This antique lock was spotted in Port Angeles, WA. It is still fully functional and let's admit it, looking good for a +50 year old piece of hardware!
This is a Russwin Unit Lock, a fun find for hardware history buffs because "Russwin" no longer exists - it exists in name only, in combination with Corbin-Russwin (a saga of buyouts and mergers that goes back to 1902). This type of lock was invented in 1904, although it probably dates from the remodel of the facility done circa 1950.
Current Corbin-Russwin literature attests to the fact that these locks are still commonly found. I found PDFs for how to identify your vintage unit lock, and how to either buy replacement parts or modern locks that will fit in the same cut-out on the door - old doors were built to last as well!
I also found a website selling old unit locks - while not idential to our Port Angeles find, it is probably from the same era - for $1300. These old locks can cost more than new ones!
