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Why You Should Know the History of the Fireplace

Fireplace History

If you’re going to have your own personal fireplace you should know the origins of this most powerful almost living organism in your house.

Yes… I am talking about the history of the fireplace.

The initial design for the modern fireplace as we know comes from Count Rumford after he designed a fire with a tall, shallow firebox, which was better at drawing up smoke out of the building.

History of the Fireplace

In the past, fireplaces were designed for keeping warm and cooking food (starting from a cave onwards).

We all know that fire has been an important factor in human development.

Among other things, it allowed our ancestors to move to colder regions of our planet, revolutionized the cooking styles of every culture, and was important to keep the food rations as you would say… ”Come over to my house, let’s have a feast’…

We could go on.

Our ancestor’s ability to master fire or you could say harness it was an important turning point for the cultural aspect of all human evolution. Homo erectus was the first human being to have proven to master the benefits of fire, about 400.000 years ago.

Yet new discoveries tell us humans have had the ability to control fire as far as 1.7 million years back, but scientists are still arguing on this one. Let them argue it out, shall we…

Why Was the Fire Place so Intriguing to People

So man most probably saw the fire, most probably had a sense of fear than familiarity, yet a sense of being drawn to it.

Through the ages, man has almost been hardwired to the flames of the fireplace. Not surprising when you think of just how long fires have been a part of our existence to this day.

Not only did fire give early man their first cooked meal it also provided protection from other animals and gave a sense of gathering as one, around the fireplace in the darkness of the night.

I don’t think much has changed and we cannot deny our roots, fire is a part of us and we are drawn to the flickering of the fireplace.

Whether it is a fire outside to the fireplace that dominated the house in the early days.

It also proved that our enjoyment of the flickering light has not waned till today, with crackling sounds, warmth, and that distinctive smell which I am sure is a distant hardwiring rooted in our evolution.

The reason for the relaxing effects un-mistakenly goes back to our prehistoric times when Stone Age men socialized around campfires and felt safety and warmth while bonding with friends.

Relying on fire for light, protection, and heat, and even used the fire’s torch while hunting at night which they could not do without it.

I might not know that the first interaction of dogs with a man in the stone age days was because of fire. Really!

The smell of the cooking meat drew the dog into the circles of the fires. The dogs gradually came closer and were thrown chunks of meat, and there as the caveman gained the trust of the dog, an enduring friendship was forged to this day.

When Were Fireplaces Invented?

When it comes to the history of the fireplace, in 1066 AD fire pits got replaced by the fireplaces that we know today the fireplaces were moved to the wall.

And this was the time when the chimney had been invented to expel the smoke upward out of the dwelling.

In 1678 AD Prince Rupert of Rhine invented the fireplace grate. Then in 1700 AD coal became the fuel of the fireplace.

As we know it today was not the best choice when it came to pollution and the plight of today’s climate.

But we didn’t know that at the time. Such as many things we have done throughout history – I guess you could say ”Trial and Error”

The Fireplace Timeline Then Till Today

Medieval Era: Fire Pits

Medieval buildings used a fire pit to heat up the dwelling. Now, this was built in the middle of a room and there was a hole cut into the ceiling to allow the smoke to escape or open windows so that you don’t smoke yourself out of your dwelling literally.

Fire pits did develop into raised hearths in dwellings.

And in 1185 some smart cookies developed the chimney to let the smoke escape. Better than a hole in the ceiling.

Chimneys were invented in Northern Europe in the 11th or 12th century, as I said it largely fixed the problem of fumes, more reliably venting the smoke outside.

But what about the rain?

As they moved away from the one-floor dwelling and their buildings became more sophisticated. Two-floor buildings became more popular, and homeowners needed to think of something.

So again some smart cookie decided that move their fireplaces to the outside wall which led to the invention of the chimney.

And did you know that the earliest existing chimney can be found at Conisbrough Castle, which dates back to around 1185.

1600s: The walk-in Fireplaces used to be these cavernous things that served as the main heating point for a family home, particularly in America apparently…

They were tall, deep and wide, these fireplaces were often without a mantel.

No mantel what next!

They were made of brick or stone to retain heat better and longer, in Southern America, (America again) they were placed at the far ends of the house to keep their homes cooler in Summer. I would say they did this because of the hotter seasons.

In England however, the fireplaces were smaller and more efficient. Remember that geography can often change the design of things to the weather. Ingenuity people, find what suits the situation at the time…

1740: The Franklin Stove

Created by Benjamin Franklin, guess that’s why they call it that… these stoves were made of cast iron, which produced more heat and was installed in the centre of the room.

So that the heat was distributed evenly to all areas of the room.

1783: The Centrepiece Became A Centerpiece

Around this time fireplaces started to be seen more as the centrepiece of the home, rather than just an element for heating.

This is where such decorative features like the mantel and fireplace history started to become more popular than ever before.

1796: The Count

Sir Benjamin Thompson, also known as Count Rumsford, designed a new model of the fireplace that inspired the models as we see today.

Lasting into the 1900s, Rumsford’s fireplace was smaller than before, it was taller than it was wide, and had a narrow ‘throat’ that speeds up the removal of the smoke.

1837: More Decorative Designs

While the main design of the fireplace did not change in this era, it was the main focus on the decoration that had truly shifted.

Coming into fashion were different designs of columns, overmantels, all sorts of decorative tiles and fireplace inserts that had started to become very popular indeed. It was not just a place of fundamentals it was a fashion status as well to promote people’s status and fashion choices.

1900s: Modern Templates Came In

Modern Template’s simplicity became the norm to the population in the 20th century, with simple brick and stone surroundings increasing in their popularity.

Well, there is a low down on the history of the fireplace as it was and how it is today. Such an ancient start that is still used today in the modern world.

I bet you cannot say that about a lot of other things that were invented s many years ago.

It’s an integral part of us, fire… and the alluring dancing of flames that will keep us coming back for more no matter what time in history we are in I am sure of that.

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