While walking in and around the house, I noticed a few things. One nice feature is that there are raspberry bushes along the south fence in our backyard. Sophie will love this and I am sure we will be removing prickers from her skin for at least the next 10 years. Another interesting thing we discovered is depicted in the photo below:
I am not quite sure what it is and would love to hear people’s thoughts. It is embossed with “John Westwick & Son Co. Chicago”. Even if you have no clue, please offer a suggestion. A pint of homebrew to anyone that has the correct answer. The first guess we got was from a fellow co-worker, Chris. He suggested that it was a venom extractor. It seems like a good guess but I am not sure how useful it would have been to someone living in this house.
52 days to closing and counting.
5 comments:
What room is it in?
The item is mounted approximately 2' off the ground and is located in the hall between the bedrooms and next to the bathroom.
Any chance there are two holes in the floor below the bracket? (If floor coverings/carpet are not original, you may check from basement below if not finished off)
Is this bracket over where an old 'coal octopus' used to be in the basement?
Often there would be a chain loop used to regulate air intake to coal furnace. Saved a trip to basement just before bed-time... Often there would be a loop with a pulley at each end, but in your case it looks like it may have been for two chains to be pulled up and kept in fixed position by notches in holes.
Chris,
Darn, I was actually thinking the same thing!! Grandma's house had it as well. However hers still has the chain.
Jeanette
I think you guys are right, it appears to be a damper control for a coal furnace. It would be interesting to see what it used to look like. The furnace is gone (there is now a bathroom in it's place). The floor has also been patched with new wood so there is no longer a visable connection to the cellar. I'll keep my eyes open for ads for Westwick & Son Co. and post them if I find it - form a quick Google, they appear to still have an operating foundry in Galena IL.
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