Original Mirror to Frame??

[Dean Perdue]

This mirror is from a local antique shop.
My question is on age and is the mirror original to the frame?
The nails holding on the backing looked modern and it got me curious if the frame was also.
Thanks

[cogar]

Looking at the back, the frame looks to be old.

You would have to take the back off it to verify the age of the mirror.

Modern looking nails signify, the mirror was replaced or someone was looking for treasure hidden behind the wood panel.

[Dean Perdue]

Thanks for taking a look and responding Cogar.
Any idea's on when nails went from square head to round?

[cogar]

About 1880. But I still have a whole bunch of them, I think, that I had collected over the years. Some as long as 6+" and as short as 1/2". They really came in handy when I got into refinishing old furniture. I once built a person a repo and used all square nails.

I once completely renovated a 3k sq ft, 1862, 2-story farm house when I lived in upstate New York. It was built with/by "post, peg & beam" construction and square nails. And since I like to brag about my handi-work, this is what it looks like now.

[KC]

Wow!  Nice Cogar!  Love hearing of the great memories and advice on this forum.  A bit of "small town home" on new technology!

[D&b antiques]

Nice looking place. but I can do without the ''White'' stuff on the ground.

[Dean Perdue]

Nice job Cogar,
Hope the renovation didn't surprise you with too many unexpected nightmares.
Sounds like it may have been a well built house in the 1st place and it sure looks great now.
It's amazing how much intense labor went into the construction of these old homes.
I guess that's why it's still around almost 150 years later.

[cogar]

Thanks all. The younger couple that own it now just loves it. It sits atop a mountain partially overlooking the Mohawk Valley where one can at night see the city lights of Utica twinkling about 5 miles away.

Hope the renovation didn't surprise you with too many unexpected nightmares.
Sounds like it may have been a well built house in the 1st place and it sure looks great now.

No surprises, Dean, I stripped it clear to the studding and everything was still as sound and tight as the day it was built. Took me almost 10 years to do it. Those ole time craftsmen sure knew what they were doing. If you listened carefully those mortise n' tenon joints of the framework would creak and groan as the pressure of the winter wind increased and decreased.