Closets in old houses. Probably a question for Launderess

[davey7]

There is often a big variation in closet provision in older houses and apartments. I grew up in a building built in 1906 and it had four closets (plus pantry) for three bedrooms. However, immediately before that we lived in an apartment that was only maybe, at most, ten years newer, more like 6 years (I think it was built in 1912) and it has a linen room and a cedar room, both with windows on a light well and floor to ceiling built ins, plus two pantries and a hall closet we stored bikes in!

My parents moved to a 20's building that has four closets (three walk in, one with cedar built ins and still big enough for a desk) plus two short corridors with floor to ceiling storage. My place is about the same vintage (a year newer) but has no walk-in closets or cedar closets.

 

[washerboy]

1924 craftsman

Closets???? what's that??? my house was built in 1924 with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath.. one in each bedroom. They are very small in comparision (not big enough to whip a cat in according to my cousin) to modern construction. I've been told that back in the day people didn't have many clothes so they didn't need big closets. It's a challange for sure. I do have a good size attic but to access it one has to drop down the ceiling in the hallway which is also a staircase. My partner lives in a 1929 craftsman and he's got 2 stories and a full attic. he has a window in his cedar closet. We've often wondered the same as to why there was a window in there. It is orgianl to the house, small and narrow compared to the other windows in the house. So maybe light and ventalation..we do live in the deep south and mold is a constant...maybe it has something to do with helping to combat mold. it's a mystery!!

 

[athanasius80]

I've heard different things about closets over the years.

1. I've heard more than once that tax assessors counted closets as rooms, and that deterred many people from having them. (Of course this wasn't a concern for people with a certain amount of money or with favorable taxes.)

2. The closet with window thing. Somewhere in one of the 1910s "houses by mail" catalogs they promoted closets with windows as a healthful and convenient way to make sure that your clothes can be aired out. (This was also the era of sleeping porches and plenty of fresh air to reduce your chances of getting tuberculosis and other respiratory illness.)

3. Smaller closets mean less clothing? I have friends who have old houses and friends who wear vintage (1920s-1960s) clothes daily, and the question of how much clothing people really had comes up often. Everyone seems to come up to the conclusion that people simply had less clothing. One friend lives in a 1923 bungalow and met the original owner's son. She asked him about the small closets, and he chuckled and said, "Well all I had then were two suits, and one was for Sunday." From other reminiscences, it seems like your average person back then had something like 3 outfits, and they were worn and mended until they were worn out.

And of course out of season clothing would be stored away in trunks.

 

[g3bill]

ALMOST NOT MANY HAD ELECTRIC LIGHTING TILL ABOUT THE TEENS OR 20'S IN THERE HOMES UNLESS THEY WERE VERY RICH. DOUBT THEY WOULD HAVE INSTALLED GAS LIGHTS IN A CLOSET BUT NOT SURE?. AS SAID ABOVE WINDOWS FOR VENTALATION ALSO NO A/C IN THOSE DAYS.