They look sort of like radiator covers--really NICE ones that someone couldn't bear to trash. Do you have about 8 rooms in the original part of the house?

Or they could be floor grates. If the original furnace was located in the basement/crawl space, the heat was tranfered to other rooms through floor grates. Yours look to be about the right size.
Diane

Thanks for the feedback! The house does have 8 original radiators, so I am assuming these were the covers. Judging from the really nice original hardwood floors I doubt there were ever floor grates. I appreciate the info!

Wonderful!! Put them back!! Wondering why theyw ere ever removed?
Linda c

They are really beautiful. I work in a store who turns them into coffee tables. She has a fabricator make a frame with legs and has glass put on top. Sometimes depending on the size people use them as doors. What area are you in? Hopefully you can use them but they certainly have value.

Thanks! I don't know if they will work for us in the house, but it's nice to know what they are. We are in Iowa. I'm sure they would be expensive to ship since they are so heavy, but if your friend is interested in them please feel free to give her my email address. Cmweitz@gmail.com. Thanks!

Outside grates for over basement windows- seems like I've seen something like that before. Our basement windows were only about that large but dad didn't cover them(should have 1 bro. broke 1 & had large piece of glass sticking out of his chest-in the bony part. I managed to get hold of him & dr. removed it & he was OK.) If for outside should have screw holes on top or sides I would think.

Not floor grates because there is too much room to stick a hell into and trip.

Lovely things, and I hope you can re-use them in the house.

Some floor grates had adjustable slats to regulate air flow. I do not think these are floor grates they do not present a proper surface for walking on.

These seem to be radiator covers. They do not have any mounting holes, so would have sat into a frame. The frame would have had legs to straddle the radiator and support the covers. The top would not have been covered with a throw cloth since it was desired to provide air circulation through the cover. The home owner may have sat a kettle of water on the cover to help humidify dry winter air. These are "dust catchers" so the lady of the house may have tired of cleaning them.

If the heating plant in the house was modernized and the radiators no longer used, then these heavy covers would no longer have a use.

The design and appearance of these pieces suggest these are cast iron. Its a beautiful piece of work and worthy of keeping as a sample of craftsmanship not seen today. The pattern is intricate and well executed.

I believe they sat in front of the radiator, not on top as a "lid" but as a disguise for those ugly coils. They weren't always painted white....some times to match the roon and other times black.
Linda C

They are an odd size, and I have trouble seeing how they would work as radiator covers. I wonder if they were used some other way. I could picture them as transom decorations, but again, I don't see the logic there either.

Curious, Sheliajoyce....what makes you say they are odd sized?

Interesting that they are only rusted on left end, were they standing in basement on that end & got wet? Otherwise maybe they stood on end how ever they were used. Our basement windows were right above ground level & were about 18-20 tall & 30-36 in. wide. What size are these?

They are radiator covers like the ones pictured in the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Radiator covers

Ok, Linda, now I see. I thought you were saying that they were the lids, but instead I see they were panels in a wood(?) or metal case.

I. Love. Those.

KarinL

Thanks for pic Linda! I babysat in houses that had old stand- on- floor radiators but none were covered. 1 house was very scarey tho as it had chains you pulled to adjust heat & they constantly groaned & moaned. Beautiful house overlooking the lake but least favorite to babysit at,often left the TV on even tho it only had the colored lines on it as stations closed at midnight. Odd nobody seemed to have a radio to listen to, I had a great 1 dad found at dump. Best sound & tall from floor to top was about 40 in.all wood with cloth inserts for sound to come out,think it had tubes like the TV's too, would love to have it now. Folks sold it when they moved I suppose.