Peeling Back the Curtain
The Victorian Air Conditioning
If you ask most people what top three things they could not live without, air conditioning is likely to be on the list. We think of it as an essential part of our lives, I know I do, but humans have been living without air conditioning for thousands of years. So, how did the Victorians, and more specifically, the Peel family, stay cool during the hot and humid summer months?
A combination of architectural and decorative elements helped keep the Peel family cooler during summer. The museum is a beautiful example of Italianate architecture that is functional as well as being easy on the eyes. It is well-known that hot air rises higher than cool air and the design of the home took that into consideration.
Stepping into the Peel Museum, one of the first things guests notice are the extremely high ceilings, twelve feet in most places throughout the home. This was typical for the time and especially in the south where temperatures were on the warmer side. The tall ceilings allowed for hot air to rise to the tops of the rooms and for the cooler air to remain near the bottom where people would be more comfortable.
To help with the transfer of air, window transoms above the doorways of multiple rooms downstairs could be opened to allow for better airflow through the rooms. Windows could also be opened around the house in conjunction with the windows in the tower pushing hot air out of the home.
When visiting the Museum, you may notice sheer, lightweight or lace curtains on most of the windows. These curtains were preferable to heavier drapes that would not allow for air flow through open windows.
Several historic pictures of the house also show a screen door on the front of the house along with the wooden front door still in place today. These pictures show the front door open, and the screen door closed to allow for air flow through the house without allowing animals or insects into the home.
While not as cold as houses today, the Peel’s house would have been relatively cool with a breeze constantly moving through it. By the 1940s through 1960s, many homes in America were built with air conditioners installed. Around the same time, ceiling heights were lowered in homes since the air flow was not a concern with a modern AC system. Today, the return of the high ceilings is once again making its way back into homes, but for the most part, it is now a stylistic choice.
