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Here's What A Button On The Floor Of An Old Home Is Really There For
By LINDSAY DONALDSON
Old houses are full of charm, mystery, and bizarre features. A button or an unexplained hole in the middle of your floor is likely a sign your home contained servants in the past.
According to real estate expert Joe Himali, these are the remnants of a servant bell, which was commonly found in late Victorian-style houses built in the beginning of the 1900s.
Pressing the secret button with your foot sent an electric signal to a bell in the servants’ area. As such, buttons were usually located underneath the dining table or in bedrooms.
Historian Abigail Stewart explains that the bells (or “annunciators”) made their U.S. debut in Chicago hotels in the late 1800s and can still be found in historic East Coast homes.