FIREPLACES AND MANTELPIECES
It is a far cry from the fireplaces of early times to those of the
present, when elaborate fittings make them architecturally notable. We
read that in the Middle Ages, the fire in the banquet hall was laid on
the floor in the center of the large apartment, the smoke from the
blazing logs, as it curled slowly upward, escaping through a hole cut in
the ceiling. Later, during the Renaissance period, the fire was laid
close to the wall, the space set apart for it framed with masonry jambs
that supported a mantel shelf. A projecting hood of stone or brick
carried the smoke away, and the jambs were useful, inasmuch as they
protected the fire from draughts. From this time, the evolution of the
fireplace might be said to date, improvement in its arrangement being
worked out gradually, until to-day it is numbered among the home's most
attractive features. It is interesting to note, in reference to these
latter-day specimens, that many of them are similar in design to those
of the Renaissance, Louis Sixteenth, and colonial periods.
Not a few of the early fireplaces were of the inglenook type, a fad that
has been revived and is much in evidence in modern dwellings; and many
of them followed certain periods, such as the Queen Anne style and the
Elizabethan design. Several, too, were topped with mantels, features
practical as well as ornamental, which are almost always associated with
the fireplaces of to-day. Many of the old mantels were very narrow,
prohibiting ornamentation with pottery or small bits of bric-a-brac;
they were so built, because the designers of early times considered them
sufficiently decorative in themselves without any additional
embellishment, and their sturdiness and architectural regularity seem to
justify this opinion. Mantels and fireplaces of early Renaissance type
show in detail an elegance that is characteristic of all the work of
that period, the Italian designers being masters in their line.
In the baronial halls of Merrie England, we find huge fireplaces, wide
enough to hold the Yule log, around which, after the chase, the
followers gathered to drink deep of the wassail bowl. Such pictures must
have lingered long in the minds of the colonists in their new
surroundings, and to us they are suggestive of the Squire in "Old
Christmas," who, seated in his great armchair, close by the fire,
contentedly smoked his pipe and gazed into the heart of the flickering
flames, filled with the joy of his ancestral possessions.
[Illustration: PLATE XVI.--Historic Fireplace at Ipswich, Mass.]
Life with the early colonists was a stern reality. The climate here was
far more rigorous than that of the motherland, and a home and a warm
fire were the two necessities first demanded. Logs from the near-by
forest afforded the former, while rocks taken from the clearings
supplied the latter. The fireplaces of those days were perhaps the
largest ever built in any land, some ten feet or more in depth, and
broad enough to hold the logs which were stacked just outside the cabin
door. The rude stones which formed the fireplace were piled wall
fashion, the largest at the bottom and the smallest on top, the chinks
between made strong by daubings of clay. Later, the builders gave a more
finished effect to this feature, and the hearths were then extended many
feet into the single large apartment, while on either side were placed
rude, home-made benches with high backs, to shield the inmates from the
cold felt outside the circle of the fire's warmth.
[Illustration: PLATE XVII.--Old Fireplace in Wentworth House,
Portsmouth, N. H.]
At the rear of the fireplace was arranged a huge backlog, to afford
protection to the stones, and also to throw the heat into the room. This
was often of unseasoned timber, that it might last the longer, two feet
in diameter, and eight feet or more in length. Firedogs were used to
hold the smaller logs, while creepers were employed for the smallest of
all, and to start the fire, small pine boughs and small timbers were
heaped high, flint and tinder serving to ignite them. Once started, the
fire was kept indefinitely, being carefully covered at night or piled
with peat; above the blaze swung the soot-blackened crane, with its
various pots and kettles. Such was the early colonial kitchen, the
fireplace its dominant feature, the light from its glowing logs throwing
into relief the sanded floor, bare, unplastered walls, and the rafters
overhead. With the coming of prosperity, these rude log huts gave way to
timber houses, two stories in height, and with their advent the better
type of colonial fireplaces came into vogue.
[Illustration: PLATE XVIII.--First Hob Grate in New England, Waters
House; Mantel Glass and Fireplace, showing decoration of floral basket.]
Dating as far back as the earliest fireplaces are found fire sets, as
they were sometimes called, comprising the hearth accessories necessary
for an open fire. The oldest of these sets, which were in use long
before coal was burned as fuel, consisted usually of a pair of
andirons, a long-handled fire shovel, and a pair of tongs. In some cases
more than one set of andirons was included, for in the great, cavernous
fireplaces of the colonists' log cabins, the high supports used for the
heavy forestick and logs were not suitable for the smaller wood, and
creepers had to be set between the large andirons to hold the short
sticks in place. Bellows were often found beside the fireplace in those
times, but the poker was rarely if ever included in fire sets, previous
to the introduction of coal as a fuel.
In material and design these fire sets, particularly the andirons,
differed widely. Iron, steel, copper, and brass were the metals most
commonly used for their construction, although in other countries even
silver was occasionally made into fire irons. As for design, they ranged
from the very simplest and most unpretentious styles up through the
quaint dogs' heads to the grotesque figures and elaborately wrought
pieces to be found among good collections of antique hearth accessories.
Andirons for kitchen use were as a rule very plain and substantial.
Sometimes they were merely straight pieces supported by short legs and
having uprights of either plain or twisted metal, topped by small knots
of some sort. They were probably most commonly made of iron, and not a
few were rudely hammered and shaped on the pioneer blacksmith's anvil.
It is consequently little to be wondered at that many of the andirons
once used in colonial kitchens give one the impression of having been
designed for strength and utility rather than for ornament.
The better class of andirons in use during the seventeenth and early
part of the eighteenth centuries were for the most part of graceful,
but, at the same time, simple and dignified designs. The finest ones
were of brass, which was kept brightly polished by the energetic
housekeeper. Short knobs or uprights were often placed a few inches back
of the main uprights and served the double purpose of holding the
forestick in place and of protecting the shining brass. Occasionally
andirons were made in rights and lefts with the shanks curving outward
from the short knobs where they joined the straight, horizontal
supports.
[Illustration: PLATE XIX.--Middleton House Steeple Top Andirons, and
Bellows; Southern Andirons, Atkinson Collection.]
Among other popular andiron designs of this period were the twisted
flame, the urn topped, the queer iron and brass dogs with claw feet, the
colonial baluster, and the steeple topped. Of these, the steeple-topped
andirons were perhaps the rarest, while the colonial baluster pattern
with ball tops was, without doubt, the most popular and commonly used.
A good example of the style of andirons which came into favor during the
latter half of the eighteenth century is found in the Hessian design.
They take their name from the fact that the upright of each iron is cast
in the form of a Hessian soldier, posed as if in the act of marching.
Since this particular pattern first made its appearance immediately
after the close of the American Revolution, it is not difficult to
comprehend its significance, for it is a well-known fact that the
patriotic colonists heartily hated the hired allies in the employ of
King George of England who had fought against them. This humbling of the
Hessian to service among the flames and ashes, although only in effigy,
seemed to afford the Americans a great deal of satisfaction, if the
great popularity of these andirons stood for anything.
Probably no finer collection of colonial hearths is to be found anywhere
than in Salem. The Derby Street mansions even now show wonderful bits of
the skill which has made Salem a name synonymous of the best in the
architectural world. McIntyre designed many of these, following in some
cases the style of the decorator, Adams. Many of the mantels show a
wonderful harmony of contour, capped by a simple shelf, for the most
part unadorned. One such is seen in the Gove house on Lynde Street, its
straight, simple lines affording dignity and grace that are most
attractive. The decoration is the head of Washington, fixing the period
of its construction about the time of the Revolution.
Other popular decorations were the eagle, which came into favor at the
same period as the Washington decoration, baskets of flowers,
wonderfully delicate in their carving, garlands, and many such designs,
in all of which McIntyre shows a versatility that, considering the
limitations of his day, is truly remarkable.
While many of the mantels were of wood, some few were of marble. Two
such of special interest are to be found, one in the Thomas Sanders's
house on Chestnut Street, and the other in Hon. David M. Little's
residence on the same thoroughfare. The former shows an exquisite
design, supported on either side by caryatids, gracefully carved; and
the latter, of the same period, is practically of the same design. A
third marble mantel is found in the home of the Salem Club, formerly the
residence of Captain Joseph Peabody. This mantel is of Florentine marble
and was imported by the captain in 1819. It is particularly beautiful
in its finish, and has served as an inspiration for many similar mantels
to be found in New England.
Belonging to the early type is the quaint fireplace found in the hallway
of the Robinson house on Chestnut Street. This apartment was formerly
the kitchen, and the fireplace in its original condition was discovered
in the process of remodeling. Upon investigation, it was found to be a
composite of three separate fireplaces, built one within the other, and
culminating outwardly in a small grate; and when opened, it showed
portions of the old pothooks. It was restored to its original aspect,
appearing to-day as it was first constructed, its narrow mantel adorned
with rare bits of pewter.
In what was formerly the home of Mrs. Nathaniel B. Mansfield in Salem,
is a curious mantel, which was first owned by Mr. Fabens. It is one of
the rarest bits of McIntyre's work, decorated with his best wrought and
finest planned carving. Another fine mantel is in the home of Hon.
George von L. Meyer at Hamilton, Massachusetts. This is as historic as
it is beautiful, and was part of the original equipment of the
Crowninshield house in Boston.
Many of the later style fireplaces, more especially of the better class,
showed firebacks. These were of iron, and were designed to keep the
back of the fireplace from cracking. Some of these old firebacks had
flowers for ornamentation, while others showed decoration in the form of
family coats-of-arms. In the Pickering house on Broad Street, Salem, is
a quaint fireback which was made in the first iron foundry at Saugus,
now Lynn. This has on the back the initials of the then owners of the
dwelling, John and Alice Pickering, inscribed as follows, "J. A. P.
1660." This same Alice Pickering was very fond of dress, and an old
record of 1650 tells that she wore to church a silken hood. For this
offense she was reprimanded and brought before the church, but was
allowed to go when it was learned that she was worth two hundred pounds.
By the beginning of the eighteenth century, fireplaces had come to be
considered of great decorative importance, and in an account written in
1750 Isaac Ware says of them: "With us no article in a well-furnished
room is more essential. The eye immediately falls upon it on entering
the room, and the place for sitting down is naturally near it. By this
means it becomes the most prominent thing in the furnishing of the
room."
The popularity of the fireplace was somewhat checked in 1745 through the
invention of the Franklin stove, which immediately came into favor.
These stoves were constructed of iron, with trimmings of rosettes and
railing and knobs of varying size; in appearance they were very similar
to the small, open fireplace with andirons for burning logs. As heat
producers, however, they were a decided improvement over the old-time
hearth, which in many cases smoked abominably, and sent much of the heat
up the chimney instead of into the room. The new stoves proved
economical, and there was but little waste of heat through the pipes
connecting them with the chimneys.
In the dining room of Harriet Prescott Spofford's house at Newburyport
is one of these stoves, before which Whittier delighted to sit during
his frequent visits to this old home. It is a fine specimen of its kind,
and as interesting in its way as the quaint room which it graces. For
many years this dwelling served as an inn, kept by one Ebenezer Pearson,
being one of the favorite resorts for pleasure parties, and in the
old-time dining room much brilliant parrying of wit took place, as
distinguished visitors amiably chatted over their teacups.
Later in the eighteenth century, another form of heating came into
vogue. This was the fire frame, which appeared about thirty years after
the invention of the Franklin stove, and in type was something of a
compromise between the open fireplace and the stove, possessing certain
characteristics of each. It was so arranged that it could be used in a
fireplace that had either been filled in with brick, or finished with a
fireboard, and in appearance was very similar to the upper part of a
Franklin stove. Unlike the stove, however, it rested directly upon the
fireplace hearth, instead of being raised from the floor.
When coal first came into use, a Salem man saw it burn, and so impressed
was he with its worth that he told Dr. George Perkins of Lynde Street
about it. The doctor immediately ordered a barrel of the fuel to be
brought down in a baggage wagon from Boston, and he also ordered a
new-fangled stove of the hob grate order. The trial took place in the
living-room of his home, and the neighbors gathered to watch it burn. So
great was the success of the venture that a load of coal was ordered,
and it landed at the North River wharf, where the water was then so deep
that vessels could easily come to pier there. The cargo consisted of
from one hundred and sixty to one hundred and seventy tons, considered
an enormous load at the time.
The first coal burned in a stove was in Wilkes-barre, Pennsylvania,
where Judge Jesse Fell, in the main room of the old tavern, in February,
1808, started the first coal fire. Previous to that time coal had been
burned in open forges, under a heavy draught, by a few blacksmiths, but
it had never been adapted for household purposes, and the discovery that
it could be used changed it from a useless thing to something of great
value.
In 1812 Colonel George Shoemaker discovered coal in the Susquehanna
Valley, and he took twelve tons of it to Philadelphia to sell. He
disposed of two tons, but was compelled to give the rest away, as people
considered him a fraud, proving that the use of coal was not general at
this period.
The hob grate came into use in 1750, a few years after the advent of the
Franklin stove, and it proved especially valuable for the burning of
coal, when that product became popular. At first it was known as "Cat
Stone," but later was called hob grate, by which name it is known at the
present time.
Fenders of brass or iron were generally used with these grates, a small
one placed close to the fire to prevent the ashes from falling over the
hearth, and a larger one arranged around the entire fireplace. Although
hob grates were popular in Northern houses, they were much more
frequently used in the South.
Tiles were little used in America until the hob grate era, when they
seem to have come into vogue. They were used to surround both hob grates
and Franklin stoves. Some of them showed decorations of religious
subjects, while others, like a set in a Salem house, told in pictures
the story of AEsop's Fables. There is a tiled fireplace still in
existence in the Saltonstall-Howe house at Haverhill, Massachusetts, a
dwelling originally owned by Dr. Saltonstall, the first medical
practitioner in the city. This fireplace, in the dining-room, shows a
double row of tiles, depicting a series of Scriptural events, and it is
equipped with a fender of ancient hammered brass, a family heirloom. The
date of the fireplace can be definitely determined without knowledge of
the time of the erection of the house from the fact of the absence of a
mantel above. Another similar fireplace adorned with quaint Dutch tiles
is shown in the Pickering house living-room. Like the Saltonstall one,
this fireplace has a beautiful, ancient fender of brass and a pair of
bellows that were made by Rev. Theophilus Pickering, a preacher in
Essex, Massachusetts, who succeeded the Rev. John Wise.
The first hob grate ever placed in a Salem home is to be seen in the
Waters house on Washington Square. It is topped with one of McIntyre's
famous mantels, showing that the original fireplace was brought down to
be used with the grate.
Elias Hasket Derby, one of Salem's most famous merchants, had a
beautiful estate where Market Square now stands. The house, which was a
marvel of elegance, stood in the center of the square, surrounded with
terraced gardens that swept to the water's edge. After his death the
house was too large and elegant to be kept up, and it was torn down and
the land sold. The timbers of the house, the wood carving, and mantels
were purchased by Salem house owners, one hob grate finding its way to
the old Henry K. Oliver house on Federal Street. This dwelling, which
was built in 1802 by Captain Samuel Cook for his daughter, who married
Mr. Oliver, shows old-time fireplaces in many rooms, one of brass being
found in the parlor. This was the first of its kind ever placed in a
Salem home, and it has a grate, on either side of which are brass
pillars about three feet in height, with brass balls on top. A brass
band extends from pillar to pillar below the grate, and the fender is
also of brass. The mantel above is elegantly carved, and came from the
Elias Hasket Derby mansion.
A soapstone fireplace with grate is shown in the General Stephen Abbot
house on Federal Street, where General Abbot, who served under
Washington, entertained the latter during his visit to Salem. Behind
this fireplace is a secret closet, large enough to conceal three men,
where, during troublous times, slaves were hidden.
With the advent of the furnace, many beautiful fireplaces were closed
up, or taken away to be replaced by modern ones that lacked in every
respect the dignity and grace of the colonial specimens. Happily this
state of affairs was of short duration, and to-day the fireplace in all
its original charm is a feature of many homes. To be sure, it is now a
luxury rather than a necessity, but it is a luxury that is enjoyed not
only by the wealthy classes, but by those in moderate circumstances as
well, who appreciate the great decorative advantages of this feature.
Surely there is nothing more homelike than the warm glow of blazing
logs, and it is a delight to sit before the sputtering flames, and enjoy
the warmth and glow, as did our ancestors in the long ago.