I'm trying to calculate the year of my "old" kitchen and hope some people can help me. The original house was built in 1825. A very large wing was added in 1840 - 1860 (my guess from the high thin muntins in those windows). It was probably for the "summer" kitchen. In 1914 the house was converted to a 2 family, addition made smaller and a garage added.

When we gutted the 1st floor kitchen we found a pristine painted pine floor just above the ceiling. (We are going to use the painted pine floor wood in our banquette in the new kitchen ) 10" above that floor is the present floor for the 2nd floor kitchen. I thought this floor was raised when they converted the house to a 2 family so that the floor would be level from the dining room to the kitchen.

Major ice dams and water damage this winter and we had to gut that 2nd floor kitchen. The old wood floor here looks like the fir found in other "private" rooms in the house. Fir is in the bedrooms but not the LR or DR in the new configured house from 1914. OK, this all matches up with the timeline. Then I noticed the 2nd floor kitchen floor was painted on the "outside" like there was a rug in the center (and unpainted under the "rug"). There are 2 different colors/coats of paint - brown on bottom and a grey/green on top. There's an area where there is only brown - probably where a wood or coal stove/free standing fireplace was located (something was plumbed into the chimney here).

From my limited knowledge I wouldn't expect rugs in a 1914 kitchen. Also, I wouldn't expect them to paint it that often back then (maybe every 10 years?) Was this raised floor added much earlier than 1914 - like maybe in the 1870's - 1890's? What are your thoughts?

More confusion. The fir matches the bedrooms from the 1914 conversion. This includes one of the 2 front parlors that was converted into a bedroom in 1914. In the conversion they also made more rooms and again the fir matches what's there. Public rooms in the conversion (but not kitchens) were oak. I do have the old original wide pine beneath the floors in the main part of the house.

What year do you think this floor was raised? thanks!

Possible stove/FP in top right of picture