Old Wisconsin Creepy Houses

i don't know what this pole is, ecause it doesn't look wide enough to be a load bearing pole. It looks like you would run straight into it getting up to go to the bathroom in the night. There's one where we clearly see some sort of vent on the floor that that i guess opens up into the room beneath it. So, i don't know, people who live in old wisconsin creepy houses, rite in and let us know what some of this is about.