From the Peak House Heritage Center (always interesting – subscribe yourself to get their version with better formatting) –
Medfield’s Peak House Heritage Center
+ What’s New for February +   + Object of the Month #1 Ever heard the saying, “Dead as a doornail“? Whether you have or haven’t, the front door of the Peak House is a good place to begin a close-to-home story about it. As seen today, this door (36”wide by 66” high) was installed in 1924. It has two pine panels: a vertical set facing outdoors and a horizontal set inside. The outdoor panels have weathered nicely, while inside the boards were fashioned to continue the original Colonial apstrake style. l   The door is commonly called a batten door. At the Peak House horizontal boards (around 13” wide) are nailed across vertical boards (also 13” wide). The nails, called Roseheads, were special nails used in 1924 to imitate the soft iron ones first crafted by hand in Colonial times. These 3-inch nails are driven through both the outside and inside boards and then bent over, or clenched, on the inside face.   Once the door was studded with them, the nails were useless for any other purpose and thus were “dead as a doornail.” Today’s door is as strong as ever and represents the architect’s desire in 1924 to preserve and display a 1762 construction method and style. A word of historical caution. When the present building was built in 1711, it was an ell or addition to Benjamin Clark’s 1680 house. As such, no outside door was needed. When the present building was moved around 1762 to today’s location, it was then that a door was introduced to the south wall as seen today. There is no recorded or visual citation to document today’s door as original in style to what might have been. The Peak House door was built in 1924 by Abbott Lowell Cummings, a well-respected architectural historian whose best intent was to represent an authentic Colonial style. + Object of the Month #2 How is this door hung? Although iron nails were an uninspired necessity, there was room for artistic expression when it came to hinges and latches. The blacksmith could combine his own likes and abilities with regional and cultural preferences to produce eye-catching additions to panel doors. Hinges suspended the door and allowed it to swing freely. Colonial hinges were named for their shapes – strap, butterfly, cocks-head, H and H-L hinges They were usually secured on pintles, a pin or bolt forming the pivot of a hinge. The present-day hinges are a pair of pintle-strap hinges . The pintle spike required a sturdy frame and was commonly used for external doors.  + Object of the Month #3 This artistic trefoil latch opens the door today to all visitors. It appears that no door knocker was ever installed in 1924.  + Object of the Month #4 Make that Objective #4. Plan to visit the Peak House Heritage Center during a Saturday from April through October to appreciate more architectural history as well as to engage in a variety of interactive exhibits both inside and out. Catch the upcoming schedule in this newsletter or our website. Our historic door always welcomes you. + Credits Photographs by the Peak House Heritage Center Connect with us on Donate Today OnlineDonate Today by Mail Our Contact Information Peak House Heritage Center 52 South Street (Business Office) Medfield, MA 02052-2616 508-505-7742 http://www.peakhouseheritagecenter.org Unsubscribe | Manage email preferences Pete – If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, please forward it to friends who might like to read it. Thank you very much.  |
Medfield02052's Blog 
Thank you, Pete, for your kind endorsement of the newsletter.
Rob
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