Reddit User: NotenufCoffee comments this on reddit: "Could it instead be a fallout shelter? Fallout shelters were popular in the 1950's and the early 60's and would have been added into the basement of the home. Unlike a bomb shelter, it would be designed to store food and water and provide a livable, radiation-free space for a week or more should the Russians attack with an Atomic bomb. Typically they were about 50 square feet in size and would have a concrete roof all it's own underneath the basement rafters."
Bomb shelter could be more accurate but it's 100% not a "fallout shelter" being that atomic/nuclear weapons hadn't been invented yet in 1939 so there was no such thing as "fall out" at that time.
The glass on the Dining Room door was a push plate. It was there so that when the the maid or cook served the meals, they would not get anything on the painted door woodwork. That is really special that it has survived. Absolutely love this house! Phenomenal that so many original details survived.
Very aesthetic rehab . back in the day when building a home was still done with craftsmanship not cookie cutter and subpar building construction. Oh the good days when pride and ethics were the norm ! Thank you Ken for another great home tour .
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What a lovely home. It’s beautifully restored - who would ever guess that was drywall? - with so many pretty features and I even love all the furnishings. When you walked in, I just sort of breathed out and felt instantly relaxed and comfortable. Just what we’re all looking for! I’m about to close on what was my home for many years on Oct 29th and while it wasn’t as large as this, it was built in 1941 so they shared some common features. I know someone mentioned replacing the wrought iron railings, but those were original. They were definitely a thing during this time period and I had them in my home as well. All the niches, wood trim, the barrel ceilings, the sloped ceilings upstairs, the lovely windows and light - all remind me of my old home and the homes of the neighborhood. Thanks, Ken! I’m excited to hear you’ll be showing more in this neighborhood. I do hope we’ll see some more much older homes again, too. I miss those!
Your house sounds gorgeous! The homes from this period really are spectacular in the most understated way. Our next house tour is going to be of a Mid Century Modern home, but don’t worry, the following video on Friday will be of a Victorian Era house 😃
@@ThisHouse They were often made of glass! The ones on my swinging dining room door in my 1920 house were glass on the kitchen side and decorative brass on the dining room side (when the door was in closed position).
We use them on swinging doors in restaurants as well. Mostly because it's a spot that gets dirty and worn quickly. Just replace the plate instead of refinishing the door. Nowadays they are usually made of clear plastic or aluminum. Cheers.
My 1897 house has a swinging door that separates the kitchen and dining room. I think it’s original although it could have been added when the original owners did a massive renovation of the house in 1915-1920. I think both sides of mine are brass but one side is smooth and the other side is decorated with raised designs. I’m renovating my house now, so I have to remove the paint from the door. I’ll know for sure in the spring (when I continue my lead paint removal) but I’m pretty sure mine is all brass. My house is located in the Hamilton Heights/West End area of St. Louis city.
I love old houses as I myself live in an apartment building built in 1937. I also have a push plate on my kitchen door that swings into my dining room. Nice hardwood floors. The only thing I would change is the wrought iron railing inside the home. This home is in very nice condition. Thanks for the tour Ken!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The thing about the handplate / push plate that caught me off-guard was that it was transparent. I had never seen a transparent one in an older home.
@Kathy Kline , please do not change the wrought iron railings , they are made by an ironwork craftsman they are very authentic to 30 's construction. Thank you.
Now that’s a really nice house Ken, I love all the niches and the ceilings. It’s a little pricey for my budget but it’s a great home for a family with so much living space. As again, I thoroughly enjoyed your tour and am constantly amazed at the wide variety of homes you tour, you’re doing a fantastic job. Your friends ChuckandMax
We're so glad you enjoyed it! It really encapsulates everything about 30's design, we hope to tour more homes in this neighborhood.. the whole street would blow you away as each home is unique and from the same time period.
I always wanted to see inside homes of that era, and courtesy of this channel I got the chance. Great house. It's roomier inside than I had imagined it could be.
Being a 1939 home I'd say the "Bomb shelter" was more of a tornado shelter/root cellar in addition to a being cool place to hang out on a hot, muggy Missouri afternoon before air conditioning was a thing.
I love the house. You do a great job of orienting us as you go through the house, I don't ever feel like I'm lost and don't know where in the house we are. The basement is awesome.
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(Re post) Being a 1939 home I'd say the "Bomb shelter" was more of a tornado shelter/root cellar in addition to a being cool place to hang out on a hot, muggy Missouri afternoon before air conditioning was a thing. If it was civil war era or 50/60's that might be a thing but nobody in the 1930's living in the center of the US was worried about getting bombed. I bet it was mostly about cooling.
The thing on door going into the kitchen is just a push panel. It is a protective plate that you push on ( instead of pushing on the paint and wearing it off and getting it dirty). 🙂
Wonderful stained woodwork! That door cover is a "push plate." Looks like electric heat. How high is the ceiling going upstairs? Upstairs painted woodwork. GREAT video! Does the basement have a sump pump?
We've looked at several 1930's houses in U City that have that type of concrete form ceiling in parts. usually over a garage space- e.g. a basement garage, or with an outdoor deck or bonus room of some sort above. etc. For whatever reason, it was simply a common construction method of the time. 30's is much too old for a "bomb shelter" which did not come into fashion until "the atomic age" Cuban Missile Crisis, etc. Not only that, a shelter would not have windows or an open staircase, etc.
Handplate, I have one on my swinging door into the kitchen, that home is much more spacious than it appears from the street. Nice master addition. I vote tornado.
@@ThisHouse I later Googled hand plate and at home supply stores they are calling them push plates. I still have plans for a fallout shelter that my Dad had amongst papers (printed by General Motors), but I can remember him looking at the plan in the sixties and saying, "this is not going to save anyone." He did not build one. Cuban missle crisis freaked the parents out temporarily. Later, people said "the living shall envy the dead," so not much point to give up part of the rathskellar, a St. Louis favored word for basement recroom in the sixties.
The basement is of an interesting construction with the concrete, but I don't think it would have been a bomb shelter. It would not have had a window or fireplace and would have had a heavy solid door. Still, it was interesting.
I have watched several of this channel’s house tours. I noticed that Ken calls doorways “archways”. He calls them that even when they are square rather than arches. Is that what doorways are called in Missouri?
I think you should grab the camera and record yourself and narrate the video as you see the screen, you talk about a lot of details of the houses while i can only see you at all times.
Any wavy glass left or all new windows? Do people finally realize some updates (like the horrific kitchen!!!) are not only aesthetically unpleasing but are an assault to history? I would have found a house that is being torn down and found old things to restore, not update. UGH!
What a charmer. It reminds me of a childhood friend’s house in an old established neighborhood in the west end of Baltimore City. Alas, it is probably a slum now……..just sayin’ 😥
What a talent to state the obvious. "Here is a bathroom, here is the sink"... tell us something we don't know "...I really liked how you originally started your channel talking about the history of your town, it has now morfed into the most boring real estate channel....sad...the houses are nice, the narration: meh
I think This House is doing a great job. A week old youtube account that someone made to troll with definetly confirms it. Cant have success without haters. Keep up the great work Ken!
We are not a real estate channel, nor do we benefit from the sale of these homes in any way. This channel focuses on older homes, their architecture, and their history. It is curious how young your account is. Did you make it to troll us? We welcome constructive criticism, but will not tolerate toxic negativity.
@Ken ,so sad that the troll a lonely hurt person is compelled to spew their vitriol thinking it will make them powerful for a nanosecond. So glad you replied to this troll with dignity.
