The earliest type of doors constructed in colonial America were almost always “batten” doors, which were quite basic. They were built with vertical wood planks, and were reinforced on the backside with a few horizontal boards that held everything together. These batten-style doors are sometimes also called “plank” doors, for obvious reason, or “frontier doors,” probably since they were used by settlers wherever America was still a frontier — whether 17th century Massachusetts or 19th century Kansas.
However, during the Georgian period (the early 1700s in America), both exterior and interior doors began to evolve to a more stylized & practical design. This new “frame & panel” door was almost the only door style used during the Classical era (Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival), and despite a great amount of variation over the last 150 years, frame & panel doors are still, to this day, the most popular style of door.
A company specializing in reproductions of historic doors, appropriately enough named Historic Doors, points out that the shift to paneled doors included benefits far beyond style:
“Most important, it helped resolve the problem of seasonal expansion and contraction of wood. In frame-and-panel doors, two vertical ‘stiles’ ran the length of the door on either side, connected by horizontal ‘rails’. This frame was then filled in by ‘floating’ panels that fitted into grooves cut into the stiles and rails. The overall effect was a door that minimized the tendency to swell and shrink, thus remaining more air-tight.”
Frame & Panel doors varied a great deal. In Connecticut, I have seen dozens of variations — 2 panel, 5 panel, 6 panel, 3 panel, 8 panel. (The 3 paneled doors usually consist of one large panel, rather than the two smaller panels, on the top or bottom).
But the one configuration that seems to have taken on a bit of a legend is the 6 panel door that has come to be called a “Cross & Bible door” or “Christian door.” I cannot find exactly when this became a popular nickname for this particular style of 6 panel door, but the name seems to have stuck in the Northeast as well as the South.
It is pretty easy to see why the door came to be named “Cross & Bible.” If you look at the photo of the 6 panel door on the left (I worked for hours on the artwork — only the best on Historic House Blog), you can easily see how the framing of the bottom 4 panels resembles a cross. And with perhaps a lot more imagination, you can visualize the 2 smaller panels at the top as the pages of an open Bible. Thus, the “Cross & Bible” or “Christian” door.
So, if you hadn’t heard of this name for this very common door style, perhaps you will notice Cross & Bible doors in your historic house listings in the future. This certainly is a fun story to share with both sellers and potential buyers of an historic home that has “Christian doors.”
by fred palmer, on 02.20.09 @ 1:40 PM
“cross & bible”door - Freemasons constructed these doors to provide new immigrants the location of a ’safe’ house. Many early immigrants fled religious persecution. Sorry, cannot provide an expert opinion; my knowledge comes from family folklore, my roots being in Massachusetts.
by hhmadmin, on 02.20.09 @ 3:17 PM
Interesting . . . I had never heard that one before. Thank you for sharing some of your family folklore!
by Chris, on 07.26.09 @ 2:02 PM
I think you got it wrong- the cross is up top, the bible on the bottom. At least, that is how I see it.
by Kristin, on 09.07.09 @ 2:24 PM
Chris: that is how I see it too! i’ve always noticed the cross up top and thats actually how i found this page! i was searching to see if anyone saw the same!
by Michael of Historic House Blog, on 09.08.09 @ 5:28 PM
WOW . . . That is how I see it, too! And I wrote the blog post! (I am Michael from HHB) I think I have always been influenced to see the cross on the bottom because it is larger, while the Bible (a book) should be smaller. But now that I browse photos of 6 panel doors all over the internet, there is no doubt that the top portion of the door bears the cross (pun intended). The proportions are correct, versus the bottom, which usually is more of a “+”. Thanks for pointing that out.
by Allen R. Coggins, on 10.03.09 @ 12:11 PM
As a former interpretive naturalist and later a professional tour guide, I have not only pointed this out to countless people on tours, but alto to other appreciative tour guides. When my wife and I travel, we almost always take local tours to acquaint ourselves with new people, places, things and evens. And besides, I can write the entire trip off as a tax deduction since I am gathering information and inspiration toward perfecting my own enhanced tour delivery skills. It never ceases to amaze me how a EUREKA smile comes over faces of people when they suddenly see the symbolism. It makes architectural sense, but also symbolic sense and yes, I too think the cross is on the top and the bible on the bottom. I can’t cite a historical reference that “proves” the “Christian Door Theory,” but coincidence? I think not . . .
by Judy, on 10.17.09 @ 11:05 PM
I just know that in our family the top two panel form the cross. My daughter has disability and we need a 1/2 to keep her out of the kitchen and my mother would not let my father cut the top small panel off because that would cut off the cross. The house that grew up in had a solid oak front door and at Easter of every spring my mom would hang a wreath on the center of the cross. We always thought she just make this up but it is really true. I wonder if other faiths have door to let people know that it was safe to talk of their faith. I live in the northern mid-west and know many of the stories of the under-ground railroad safe houses, but not this about my own faith.
Judy
by Matt, on 11.07.09 @ 9:14 PM
I am glad to hear that the myth of the classic Christian door depicting the cross and open bible is a fun story to tell potential buyers of old homes.
Here is another one for you. The reason them ole timers built massive fireplace stacks had nothing to do with thermal mass. It was because they did not know how to count when cooking the bricks and ended up with too many.
Rather than pay to have them hauled off to the municipal dump, they just stuck em in there…
by Janet Bowersox, on 11.22.09 @ 7:49 PM
I am in agreement with Chris and Michael regarding the Cross being on the top and the Bible on the bottom. Every door in our house is of this style and I had not heard of the “Cross and Bible” until reading the “Outlander” series of books. It is referred to in one of the volumes, which one I just can’t remember.
As A Christian, it gives me a whole new perspective each time I look at all our doors!
Thanks for sharing the historical information regarding this style of door.
Janet
by Susanne, on 01.09.10 @ 10:49 PM
A few years ago, I was on a tour of the Brandywine Battlefield in Chadds Ford, PA, and I believe remembering that the guide indicated the door was of Quaker origin, that the cross was at the top (as others have indicated) and that the bottom two panels represented the Old and New Testaments.
by Sue, on 01.18.10 @ 9:16 AM
Cross at the top.
by rockie janto, on 02.07.10 @ 2:10 PM
Central upstate New York. Have been trying to date construction of our house. Have two doors of the Cross And Book design.Definitely Cross at top Book at bottom. From maps I have researched our house on a hill
was one of a very few in the area around the mid 1700’s.