What is your description of the door in chapter 1?

From the text:

The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained.  Tramps slouched into the recess and struck matches on the panels; children kept shop upon the steps; the schoolboy had tried his knife on the mouldings; and for close on a generation, no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages.

At this point in the story, we are not made aware of the door's purpose. It is neglected and forgotten. No one watches, no one thinks twice about sheltering themselves in the entryway.