It's obvious, but two doors might have been in place to provide separate entrances to the home, opening to different spaces. While one door may have led to a formal area, the other could have been used for day-to-day business.
Many second front doors on homes, particularly Bungalows, lead from the front porch to the master bedroom. This way, couples could open the windows and doors, turn on a couple fans and enjoy a cooling breeze. This design was kind of a poor mans sleeping porch.
They were known in early New England as double-hung doors. The initial purpose of this door design was to keep animals out of farmhouses or to keep children inside while allowing light and air to filter through the open top; essentially combining a door with a fairly large window.
A variety of reasons are offered for the “fashion” of having two front doors, and it is not only the Amish that did that. An entrance and an exit, to make it harder for “evil spirits” to get in.
The (Quick) History of Double Doors
While you can trace double doors back to ancient Greece (made from stone), they became popular in France – where the term “french doors” originated. French doors are now more widely known to have glass panes, whereas double doors are often wider and are partially solid.
Two doors indicated that the house probably had more than one room, which was a real symbol of prosperity for the American pioneer class. This reason makes sense when you consider that many midcentury homes (and even today's houses) make a show of the number of garage doors attached to the dwelling.
Side by side doors, also known as double doors, are two door configurations where both doors are next to one another. Another name for this type of doors is a French door. The doors can either be active or inactive.
The Amish practice a form of bedroom ritual called "bundling." In bundling, a young man and woman spend time together in the same room, usually fully clothed and often with a board or blanket between them. This allows them to get to know each other without the distraction of physical contact.
The Amish bedroom rules contain what is known as bundling. This is the practice of sleeping in the same bed with someone of the opposite sex while fully clothed.
Plainness is the governor of Amish clothing. Some groups are restricted to black and white while others allow muted colors. Buttons are frowned upon because of their potential for ostentation, and such things as Velcro and zippers are banned. Instead, clothes are fastened by pins or hook-and-eye closures.
In America a red front door holds the historical significance of meaning people are welcome at the homes that host a painted door. Travellers were welcome to rest and have a meal, and during the Civil War in the Underground Railroad, runaway slaves would also see a red door as a sign of a safe house.
He traces the two-door house back to the combined dwelling house and animal stall—sometimes called a “housebarn” or Wohnstallhaus — which existed in every Germanic area of Europe in the first millennium. At first there were separate entrances to the animal stalls and the dwelling portion of these large houses.
The top answer is security. The simplest door designs have exposed hinges, a security weak point. By positioning these hinges on the inside of a front door, it makes it harder for burglars to gain entry. It's also easier to open inward-facing doors just a crack to check who is outside.
The great news is most of the double glass doors are timeless and work on almost any style of home. However, if you have a modern contemporary home, you'll want to look at more modern styles.
Another popular reason for a single-family home to have two front doors was purely utilitarian. Each door was a separate entrance into the home. Often, one of the doors was the more formal entry for entertaining or important meetings in the more formal part of the house, while the other was used for day-to-day living.
Historically, each room tended to have a very particular use, so it was advantageous to keep them separate. There was a practical element to this, too: The ability to close doors between rooms also helped heat and cool the home—no sense wasting energy in rooms weren't being used.
Feminine Hygiene
Female Amish wash their hair and wear it in a bun. As for makeup, Amish women aren't allowed to wear cosmetics or adornments considered worldly. This includes lipstick, mascara, eye shadow, and jewelry.
However, in addition to the modesty aspect, women must keep their heads covered at all times so that they can pray at any time. Both modesty and prayer are central to the daily lives of Amish people and for women, wearing head coverings and bonnets is an important part of that.
Amish Beliefs on Buttons
Buttons, like zippers, are seen as a form of modern convenience. They're believed to promote vanity and draw attention to the clothing considered inappropriate in the Amish community. Instead, they use straight pins or hooks and eyes on clothing that require closure.
Amish Wedding Night
The newly married couple usually spends the first night and the next few months at the home of the bride. There is no honeymoon. And the morning after the wedding they are up early again, helping to clean up the mess.
Birth control and abortion are forbidden by religious doctrine, even when pregnancy is life threatening. The Amish church has no rule against immunization, but only 16-26% of Amish children have received immunizations against the common childhood diseases.
Dating among the Amish typically begins around age 16 with most Amish couples marrying between the ages of 20 and 22. To find a prospective date, the young adults socialize at functions such as frolics, church, or home visits. One of the most popular activities is the Sunday night singing.
Dutch doors are essentially a single door that is split in the middle to allow the top half to open while the bottom half remains shut. They are secured together with a latch that allows homeowners to keep the door as one when needed.
The simplest way to seal that gap is with what is called a door sweep. A door sweep is a long strip of metal that holds a seal made of a material such as neoprene, silicone, or a nylon brush. This long strip of metal is surface mounted to the bottom of the door.
The Answer is a Mullion
When it comes to double doors, the metal bar running vertically between them is called a mullion. This term is commonly used in the door industry, and it refers to a vertical or horizontal element that separates and supports panes of glass, as well as sections of metal or wood.