A threshold is what we encounter when making that first step through the doorway into our home; that level horizontal piece of metal or wood that separates the outdoors from the indoor flooring. It’s a term used, also, for establishing the lowest limits for something unknown or sets the stage, sort of speak, when approaching that first step to a new challenge.
The word threshold dates back to Biblical times when dirt floors were common. Threshing floors were created inside of barns and when the grain-harvesting had finished and the stalks were brought inside and walked over to separate the chaff from the grain. Openings were built in opposite sides of the barn to allow a breeze to flow through which carried the chaff, leaving the heavier grains to remain. This labor-intensive chore was called threshing and to hold the “thresh” inside of the barn, a wood beam would be placed across the doorway, subsequently creating a “thresh hold.”
Additionally, the wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh, or straw, on their floors to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way, creating another “thresh hold.”
This, in turn, created the tradition of the groom carrying his bride over the thresh-hold to keep her from tripping. More importantly this threshold marked the beginning of a new life together in their home, with the thought that happily-ever-after begins from this moment forward.
Today’s thresholds are designed to meet new challenges. They are attractive, with a low profile to keep from being a tripping hazard, yet designed to keep water from coming in under the door. They are built to withstand years of traffic and in most cases must meet strict tolances to allow wheelchairs to cross easily through the doorway.
Next time you are faced with that next new challenge, remember that a great architectural design idea once began in a doorway to an old dirt floor. In fact, Benjamin Spock, considered the most influential pediatrician of the 20th century wrote, “A surprising number of scientific advances have been made and masterpieces of art created by individuals just on the threshold of adulthood.”
