize for my being close. I don't have a clue what Kate might like but the cured ham will do nicely for me. "Yipee! Honey. Put some kindling in the cook stove 'cause we're gonna eat high on the hog tonight."

dot said...

I was going to say storm cellar. LOL I love the picture!