Hello, Besides being interested in genealogy, I am also an old house buff. There has been a question I have wondered about for some time and never found an answer to. And I know someone out there has the answer. Today, when people install harwood floors, the floors are varnished and have a lovely sheen to them. When you look at the wooden floors of homes in the 1800's, there is no varnish or sheen on them. They are just plain wooden planks. Why is that? And when did the custom of varnishing the floors come into being? Was it in the 1880's with the Victorians? Thanks for any help. Helen Keusch