Modern
| Loose-joint Butt | Loose-pin Butt |
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Another type of door that was of traditional construction, and from the name of which we derive our word hatch, was the so-called “heck-door.” This door corresponds to the common “dutch-door,” which is familiar to us in Dutch Colonial houses. It was capable of being opened in two halves; the upper half could be swung in without the lower half. This type of door was invented from the necessity of protection against the sudden intrusion of strangers and also small animals, like pigs and hens.
Simple Batten Door
Development of the panel door from the batten door.
The oldest method of fastening doors was to draw a long bar across them on the inside, very much like the bars which were used in Colonial houses in this country. A hole was cut into the jamb into which this bar could be run when locked, and in the opposite jamb was another hole into which it could be slid out of the way. The disadvantage of this type of door fastening was that it could only be fastened and unfastened from the inside. This led to other devices, such as a bolt that could be operated from the outside and a latch that could be lifted by a string, or a hole was cut in the door through which a small bit of metal could be passed that could be used as a lift for the latch.