What is this strange box/connector thing I found in my basement?

August 1, 2014 5:25 PM

While snooping around my basement today I found a strange little box/connector of some sort that I have no idea what it is. It looks really old (the house is ~90 years old) and isn't currently connected to anything. It seems to correspond to the incoming phone line from the outside box, but I could be mistaken. Can anyone tell me what exactly this is? [img inside]

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

http://imgur.com/933fw69

posted by _DB_ to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Best answer: It's a telephone fuse box,
posted by plinth at 5:29 PM on August 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Wow - never knew telephone lines could have fuses on them.

Thanks for the help!!
posted by _DB_ at 5:39 PM on August 1, 2014

ah, that's convenient. we've got one of those too, and I don't even have to ask about it.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 7:05 PM on August 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I have one of those in my kitchen above the back door. I'd just assumed it was an old doorbell mechanism.

Love knowing this stuff!
posted by bulgroz at 12:15 PM on August 5, 2014