One of the perks of this job is that I get to travel all over the country, just to learn from other experts in the door hardware industry. In May, I was lucky enough to travel with Smoot Associates of Hanover, MA (near Boston).
On our way to a Continuing Education course in downtown Boston, we drove past the this stunning church - Trinity Church. I've included my iPhone's sad attempt at a drive-by photo, but this church was voted one of the "Ten Most Significant Buildings in the United States" by the AIA, so please go do a quick search for professional photos of this beautiful building.
My guide pointed out the church was not only beautiful and historically significant, but had a tie to door hardware history as well.
This church also boasts the first door closer ever invented. L.C. Norton invented the modern door closer by altering a hand-held water pump to quiet the slamming of a particularly noisy storm door. Norton's novelty item is now a must-have item that you'll find on almost every building currently erected.
L.C. Norton's name is still on many of the closers still sold today - manufacturer LCN takes its name from the inventor of the door closer.
