Description

This incredible, industrial fire door was salvaged from a historic furniture plant in Lexington, North Carolina. The door measures 56" wide by 56 1/16" tall, not including hardware. Manufactured by Merchant & Evans Co. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this door features a corrugated, galvanized steel body, the original brass manufacturer's plaque, unique brackets, and original handles embossed with the manufacturer's initials, "M & E - P". While roller hardware is included, the original flat track is not.

An M & E catalogue from 1918 describes the composition of the door as, "cross-laid corrugated [steel] sheets on the reinforced frame, makes the Evans Almetl Door by far the best and strongest on the market; while the absence of any wood core makes it considerably lighter than the standard three-ply tin-clad fire door."

The corrugation is configured horizontally on one side and vertical on the other, providing structural rigidity.

History: The door was salvaged from a structure known as Lexington Furniture, Plant 1. Today, Lexington Furniture has consolidated this building's processes with a second plant and are still in business. The oldest parts of LFI Plant 1 date back to 1901 when it was then operated by Dixie Furniture. The door was salvaged from a section of the plant that was undergoing renovation.

Condition: Dents, dings, scuffs, paint loss, and patina as expected from use in in a busy industrial environment over a long period. Most of the paint has chipped and flaked from the face of the door. As expected with zinc-coated, Galvanized steel, the doors show no surface rust. The red-painted side shows advanced paint loss, as shown in photos.

The salvage of Lexington Furniture was featured on season 8, episode 2 of the DIY network show, "Salvage Dawgs".

Weight: 151 lb. Item Measurements: 56"(W, add 2" for hardware) x 2.625"(D, add 2" for hardware) x 56.0625"(H, add 9" for roller hardware)

Track not included.