By Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson
Scripps Howard News Service
Dear Helaine and Joe: I acquired this stove and would like to know more about it. Embossed on the front is: No. 155, Hot Blast-Air Tight, Florence, Patented June 13, 1899, C. Emrich, Columbus, Ohio. — H.C., Alpine, Utah.
Dear H.C.: In the mid-19th century, Americans started becoming more and more interested in warming their homes in an efficient yet tasteful manner. Fireplaces often made a room drafty and in many cases were a fairly ineffective source of heat.
Large stoves were more efficient, and with the addition of elaborate decorative work on the exterior metal casings they could be very attractive. In addition, cast iron heated more uniformly than other metals and was so durable that a stove made from this material would last for generations.
Eventually, the cast iron stove became the centerpiece of many American parlors, and these heating units began to take on an almost architectural feeling with embossed and engraved motifs that included a variety of elements such as cherubs, scrolls, leaves, florals, urns, lions, geometrics and other fanciful forms that contrasted nicely with the hard, unyielding metal.
It is said that between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the era of the mass-produced automobile, the making of cast iron stoves was the largest industry in the United States. Centers of production were in such places as Albany, N.Y., Taunton, Mass., and Portland, Maine, but these types of stoves were made in many other locales across America.
The particular piece belonging to H.C. was made by Florence Stove Manufacturers of Columbus, Ohio, which was founded by Christopher Emrich (also spelled Emrick or Emmerick), who was born in the Rhine Province of Bavaria in 1828. He came to this country at the age of 12 and settled in Columbus, where he became an apprentice molder in the cast iron industry.
He worked for J.L. and William Gill until 1861, when he founded Florence Stove Manufacturers, which was located at the corner of Fulton and West Second Street in Columbus. Emrich died in 1902, but we could not discover how long his company survived after his death.
In any event, H.C.'s model was probably made sometime between its 1899 patent date and about 1905, but circa 1902 is about right. It is a nice — but not exceptional — example with shiny nickel work contrasting with the matte finish cast iron.
There is elaborate pierced work on the nickel sections and the cast iron is decorated with what appears to be rococo inspired "C" scrolls. The unit stands on cabriole legs and seems to be complete right up to the nickel urn on top.
Stoves such as this one were more than mere heating devices; they were pieces of furniture. This one appears to be badly rusted, which means that it is in only fair condition, and the insurance replacement value is between $800 and $1,200.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the Price It Yourself (HarperResource, $19.95). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.)
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