wain·scot (w
n
sk
t, -sk
t
, -sk
t
)
n.1. A facing or paneling, usually of wood, applied to the walls of a room.
2. The lower part of an interior wall when finished in a material different from that of the upper part.
tr.v. wain·scot·ed or
wain·scot·ted,
wain·scot·ing or
wain·scot·ting,
wain·scots To line or panel (a room or wall) with wainscoting.
In the old days before we could heat our homes with baseboard and furnaces people relied on the good old fire place. You can imagine how much furnature got moved around between seasons. closer to the fire place and then back for the summer. the walls would get trashed from all this moving so the Chair rail was invented. Then someone decided to take it further and add trim boxes and such to make the wall pretty. Thats when some dude named wain (
) invented the new wall look.