Doorbells In Old Houses

Doorbells in old houses are either mechanical or electric. Pulling on an object that looked very much like a doorknob typically activated the mechanical variety. Not surprisingly, these were called bell pulls. Connected to this bell pull was a series of wires, pivots, and cranks, which snaked through the insides of the walls and ceilings, eventually culminating at a spring, which was attached to a bell. A good tug at the bell pull would set the spring in motion and ring the bell.

Through the years the wires inside the walls can break, or pivots can rust and freeze up, which renders the system inoperative. Unless access is provided to get to the parts (very unlikely), then the walls must be torn up to get to them. Not a nice thought. Luckily, there aren’t too many of these running around.

Electric doorbells are quite a bit more reliable, and easier to repair. Often these early doorbells were powered by dry cell batteries. Through the years the residents may have forgotten this, and the repair may be as simple as tracking down the battery and replacing it. If a battery wasn’t used, then a step down transformer was. These reduced the voltage to a level that made it impossible to accidentally electrocute the person at the front door. Sometimes a short made these go bad… an easy repair.

In larger houses, an annunciator was often used. The annunciator was a box with a bell and indicators, the purpose of which was to show the location of the doorbell that had been pushed. Many old houses would have a doorbell in the main rooms of the house (such as the dining room), as well as at the front and back doors. The annunciator would typically be located in the pantry, kitchen, or servant’s quarters. Annunciators were often housed in fine cabinets made of oak, mahogany, cherry, walnut, or exotic woods.