Help, unsure if dado rail is original Georgian or modern addition

[Nigella]

Hey all, I am renovating my c.1790 house and, whilst removing the 1970s panelling from the living room, uncovered this pine dado which is present on 2 of the 4 walls. Pegs in wall etc indicate that there was originally a dado in this room, but I’m lost as to whether or not this one in particular is original or a later addition. Any thoughts/shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mardinor]

From the profile, staining and faux graining I would say definitely no later than 1930s, most likely 1890 - 1910. Original wood could be Georgian.

 

[Gothichome]

It’s actually called a chair rail, it certainly looks to be original.

 

[a twig]

It’s actually called a chair rail, it certainly looks to be original.

Dado rail and chair rail are different names for the same thing

 

[LadyArowana]

Our house is a bit earlier, but fwiw the dado isn’t even vaguely similar, but much closer to what the Georgian Group show in their mouldings section https://georgiangroup.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MOULDINGS.pdf

 

[Cubist]

When I viewed the photographs above before I logged in the images appeared smaller and my eyes were probably deceiving me - a not unknown phenomenon here - but I thought I could see a couple of cross-head/philips type screws in the face of the upper rail. Oddly they are not apparent in the larger images post log-in so I'm a little stumped as such dado/chair rails were/are typically constructed as a composite of two mouldings. The 'tail' hanging from the moulding in the first photo suggests it is the remains of a 'tongue' from the wainscoting board previously removed by the OP. Perhaps the OP could provide some additional information to confirm/reject.

What's intriguing me though is the impressions in the plaster/paint residues in both photos. These suggest to me that, until quite recently, there was a third moulding element that sat immediately above the uppermost moulding pictured. Such would not have been uncommon and may even have included a narrow shelf of some kind.

Regardless of all that the mouldings used are of common patterns that have been manufactured for centuries and are still in production today. Challenges arise though, in the event the OP wishes to re-establish dado/chair rails to surround the room as they once did. Careful measurement of the existing mouldings will be needed to allow procurement of matching widths, depths and profiles from stock and/or to have tailor made component mouldings manufactured.

 

[Gothichome]

Dado rail and chair rail are different names for the same thing

a twig, I see a dado rail located higher on the wall to brake up the hight of the wall for decoration were as I see a chair rail at the level of the a chair back to protect the wall from said chair back. But yes I agree to most they are the same.