I noticed this thing on the exterior of a charming little 1941 house we're hoping to win (everything involves a bidding war around here).  My phone's camera wasn't able to capture it, but it says "Nutone" on it in raised lettering.  I estimate it to measure about 12" square.  I can't reach it without a ladder, as there's shrubbery below it that impedes access.

This is near the top of the kitchen's exterior wall below the eave, and although it appears to be hinged at the top, it seems too big and heavy to be a flap for an exhaust fan.  Inside the kitchen it's covered by a cabinet.  I don't know if the stove was originally located on that same wall.  The kitchen was remodeled a few years ago and the cooktop and oven are on the opposite wall from where this thing is located, and there's an exhaust over the cooktop that vents through the roof.

Any ideas on what purpose this might have served?

Thanks Martin!

So it wasn't necessarily meant to be a stove exhaust, but just a general exhaust fan for the kitchen?  I guess the mechanics are long gone with a cabinet up there now.

Would it have been original to the home in 1941?  These were very well built homes, and even had forced air heating systems.  It's just a 1360 sf 2-BR 1.5BA, but has much nicer treatments than the mass-produced post-war stuff, which is what the majority of this area consists of.

I've provided a link to pictures and virtual tour (tour show more and is best viewed with touch screen, but still works without one).  Brace for sticker shock!

I guess the grill is long gone.  I wonder if/how they patched the opening.  I'm not going to remove the cabinet to find out.  If I could reach the flap, I'd have checked to see if it moved.  I have a feeling it was sealed and painted shut. 

I'm going to check out other homes in the neighborhood to see if they have these flaps.  Since they'd have had to match the siding, it could be they chose to leave the flap in place instead.

These Nutones must move more CFM than their Air King counterparts.

How good are the systems that incorporate the exhaust unit into the microwave?  Do the CFM specs vary much between manufacturers?  It looks like I'll be stuck with that type of system unless a hood would fit right into the space if the microwave were to be removed.

We just accepted an offer on our place today, so it's time to get moving, so to speak.  The plan is to end up with about the same mortgaged amount that we have now.   The interest rate could be as much as 1% higher than on our current loan, but we can manage that since we'll be re-setting the clock at 30 years.    We can take our Prop 13 tax rate with us.  That's the only way we could even consider moving.  This is all because Dave's mobility issues are only going to get worse, and he's opting for a wheelchair more than he used to.  We need a one story house that's ADA-friendly and is easier for me to keep up.

I'm not thrilled with the all-GE kitchen appliances, but will have to deal with them until I know what else can be done.  Originally, these homes had gas stoves, so there's piping for it somewhere.  If I can get a kick-ass gas cook top in there without too much trouble, that will be the first order of business.  That's if we don't get blown away by much higher bids.

The city of Santa Clara operates its own electric utility, and its rates are much cheaper.  Back when we had the overloaded grid and brown-outs, electric service in Santa Clara was humming right along.

I don't like the bickering that has been historically a part of how things get done on the City Council there, but in spite of that Santa Clara is a well-run city.  Streets are paved and smooth, and I think the city takes care of sidewalk, curb and gutter repairs as well as street tree maintenance and removal, if necessary.  That would be a welcome change from where we are now.

Thanks Tom.  I'm hoping we don't have too much competition since it's too small to be a family home.

If the offer we present tomorrow is accepted, we're going to have to scale waaaaay back on almost every household level, but it's time to simplify.

Matt, that is a perfect way to describe the feeling of this home.  I was hoping we'd end up in a 3/2 MCM home, but this one has won us over, even though it has only two bedrooms and no master bath, precisely because it's not stuck in the '40s.  It's modern where it needs to be.