# Craftsman style house- "Gentleman's Door"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197 "2012-11-07T11:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/41 "2012-11-09T01:01:11Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Am I missing something or does this house have only one bedroom? The study was usually turned into a bedroom for those with kids. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/42 "2012-11-09T01:17:39Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Am I missing something or does this house have only one bedroom? Technically it has two bedrooms. The front room has a closet, so it qualifies as a bedroom, but I plan to use it as an office/study. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/43 "2012-11-09T01:26:39Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > I think there might be some confusion in this thread about Victorian houses and Craftsman houses. While the Craftsman movement started during the tail end of the Victorian era, most of the Craftsman houses date from the from the mid-1910’s through the early-1930’s. Unlike most surviving Victorian houses which were upper class dwellings, the Craftsman houses were more middle class (albeit often upper middle class). That is interesting, thank you. Some of the homes in the Hillcrest area in Little Rock are craftsmen, and upper middle class would explain why they are generally together and some distance from the wealthy and poor areas of the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/44 "2012-11-09T01:47:18Z")
Back in the day, there were many families with extended members living with them. The “gentleman’s door” allowed an adult child to come and go with a bit of privacy, an elder member to entertain guests or have the doctor in (back when doctor’s still made housecalls) without going through the rest of the house. If the house is solidly middle class (like many bungalows), many times, a room was let to help out with the budget. My grandparent’s home, although not a Craftsman, was built in that era and had a half bath and an outside door in the master bedroom. When they were raising their family, my grandfather’s mother had that room. The half bath was there because, in later years, she was a semi-invalid and the outside door was used by the church ladies paying their calls to her. After she passed, my grandparents took over the room. The home where I grew up was of much older vintage, but in the upstairs, there is a window that was a door when my parents bought the place. The two bedrooms that my sisters and I had had were in actuality, a bed-sitter and at one time, rented out (I found this out from our elderly next door neighbors, who rented those rooms as newlyweds). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/45 "2012-11-09T02:26:00Z")
> [@missred](#): > > The two bedrooms that my sisters and I had had were in actuality, a bed-sitter and at one time, rented out (I found this out from our elderly next door neighbors, who rented those rooms as newlyweds). Cool. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/46 "2012-11-09T02:31:24Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > My house was built in 1930. Sort of a Queen Anne/Craftsman mix. Very nice. 2 story, which is different but we do have winter in Ohio, which might explain this. Master bedroom and enormous bathroom upstairs (with salon/baby room!). Lots of built-ins and a fireplace, no huge porch. The realty listing was “bungalo”. and 2.5 baths. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/47 "2012-11-09T03:17:45Z")
Wouldn’t the bedroom get rather drafty, with a door directly to the outside? Especially if anyone is actually going in and out the door? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/48 "2012-11-09T03:31:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wouldn’t the bedroom get rather drafty, with a door directly to the outside? Especially if anyone is actually going in and out the door? Yes. But, who cares? Break out the extra blankets. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/49 "2012-11-09T12:22:08Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Back in the day, there were many families with extended members living with them. The “gentleman’s door” allowed an adult child to come and go with a bit of privacy, an elder member to entertain guests or have the doctor in (back when doctor’s still made housecalls) without going through the rest of the house. > > If the house is solidly middle class (like many bungalows), many times, a room was let to help out with the budget. > > My grandparent’s home, although not a Craftsman, was built in that era and had a half bath and an outside door in the master bedroom. When they were raising their family, my grandfather’s mother had that room. The half bath was there because, in later years, she was a semi-invalid and the outside door was used by the church ladies paying their calls to her. After she passed, my grandparents took over the room. > > The home where I grew up was of much older vintage, but in the upstairs, there is a window that was a door when my parents bought the place. The two bedrooms that my sisters and I had had were in actuality, a bed-sitter and at one time, rented out (I found this out from our elderly next door neighbors, who rented those rooms as newlyweds). I love this kind of background! Thank you so much! Neither the master, nor the front bedroom has its own bathroom, but you can see from the floor plan that the abundance of doors makes it possible for denizens of either room to get to the bathroom without going through the public parts of the house. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197/50 "2012-11-09T15:28:35Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by ThelmaLou > > This reminds me of a line from Master and Commander–the Captain (can’t remember his name-- played by Russell Crowe) and his first officer are enjoying drinks, and the Captain offers a toast, “To our wives and sweethearts-- may they never meet!” > > Jack Aubrey. Which brings to mind the old joke: Two gents spy two ladies walking toward them. First gent: I say there comes my wife and my mistress. Second gent: I was just about to say the same thing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/craftsman-style-house-gentlemans-door/640197.md?page=2)