I just noticed the background beige walls in this 1987 church video. I remember staring at the wall with its wood rail when I was being interviewed in the bishop's office. This decor quickly disappeared when the church installed their star-thistle fabric walls.

So what was the purpose of the wooden rail? Stupid decor or was it to keep folding chairs from scuffing the wall? I remember a bunch of tried to carve our initials in one of the classrooms and we got busted big time.

https://youtu.be/lkaZBRLhRzE?t=861

Sounds like a chair rail, used to keep the back of the chair from marking up the wall.

Roy G Biv Wrote:
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> Sounds like a chair rail, used to keep the back of
> the chair from marking up the wall.

Yes, this is correct. You see this in a lot of places not just churches. It makes good sense. I think they still have them in our local chapel.

Also known as a Dado Rail.

ziller can confirm this thred ~


ziller marked wall ~

And then there is the "wallpaper" on some chapel walls that would tear the hide off a rhino.

Yes! I skinned my elbow on that fabric wall once, and the scrape got infected, and left a scar for months.

Ah, the Third Rail--these are to protect the walls from damage from chairs. They are called chair rails, and used to be popular in small dining rooms and offices. These are used when decorators are too cheap to put in full wainscoting.

I remember staring at these dark wooden rails, and it always bothered me that they usually ended before they reached the corners, and if they did, they were not properly aligned. It was probably some sort of Scout project, or something.