Walk-in Closet original ?

[StoneHouseGuy]

So our circa 1905 four-square home has some interesting features and we're starting to wonder if they are original to the house. There is a room on the second floor that has glass, rather than wood, panels in the frame of the door to the room. It has the only fireplace on the second floor and is said to be the original living room in the house. The door is the same wood/finish as all other doors in the house. There is no closet in this room. The first floor is very formal and the "living room" or "parlor"' is noted in oral "history" to be the original music room.

We also have a walk-in closet in the master bedroom—about 6 x 4 feet—with what appear to be original shelves up to the ceiling and rows of bent steel wire hooks around the perimeter of the room about 5 feet off the ground. It has a small window and the room is situated roughly between the master bedroom and the bathroom. We think/don't think that the walk-in closet afforded walk through access to the bath since it had original old white subways tile on the wall between the 2 rooms (discovered under 1940's plastic tile when we re-did the bath).

There are 2 other bedrooms on the second floor. Only one has a closet and that sits above the stairs (so its an awkward triangular shape).

My question is, in your experience were there large walk in closets built into houses of this era ? and have you ever heard of an original living or family room on the second floor of a house of this era? I know of many upper-class houses of earlier vintages with libraries on the second floor that functioned as family rooms (Mark Twain house), but nothing that says a more middle class home was so well equipped. Thanks !

[Gothichome]

Stone house, Gothichome (1880) has walk ins in all the bed rooms. Back then a lot of the daily family life was done upstairs. The parlours were for guests and to show off. One of our up stairs rooms is larger than my first apartment. Seems from your disription your home follows the same pattern of living. To my knowledge by the time your home was built folks were living in a 'modern way' less formal and making more use of the fancy rooms for day today living.
Hooks on a board was a common closet set up as well a shelves to the roof, Gothichome has both

[Sinoed]

My house (c. 1901) Victorian has a walk in closet from the master bedroom. It's a small room off to the side and extends underneath the attic stairs. The closet has one rack with bent wire hooks like you've described and a casement window for light which is about 30"x30". This closet was the only original one in the home although closets were added later in the other two bedrooms (1930-1940's?). I know that the other closets were added later, since one was removed and you can clearly see the original finish on the hardwood floor. (Thank goodness for small miracles - now I know what the floors "should" look like when I re-finish them and strip off the awful black "update").

[1918ColonialRevival]

They weren't very common, but they existed. A lot of people referred to them as "dressing rooms" back then.

[StoneHouseGuy]

Thanks for your replies. Sinoed, that photo looks a lot like our closet. I always felt it was original (baseboards, interior door trim, etc. all matched up) but the SO thought otherwise. We're super lucky that we have so many bedrooms, so we did make the small bedroom next to the bath into a gigantic "dressing room" that includes an ironing board and workout space, too. We don't have a proper linen closet so that's what I hope to use the bedroom walk in for.

[phil]

mine is 1923 craftsman It had one closet originally, with a window. it's about 4' x 4' or so. i wish it had more and the bedrooms don't really allow a lot of room for wardrobes. at least older wardrobes seem to be available at half decent prices.