It's usual to have a supply duct, and a return duct both in the room. That's the better quality approach that isn't done that often today due to budgetary reasons.

Are you sure that both of those are return ducts?

As far as opening up the room and eliminating some ducting, you need a HVAC person in to assses how that will affect the system's balance. It's designed with certain sizes of ducts to maintain the right pressure and airflow. Removing something at the end of a trunk line might not make a lot of difference. Or it could mean the difference between being able to have a reasonable temperature in the room without switching to a higher fan speed and getting a bunch of air turbulence noise. You might freeze to death without that duct.

It's a lot more complicated than most people think when they "just" want to take down a wall.

Thank you hollysprings! I assume they are returns as no air moves from them into the room. There are separate vents in each room in addition to the two I'm asking about, for incoming warm air or A/C!

Maybe we should consult the folks who installed the relatively new Trane Oil furnace (2004). Our impression is that these two ducts are original installs to the house!

thank you again!!
janice

Might the registers serve the same duct and one is open in the winter and the other in the summer?

You used to run the _fan-only_ setting in summer with the top returns open to remove the hot air and cool it by running through the basement or crawlspace ductwork, like poor man's AC.
Casey

Thank you for your thoughts renovator and sombeuil! As far as winter and summer settings I see no way to adjust the vents--they are apparently always open,both of them from the room's vantage points at least!

Poor man's A/C sounds like something that might be of benefit to keep but---if I had to choose, at least for that room, I'd gladly give it up to have the new passageway from the living room to the new dining room (former master bedroom and powder room). The other issue is that in the 50's it was no big deal (apparently) to get up off the sofa, in front of company etc. and walk into a hallway into the bathroom--a straight view of that doorway from the living room. If we could open up the new way, we'd build in a corner cabinet in the present opening which is on an angle with 3 bedrooms (and living room) converging in front of the bathroom!

Some more food for thought I guess--thank you again!!

janice

2 returns in same room. IMO, close the upper in the winter (pulling colder air from floor) & then close floor & open upper in Summertime thus pulling the warmer air out.