Do you remember what houses were used for?

My husband and I have been doing home renovations for several years and have made some wonderful discoveries while tearing down old houses. Some of my favorites include the old dollar bills hidden in the walls (many of which are now very valuable) and the old glass bottles from Prohibition housed in the basement. But we also saw many homes with unique features that I will talk about today.

source: The New York Times
There will be medicine cabinets in the bathrooms of old houses (that is, after 100 years). Sometimes you see a small dot on the wall behind the cabinet. You may have seen them in your home or in other people’s homes, but you never know what they are for.

source: Apartment Therapy / Tara Bellucci
Before the invention of stainless steel razors in the 1960s, men could only get one or two shaves with old-fashioned razors.

Instead of throwing the used metal in the trash can where children and others could accidentally touch it and injure themselves, the barber removed the metal and placed it on that part of the wall.

source: IS Architecture via WordPress / Chestnut Street Life
The razor is gathered alone in the empty space behind the wall. So if you’ve renovated an old house and found yourself breaking a wall and finding a pile of used razors behind it, here’s why! Although it may seem strange to think about it, I can totally understand why this design could be useful at the time!