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First of all, we were somewhat surprised. What purpose would gears serve in a newel post especially when the post is brand new? It was as if one is in a detective story where the main character stumbles upon a hidden lever which opens a hidden door or triggers some long-forgotten contraption. This discovery made us sit up and ask questions as well as use our creativity to think about the possibilities that might have occurred in the course of history.
Newel posts have always been significant part of home architecture especially in the 19th century when woodworking and craftsmanship were given high regard. Sometimes these posts were not only functional, but were used as architectonic elements as part of the base of elegant staircases. However, as we were to find out, some were not as simple as they appeared to be and had more to hide.
They were also used in the past as containers with a hidden compartment where people could store their belongings. This was particularly the case in times when the banks were not easily available and the residents had to come up with other means of protecting their property. Some homes even had compartments in the newel posts to keep papers, keys or small valuables and/ or artifacts. Just envision how cozy it would be to know that your beloved possessions are not far away – and, actually, they are hidden in the plain sight.
But how does it work with gears? Such an element suggests that there is more than just storage at play. Perhaps, gears were a part of a mechanical function that may make the post cap locked or unlocked. Some of the mechanical features integrated into the architecture of some homes included; operating service bells or triggering some hidden features. It is also possible that the gears operated an old security system, or maybe the mechanism of the staircase itself.
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