How do you know if your house has studs or if it has some other type of construction?

Homes built during that era had access to lots of wood. Wood and labor was relatively inexpensive. Your home is probably constructed out of rough-sawn 2x4s or 2x6 studs and then covered over with 1" thick boards that were horizontally attached over the vertical studs. A stud-finder will probably not work to locate studs since the 1" planks would be solid. To determine if your walls are covered with the solid wood planks, take a 6 penny trim nail and drive it into the wall where the base boards meet the wall. You should hit solid wood each time and the small nail holes can be easily puttied so as not to distract from the aesthetic value of the walls.

Your house is over 100 years old so you CANNOT assume anything . Many house then had brick walls as well as wood so you must be very careful if you are planning to put in a door or window or even just open it up. Be sure it is not a bearing wall. Also a house that old has been renovated many times so you can not be sure what is behind the paint and plaster till you open it up. be ready for a surprise asi have rarely opened up a wall that old without one !! But i agree that if it is wood it will be rough cut 2x4 with plaster and lath over it. But biven the age of the house there may be a layer of tongue in grove boards or planks under the plaster and lath as many old houses had wood walls originaly that were coverd with plaster during a later reno . Some even with a third layer of new drywall ! If you are going into plaster prepare for a LOT of dust first by polying off the room you will be working in very well. Also be VERY carefull to take the wall apart and not cut till you are sure there is no elec or plumbing in it !! That is also very unpredictable in old houses with many renos !! I guess what i am saying is that there is no sure way to know what is in the wall till you open it up !!!

All wall have studs, they will be either 16" or 18" apart from the corner. You can buy a "stud finder" from any hardware supply to help you locate the studs some will even locate electrical wiring & plumbing pipes in the walls for you, they are great and easy to use.

Get a stud locator. They sell them at hardware stores