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Hoefferle, Joseph

Historic Preservation Program

2007

M.S.

This thesis documents the history of, and provides treatment recommendations for the preservation of, movable wall systems produced from 1906 through 1968. Movable wall 4 systems (also labeled "movable office partitions," "demountable walls," "sectional partitions" and similar names during the period in question) were one of the earliest sources of adaptability in the layout of the American office as it evolved over the course of the 20Ih century. In essence, they were sets of prefabricated, interlocking components, such as panels and studs, that were purchased from a manufacturer and assembled to form office partition walls that could subsequently be demounted and reassembled in a new location with little, if any, damage to the wall itself or to the permanent fabric of the office space.
In the respective chapters of this thesis, the author: defines the term movable wall system and provides examples of the different types of movable wall systems available in the U.S. market during the period in question; describes the systems' place and significance in the built environment, explains the historical context in which the systems first arose; illustrates common selling points for the systems; describes some of the earliest patents relating to the systems, traces the development of the most popular types of systems from 1906 through 1968, and provides treatment recommendations intended to guide the preservation of historic systems.