We Tugged on Our Newel Post and Uncovered a Century-Old Secret!

Do you recall those childhood rules when everything seemed like a treasure that is hiding somewhere? The process of finding something was always filled with joy, it did not matter if it was searching through the attic or lifting the floorboards. If you have ever lived in an old house you might still remember how exciting it was to discover letters hidden behind skirting boards or even in a drawer of a piece of furniture which had a hidden compartment. The homes we live in can be full of surprises which may come as a shock even to the most experienced builders and that I was to find out when I embarked on the renovation of my 1866 farmhouse.

One day, one year, my daughter and I were sitting in the house during the rain and we started discussing some stories we has heard about treasures that are hidden in houses, particularly newel post which is the bottom piece of the stairs. Willing to take the risk, we tried the concept on our staircase at home. With a slight twist of the cap at the the newel post, a compartment was uncovered; but more importantly, gears!

First of all, we were somewhat surprised. What purpose would gears serve in a newel post especially when the post is brand new? It was as if one is in a detective story where the main character stumbles upon a hidden lever which opens a hidden door or triggers some long-forgotten contraption. This discovery made us sit up and ask questions as well as use our creativity to think about the possibilities that might have occurred in the course of history.

Newel posts have always been significant part of home architecture especially in the 19th century when woodworking and craftsmanship were given high regard. Sometimes these posts were not only functional, but were used as architectonic elements as part of the base of elegant staircases. However, as we were to find out, some were not as simple as they appeared to be and had more to hide.

They were also used in the past as containers with a hidden compartment where people could store their belongings. This was particularly the case in times when the banks were not easily available and the residents had to come up with other means of protecting their property. Some homes even had compartments in the newel posts to keep papers, keys or small valuables and/ or artifacts. Just envision how cozy it would be to know that your beloved possessions are not far away – and, actually, they are hidden in the plain sight.

But how does it work with gears? Such an element suggests that there is more than just storage at play. Perhaps, gears were a part of a mechanical function that may make the post cap locked or unlocked. Some of the mechanical features integrated into the architecture of some homes included; operating service bells or triggering some hidden features. It is also possible that the gears operated an old security system, or maybe the mechanism of the staircase itself.

In Victorian period, technology and art was interlinked in a way that was not previously seen. Owners wanted to have the most innovative appliances in their house starting from the security system and up to the lights. The gears on our newel post tell us that this was not a passive object, and may have been intended for use in the home’s original layout.

Gears found inside a newel post indicates that the residents of the house during construction had an interest in the proliferation of innovation during that era. The 1860s was a decade of progress and innovation, people’s interest in mechanical devices for the practical use grew rapidly during this period. In order to meet the new challenges of the day, producers of homes of the period tried to use these innovations not only for functional purposes, but also as a sign of the intellectual advancement of the time.

In a sense, our newel post gears represent a period of time when houses were built for use and for aesthetics at the same time. They also capture the spirit of discovery and enthusiasm that was rife during this period as people tried to explore further into the unknown with the help of the resources available to them.

Although we are yet to know the specific use of the gears in our newel post, learning about them has somehow allowed us to somehow be a part of our home’s history. It is a message that tells us that houses, especially the century old ones, are not just four walls where we reside – they hold tales, whispers and the creativity of past generations.

In the future as we progress with the renovations we will be on the lookout for more information as to the purpose of this post but for now it has become a great conversation piece for my family and any visitors. The gears have inspired people, started discussions regarding history and have made us remember that there is always wonder to be discovered.

Who knows? Perhaps there exists another hidden system somewhere in the house which has not been discovered yet. However, the beauty of living in an old house is you never know what you are going to find, and that is something which I have come to learn over the years.