Fireplaces have been known to date back to the 1700's. Abraham Darby introduced a new method for smelting which provided a cost efficient and successful way of providing heat that paved the way for the popularity of fireplaces as we know them today.
Victorian Era Fireplace Designs
During the Victorian era fireplaces increased in demand as people liked the idea of giving there living rooms a quaint environment. As the structure of houses changed the style of creating fireplaces also altered as well in terms of design and reliability.
Most fireplaces now use sand casting techniques enabling the manufacturers to produce new and more creative designs than ever before. During this time, coal was increasingly becoming more popular over wood and smaller grates replaced larger basket-style grates of the 1700's.
Fireplace Developments Through History
Benjamin Franklin discovered that fireplaces could loose a tremendous amount of heat through a living room wall. Because smoke was vented from the bottom, air was prevented from being drawn in. This problem caused Franklin to create a new invention which was the Freestanding Stove that was named as the Franklin stove.
He also tried other methods to distribute heat within an area of a room and also found that when using heavy cast iron, the heat was still being produced when the flames went out. This addition proved quite successful and by the late 1700s, the freestanding stove was being used throughout the country.
Historical Fireplace Design Elements
There are two types of elements relating to fireplaces:
- The Insert is the portion of the fireplace where the fire is burned and is always cast iron, often decorated with tiles.
- The surround (the mantel and sides) is usually made of marble, wood, stone or iron.
These two elements can be combined to form an appealing fireplace. With the option to combine both elements of design the fireplace has become a popular means of heating our homes.
To read more about Classical Fireplace Designs visit the Classical Designs page.