During the 13th century, backless stone benches began to appear in English churches. From then, it was an evolution to get to the style of pews you might commonly recognize today. Wooden benches replaced stone ones in the 15th century. In some churches, pews were installed at the cost of the congregants, and were personal property, with no general seating. Some “pew boxes” even had door with locks on them, and identification numbers. It was during the late 19th century, that standard rows of open pews were installed without the need to rent a seat. Repurpose this oak bench by placing it in an entry way or on a porch with similar colored wood trim. Use the space underneath as an extra storage area.