Note the clothes pole in the photograph above. The houses of early settlers were often taxed based in part on how many enclosed rooms there were -- a closet or a bathroom counted as an enclosed room. In order to escape higher taxes (and save space as well), bedrooms were often constructed without closets. Instead, poles with arms (like the one above) or a large freestanding wardrobe, sometimes called an armoire, were used instead

of closets. The large chest of drawers would also store clothing. Many times trunks were used for clothing storage instead of a chest of drawers.

Also note the gunports in the photo above. These not only let in natural light, but also the dust or cold. The gunports were open holes in the walls until the Park Service glassed them in with Plexiglas after the agency acquired the land and buildings in 1923.