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Antique Keys

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Jersey City Antique Keys

By the time Jersey City, New Jersey was incorporated in 1820, citizens were beginning to see the need to lock up valuable possessions, including homes. Because travel during the 1800’s was done primarily on horseback, in horse drawn carriages and by slow moving trains, guests often stayed in a host’s home for at least a week.

Long-term guests posed problems to host families in respect to privacy. Financial papers, money and valuable jewelry were some of the things host families wanted to lock up.

The solution to this problem came in the form of lock and key. When locks and keys first became popular, only the wealthiest families could afford them. Any middle class or lower class families usually only had one lock, if any, in the home. This was usually on a locked box used to store money and jewelry or heirlooms.

Skeleton keys, master keys, Victorian keys and double-sided keys were all found in the homes of Jersey City until the turn of the century. As such, many older homes may have an antique lock on a seldom-used door and some antique furniture may still have locks that accommodate these keys.

Because these locks and corresponding antique keys are so old, they may be weathered. There are a number of Jersey City antiques dealers and locksmiths that can re-mint or restore weathered keys and locks. Some of these dealers may be able to provide replacement keys to a lock, even when the original key is not available.

You may find antique keys services in the following locations: