Featured Mystery Metal...Things

YAY Gila!!!
Great one!!!

 

You beat me to that.
Gila’s tied off doodle dog could likely peel those over trying to get to the ‘old man’.

 

From Wikipedia:
There is evidence that a two-story house existed on the property with five-course American brickwork in the early 1800s. John Drish, who purchased the property in 1805, added a Federal-style wing with Flemish bond brickwork and keystone arches in the mid-1820s and gave the property to his son Wilson Drish, who sold it to Fayette Ball, a distant relative of George Washington, in 1855. In 1856, the Rev. Charles Nourse, principal of the Leesburg Academy, purchased it. He tried unsuccessfully to sell it in 1859, and then opened the Loudoun Female Collegiate Institute in the house in 1860, after completing an addition to increase the number of bedrooms. Subsequent owners included Sophia Delany, Joseph and Martha Prather, Wallace and Sally George, Yvon and Ella Pike and Marcia McCann Ely and Northcutt Ely, who added electricity and indoor plumbing and eventually sold it to the Marshalls. The Marshalls also added two bay windows, a stone court, and changed the wooden porch to a more durable brick.

Note that last line: according to that, the brick porches date to the 1950s. That changes things. Maybe those iron things are decorative - intended to add a "colonial" touch.

It doesn't answer how they started, but I don't think that would be out of line with design trends in the '50s.

 

To help one heave and steady themselves up the steps .. Joy.

 

To place umbrellas .. Joy.

 

To annoy us ... Joy.

 

i think they are for wreaths...and added later than the house

 

Interesting.....there's an image of that house on the web.....and they are NOT in that image!!! Although there 'appears' to be one of them standing back and to the left behind some flowers.....curious that...........HOWEVER, there are three rows of bricks and different columns in the Internet image, than on what was sent here, so I'm sure there's an easy explanation, and it still doesn't explain what they are. MY guess, if they are at the back of the house might still be for some kind of deliveries to kitchen quarters......so hitching posts of sorts......which could still make them fairly early.....IMHO

Edit.....forgot the images.....

 

Here's another image

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0f/db/3d/77/covered-entry-to-the.jpg




To me it looks like the single one on the front porch is actually slightly off to the left of the front porch - not on the porch itself - as it was mentioned earlier - the brick front porch was added in the 50's - perhaps this does predate that.

 

Forgot to mention that the DOOR in OP's original post (last & 4th image) is also different, so images shown may not be the FRONT of the house???

 

Marshall House says in the OP that the 2 in the OP images are on the "north side porch" but that there is a third on the "front porch." That would jive with the single you found in the image you posted, Aquitaine.

 

AHHHH, thank you, Bakers!!!!!

 

According to this site:
https://www.americanheritage.com/content/dodona-manor

"After Marshall’s death in 1959, his home and property fell into significant disrepair. Normal upkeep and general maintenance were delayed, flowerbeds and lawns became overgrown, and the property took on a reclusive air. In 1995 a group of concerned citizens led by Leesburg resident B. Powell Harrison organized the George C. Marshall Home Preservation Fund in order to save the house and grounds from demolition. Restoration of Dodona Manor’s exterior began in 1999..."

This site shows undated photos before and after restoration. (The restoration won an award in 2013)
https://www.loudoun.gov/index.aspx?nid=2887&PREVIEW=YES

I think these things must have been added during the restoration... or even after as I see no sign of the one on the "after" image from the above site.

As such, there ought to be records held by the George C. Marshall Home Preservation Fund at least of their installation.

(The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1996.)

 

Appears like a new chimney was put in too. .. Joy.

 

I'll just poo poo the idea of a hitching post. Not nearly bulky enough or with evidence they could be anchored.

I live about 45 min south of this house, maybe I'll have to go for a visit

 

Yes...even if those were well anchored a startled horse would pull them out bricks and all.

 

I'm not too far either - I might come check it out after work one day.

 

by horse..?

 

by horse & buggy ?

 

I might be able to rent a Mustang to drive over there...