Replies

1. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 02, 2007 01:13am | #1

   If you literally mean Federal (late 18th century - around 1820) if you pre-Greek Revival I would suggest either 6-panel or 8-panel doors (if height permits).   Simple bead / raised panel would be fine.    Do you have any photos of the house in question?

   Jeff

1. 
   kate | Mar 02, 2007 01:37am | #2

   Second the motion...I grew up in a 1790 Federal in Mass., & that's what it had - (6 panel in front rooms, 4 panel in the kitchen, back hall, attic, & back bedrooms.)

2. 
   RW | Mar 02, 2007 01:56am | #3

   I'm looking at my field guide by McAlester . . . everything they show is a 6 panel door. Almost all of them have lites over the door, some have flanking the door as well. Lites above, there's one reference to a rectangular lite and the rest are rounded. Probably where the term paladian window comes from.

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

1. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 02, 2007 02:12am | #4

   Thanks for all the responses so far.

   Since I'm not very familiar with this style, can anyone explain how the panels are arranged?  I'm assuming that the panels are in two columns.  Is there typically a rail right about the same elevation as the lockset?

   In a six-panel layout, would the top two panels close to being square in shape?

   Thanks again for the help!

   Edited 3/1/2007 6:15 pm ET by Ragnar17

1. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 04, 2007 05:04am | #6

   Attached is a picture of what I'm assuming is a Federal style, six-panel door.  I'm also attaching a detail picture of the door hardware.  Based on everyone's experience, is the general style of the door hardware very typical to the Federal style?

   Thanks again for the input.

1. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 04, 2007 06:50am | #7

   Nope.

   Your photos illustrate a recessed-panel, Colonial Revival door with late Colonial Revival/early Art Deco hardware, circa 1930.

   Jeff

   Edited 3/3/2007 10:52 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke

1. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 04, 2007 07:10am | #9

   Thanks for the help, Jeff.  I'm new to this style and am trying to figure out what was historically appropriate.

   I would agree with you that the hardware seems "Colonial Revival".

   What would a Federal door look like then?  What would be different about it?  Also, what would typical Federal hardware look like?

    

2. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 04, 2007 09:29am | #10

   A popular lock for the time would have been the Carpenter lock - that's a trade name (persons name) - still imported from England at that time (see attached).   Reproductions and antiques are both available - the attached is from Ball and Ball ($ticker $hock).

   See this - http://books.google.com/books?id=csG_RTegDDkC&pg=RA1-PA143&lpg=RA1-PA143&dq=federal+style+door&source=web&ots=BzvmcVNkNI&sig=36Ry8q-EK3NkOT7KGHFilmRtUco  (use the zoom tool)

   and attachment

   You'll note there's a bit more of a suggestion of flat rather than raised panels, so I stand corrected there, although sometimes what we se around here are the raised panels reversed to the square rather than ovolo bead side.

    

   Jeff

   Edited 3/4/2007 1:36 am ET by Jeff_Clarke

3. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 04, 2007 08:45pm | #11

   Thanks for the link, Jeff.  There's a ton of useful information there.

   Regarding the locks, I guess it would make sense that they were using rim locks at that time period (Federal time period).  I don't know enough to know when the mortise lock became standard for interior doors... 1890s maybe?

   Thanks again for the links!

4. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 05, 2007 09:41am | #12

   Mortise locks had been around since the turn of the (19th) century, but you don't see them in common use in the US until the 1840's or so, and more commonly after the Civil War.   Doors simply weren't thick enough until the Greek Revival style started 'beefing' everything up.

   A Georgian or Federal interior door with a rimlock is typically around 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" thick.

    

   Jeff

   Edited 3/5/2007 1:41 am ET by Jeff_Clarke

2. 
   BowBear | Mar 07, 2007 09:58pm | #18

   Cross and bibleAn ex-boat builder treading water!

2. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 02, 2007 02:18am | #5

   RW,

   See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladian_architecture

   Andrea Palladio (1508–1580).

   Thanks for the help with the Federal doors!

3. 
   rez | Mar 04, 2007 06:52am | #8

   bump

    

    

   every court needs a jester

4. 
   Piffin | Mar 05, 2007 01:12pm | #13

   Jeff has a lot of great stuff for you already. I would add a bit.
   I see this is the place with the Bullreed casing. Both that and the knob style are yelling 1920-1940s to me.

   Are you trying to date the house or match millwork throughout?

   reason I ask is that the trim surronding a door and the way the jamb is milled tells you a lot too. The connections - how made and if pegged or blind mortised can be suggesive
   A lot of old houses have had an update of features like doors and trim styles at least once in their history. an exterior photo and some others of different millwork in the home would hel;p ID style and age better than a single door that may or may not have been changed at some point in time.

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 05, 2007 09:36pm | #14

   Piffin,

   The homeowner is going to be showing his house as part of an old house tour.  I'm trying to help to write a description of the house as part of that tour.  We've already dated the house exactly -- December 1941.

   Unfortunately, my architectural expertise is limited to the 1900-1930 time period, so that's why I'm asking questions here! 

   I was especially interested in identifying the door style -- I think that we'll simply refer to it as a six-panel type, as opposed to using the Federal term.  Since it's obviously not in a Federal style house, I don't think it would be appropriate.

   The miter work on the window and door casings was just something that I was curious about.  I do a lot of finish carpentry work (1900-1930), and hadn't seen the corners executed that way before.  So on a personal level, mostly, I was really just curious to find out if anyone knew what it was called.

   Regards,

   Ragnar

   Edited 3/5/2007 1:37 pm ET by Ragnar17

1. 
   Piffin | Mar 05, 2007 10:17pm | #15

   Thanks. It's good to have the context. I think the six panel has been in common use for much of the last eighty years.Have fun with it. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 06, 2007 02:42am | #16

   Door style (existing) is Colonial Revival ;o)Jeff

3. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Mar 07, 2007 08:48pm | #17

   http://restoredvintagehardware.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?product=Rim_Locks

   See authentic Lasseter and Vaughn locks of the period.

    

   Jeff