Why are the old farm houses built with 2 front doors right next to each other ?

Question

I've been wondering this for years. Anytime you drive out in the country and check out the old farm houses, alot of them have two front doors right next to each other. Does anyone have any clue why?

No, it's a house, not a barn. And they're not two family houses because I had actually lived in one at one time....1 living room, 1 kitchen, two bedrooms, 1 bath....one front door was in the living room the other opened into the bedroom only about 3 or4 feet apart.

That's a good theory Mojoman....but these aren't double doors, just two seperate doors...they go into two seperate rooms.

Answer 1

I can't believe no one has gotten this one yet. It was the custom, back in the day in many parts of the country, to have two seperate doors ... one for the menfolk, and one for the womenfolk. I don't know how children fit into this custom.

In the bluegrass region of central Kentucky, many of the old country churches still have two front doors, as do some of the remaining country stores. A lot of the older country houses have them too. These two door structures can be found in noticable numbers around the Lexington, KY area and are more frequent the further south you travel. They extend west to the Mississippi River and east to the edge of the mountains. For some reason, unknown to me, the practice wasn't prevalent in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. I know these types of structures exist into Tennessee, but I can't vouch for their frequency.

Of course, today, these two door houses are nothing more than conversation pieces.

This is a good question. I intend to read up on this custom.

Good luck with your search for information.

Answer 2

My guess is this-- the house was built in two stages-- and the newest was the "good".
My grandparents ( late 1800s) only had one door in the front, and the house was built "all in a piece"---- but if you went left from the front door--you went into the parlor with the horse hair settee and the player piano and pictures of all the family. To the right was the downstairs bedroom for the grownups right next to the kitchen so Grandma was close to both the newest baby in the bedroom and the stove to cook early in the morning. Frequently the door to the bedroom wasn't allowed to be open since you could see in from the foyer.
My uncle that was a dairy farmer had two front doors-- so when he was filthy he could get to the bathroom without messing up the house.
I'll be interested in other answers.
have a good day

Answer 3

That is something I have never seen over here. The front door was for guests, and they would be led into the lounge, a room usually used by the parents in the evenings. Kids forbidden. Our access was to walk around to the back of the house and enter there, into the kitchen. As a rule the front door only could be opened with a key from the outside, and a turn button on the inside, so it was always locked. The back door was always unlocked and as far as I can recall, not even locked overnight. The origins behind the turn 21 and get the key of the door is vague, but the context was that once you turned 21 you received the key to the front door, and could come and go as you pleased, a sign of adulthood. That was the concept I lived with in the numerous houses I lived in as I grew up.

Answer 4

"Because you're looking at a two family farm house. The door on the left is for the Jone's and the one on the right is for the McCoys."

I thought that it was the Hatfield's and McCoys?? LOL

My great grandparents lived in a front double door house like that.

I know that many many years ago you where taxed on the rooms inside the house, so they added the door leading to the outside so that they didn't require a hall nor a staircase and you didn't have to pass through the master bedroom to get to other rooms.

My current home does not have a hallway (was built 1930's)

In the case of Acadian style homes (Louisiana) they had the boys rooms in the attic via a staircase OUTSIDE so that the area underneath wasn't taxed. I think the double doors for the "parlor" and "bedroom" came out years later as a modification of the Acadian style home.

Answer 5

The house I live in has the two front doors. They are 10' apart. This house has been in the family since it was built in 1863. I heard someone call it an 'add-on' house. I have no idea why there are two doors... I sure would like to know.

Answer 6

The most likely reason for the 2 doors was do to some of the large furniture pieces that were being built during that time. Very large dinning room tables and hutches and lets not forget the large wood burning stoves. This way if they ever moved or if an item needed replacing they could move it in/out of the home.

Answer 7

Because you're looking at a two family farm house. The door on the left is for the Jone's and the one on the right is for the McCoys.

Answer 8

2 Front Doors

Answer 9

My oma and opa (grandparents in Dutch) had a fieldstone home they built themselves that looked just like this.
The doors were right beside each other, but had very different purposes. The door closest to the barn was meant for my Opa and my Uncles and Aunts.. oh and my mom for use when they did their barn chores. The women collected eggs, cured the meats etc.. and the men did the heavier farm work.
The second door was only used when the family was dressed up in NON-barn clothes.. going to church... going to market etc.. or for receiving company.
I hope that explains it, i ramble, sorry!

Answer 10

One is the 'in' door, the other is the 'out' door.
Maybe, if a saleman comes up (or Jevhovah's Witness) you can answer from the other door and tell them they went to town for the day.