HOWARD HALL FARM RESTORATION

In Search of a Historic Mouthpiece: Any ideas?

2008-04-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

We received this question from the owner of a fine mid-restoration Victorian. If anyone has suggestions for him, leave them as comments at the bottom of this post. Thanks, sleuths!

Circa 1900

Howard Hall,

My wife and I have a Victorian that was built in 1895 and for the past two years we've been in the process of rehabbing it. During the course of demo in the kitchen we found the remnants of the old speaking tube system that ran from the kitchen up to the 2nd floor hall. The tubes were intact but the mouthpiece openings had been
patched over and the mouthpieces were nowhere to be found.

I have looked far and wide trying to locate some replacement mouthpieces and have come up empty-handed. We were wondering if you know of any companies and/or salvage yards that might possess parts for our system? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

I've included a pic of what I believe was originally installed in my house. The mouth piece has no electric parts. It operates by means of using the thumb to rotate the lever (in order to move the disc out of the way) and then blowing into the tube. The other end also has a disc that acts as a whistle to alert the person on the other end that someone wishes to speak on the "intercom". I think that the mouthpieces were made out of nickel-plated brass and/or porcelain.

I appreciate any help that you could give me.

Thank You for your time,
Vince

Hi Vince,

Well, I must say, that's a new one! Nobody's ever asked us about mouthpieces before. Where are you located? Are you in NY? If you're local, I can give you directions to an antique place I use for really odd item hunting. I don't know the name or number, but the owner is very kind and resourceful. If you leave a phone number and tell him what you're looking for, he can usually find it pretty
quickly. My other suggestion is (with your permission, of course): I can
post your question on our blog. One of the people from the historical societies who follow our website might be able to offer good suggestions. I've found them to be very helpful. Can I do that? It might be of interest to our readers, and one of them may have a lead (or an old one lying around in the attic. You never know...)

Can you send an outside picture of your Victorian? We'd all love to see it..
You might also try asking these people: CLICK HERE Just out of curiosity, how did you hear about us? Well, I'll be in touch with more specific info once I know what part of the country you're in.

Best wishes,
Howard Hall Farm

Circa 2007

Sarah,
Thank You for your quick response. My wife, son and I live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (directly West of Chicago 25 miles). I found your site after searching the net for possible help. I think that your website was on a link from another salvage/antique in or around NYC. We gladly give you permission to post/publish our info. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. The last two pics are of the original tin tubing that was in our kitchen wall and a mouthpiece photo that I found on the Web.

Vince

CELLAR: KITCHEN

2008-04-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

CELLAR: HALL AND BATH

2008-04-08T06:21:00.000-07:00

CELLAR: WORKSHOP

2008-04-08T06:20:00.001-07:00

CELLAR: FURNACE ROOM

2008-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: FOYER

2008-04-08T06:03:00.001-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: DINING ROOM

2008-04-08T06:01:00.001-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: HALL

2008-04-08T05:57:00.001-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: PARLOR

2008-04-08T05:55:00.001-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: LIBRARY

2008-04-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

FIRST FLOOR STUDY

2008-04-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

BUTLER'S PANTRY

2008-04-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

FIRST FLOOR: PORCH

2008-04-08T05:44:00.001-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: SW BEDROOM

2008-04-07T13:30:00.001-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: NW BEDROOM

2008-04-07T13:29:00.001-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: S BATH

2008-04-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: HALL

2008-04-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: N BATH

2008-04-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: STUDY

2008-04-07T13:19:00.001-07:00

EAST ELEVATION

2008-04-03T11:41:00.003-07:00

pictures go here

WEST ELEVATION

2008-04-03T11:41:00.001-07:00

PICTURES HERE

SOUTH ELEVATION

2008-04-03T11:40:00.003-07:00

PICTURES HERE

NORTH ELEVATION

2008-04-03T11:40:00.001-07:00

PICTURES HERE

THIRD FLOOR

2008-04-03T11:39:00.003-07:00

PICTURES HERE

SECOND FLOOR: NE BEDROOM

2008-04-03T11:39:00.001-07:00

SECOND FLOOR: SE BEDROOM

2008-04-03T11:38:00.002-07:00

CELLAR

2008-04-03T11:38:00.001-07:00

LINKS

2007-04-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Restoration

I Love Upstate
OldHouses.com
houseblogs.net
Joe Keegan's Home Restoration Blog
Hudson Valley Ruins
Brooklyn Row House
Reclaimed Home Amazing House blog. We found it through Jean at I Love Upstate.
APARTMENT THERAPY Saving the World, One Room at a Time!
Traditional and Sustainable: Ellen Hagsten
North Bennet Street School

Preservation

Syracuse Then and NowA project of the Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY). Click here to read Michael Stanton's article, "'Green Preservation': The greenest building is the one that already exists"
Preservation Directory
Landmark West Resources for Property Owners and Businesses and Anyone Interested in Landmarks!

Historic Sites

Mabee Farm
Three Rivers History from America's Most Famous Valleys
The Thomas Cole House
Bronck Museum & Barns
Clermont Estate
Montgomery Place
Minnesota Historical Society A wonderful resource. Erik at MHS provided us with lots of great information about historic structures reports. Thanks, Erik!

Green Technology

Design and Project Management Studio
We utilize green technology in conjunction with every aspect of our projects by dove-tailing historic materials and processes with an acute attention to energy-efficient design. Our vast pool of highly specialized consultants enables us to preserve, repair, and build with traditional and sustainable materials such as lime plaster and Terne tin, while incorporating new technology into our designs.
Fenner Wind Project
Innercontinental Foundedby Jill Ettinger & Derek Beres, two industry professionals (oneentrenched in the Natural Products Industry for 15 years, the other aleading international music journalist and DJ), this site is dedicated to exploring and exposing trends in nutrition and music on a globallevel. Each story has to do with what we put inside of us. It is well known that what goes in is processed and transformed into what we put out. By offering important and timely information on the tastes and sounds of the planet, InnerContinental documents the future of these industries as they happen now.
Best Green Blogs
U.S. Heritage Group: About Lime Wash

Research

Howard Hall Farm Teachers/ Related Sites

US Heritage Group
Monterey Masonry
Fredrick Church's Olana
Liberty Paint
Preservation Plastering
Big Wally's Plaster Magic
Rondout Architecture and Planning Bob is one of our favorite people in the world, and an absolute joy to work with.
Ellis Island Reenactment Dennis Heaphy: Ellis Island REenactment
Preservation Plastering ORNAMENTAL AND CONSERVATION STUDIO
Design and Project Management Studio Weutilize green technology in conjunction with every aspect of our projects by dove-tailing historic materials and processes with an acute attention to energy-efficient design. Our vast pool of highly specialized consultants enables us to preserve, repair, and build with traditional and sustainable materials such as lime plaster and Terne tin, while incorporating new technology into our designs.
Mercy Ingraham, An Open Hearth Cook
Roderick Blackburn: Great Period Houses
Nora Hutchinson Johnson: Site Specific, Decorative Art, and Painting

Regional

Historic Hudson
Historic Albany
Historic Stockade
Hudson River Heritage
Historic Hudson Valley
Hudson Quadricentennial
hudsonriver.com
Hudson River Maritime Museum
Hudson Wine Merchants
Riverkeeper
River Tavern at the Stewart House
Hudson Valley Calendar of Events
Brooks Books Antiquarian Books, Athens, NY
Rural Intelligence
Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture
The Arts Center of The Capital Region
The Arts Center of the Capital Region is a state-of-the-art multi-arts center located in downtown Troy, in New York's Capital Region.
Use Me Now Portage land use planning, history, & vernacular architecture of the hudson valley ny. (and some renovation of an 1807 federal rowhouse in the city of Hudson).

General

Free tools we've found for your website/blog
Metro Foundation Repair
Bathroom Taps For everything from Bathroom Taps to Garden Sheds, B&Q it!