by Erin Feith, Research Assistant
October 15, 2024
The materials used for flooring in American homes varied greatly over the course of the 19th century. Often, these variations could be observed within a single residence, as in the case of the Crane’s Acorn Hall. Influenced by factors like available resources, improved technology, and popular taste, the type of flooring in one’s home reflected changes that occurred in the industry at large.
One of the earliest materials used for flooring in the United States was heartwood pine. Containing high contents of the tree’s heartwood, or non-living center, it distinguished itself from other softwoods that were commonly used as an inexpensive option for flooring in the early 19th century. For, as a result of the tree’s slow growth and size, the heartwood was tightly-grained, endowing it with unmatched beauty, durability, and resistance to rot. Though it continued to be popular, heartwood pine was increasingly difficult to procure by the mid-19th century, as its desirability caused much of its source to be depleted and nearly extinct in some areas.
As heartwood pine’s availability declined, other kinds of plank wood floors were largely replaced by carpets. A longtime indicator of wealth, wall-to-wall carpet had become more affordable to the middle classes by the mid-19th century. With improved loom technology, carpets could be produced for less, driving their cost down and installation in the private homes of more Americans, up. Indeed, carpet reigned supreme until the later years of the 19th century, when changing attitudes on style and hygiene (as carpets were seen as harder to clean) turned homeowners’ favor back to wood floors.
By the closing years of the 19th century, hardwood floors were adopted. The most popular among these hardwoods were oak, mahogany, and maple, which could often be found together in unique designs as parquetry was increasingly found in private homes into the 20th century. However, regardless of the materials used, the elements involved in flooring of the day led to some of the most fascinating features of interior décor to be found under foot.
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