What is a Parlor Stove?
Popular as a heating source in one of the more formal rooms of the 19th century home, parlor stoves were common from the 1840’s until the early decades of the 20th century. Usually made of cast iron, the parlor stove tended to be more compact than the larger stoves used in the kitchen, and were more formal in design that the casual pot bellied stove that was found in simpler homes. Today, the parlor stove is enjoying a comeback in many homes as an alternative or secondary-heating source. The parlor stove is designed to function as a wood burning stove. Keeping in mind that the parlor was intended to be a comfortable but formal room for entertaining guests, the size of the stove was scaled down from the larger and more utilitarian wood burning stoves found in kitchens. At the same time, the parlor stove was often designed with more pleasing lines, and sometimes included scrollwork or other ornamentation in the cast iron components. The primary function of the parlor stove was to emit
Popular as a heating source in one of the more formal rooms of the 19th century home, parlor stoves were common from the 1840’s until the early decades of the 20th century. Usually made of cast iron, the parlor stove tended to be more compact than the larger stoves used in the kitchen, and were more formal in design that the casual pot bellied stove that was found in simpler homes. Today, the parlor stove is enjoying a comeback in many homes as an alternative or secondary-heating source. The parlor stove is designed to function as a wood burning stove. Keeping in mind that the parlor was intended to be a comfortable but formal room for entertaining guests, the size of the stove was scaled down from the larger and more utilitarian wood burning stoves found in kitchens. At the same time, the parlor stove was often designed with more pleasing lines, and sometimes included scrollwork or other ornamentation in the cast iron components. The primary function of the parlor stove was to emit a
