1910 Wood Stoves Styles

Heating Stoves

• Heating stoves were placed in the parlor area of the home. Referred to as "parlor stoves" they were popular in 1910 and were fueled by wood, sometimes charcoal, or a combination of the two fuel sources. The stoves were often the sole source of heat for the homes. The family would gather in the parlor after dinner to play games (called "parlor games") by the warmth of the stove.

Heating Stove Styles

• Stoves used in 1910 were very ornate, following the dictates of Victorian design principles. They featured heavy ornamentation, with nickel plating, porcelain tiles around the base, and metal statues and crests on the hood of the stove. Round and cylinder shapes were popular and led to the "potbelly" stove nickname. The company associated with round styles was the Round Oak Stove Company of Dowagiac, Michigan. Antique stove historians say that P.D. Beckwith, company founder, used the shape so his stoves could accommodate a whole round-shape log from an oak tree. Rival manufacturer, Weir Stove Company of Taunton, Massachusetts, and makers of the popular Glenwood Stoves produced tall, cylindrical shaped parlor stoves. Square and rectangular-shaped styles had names including cottage, double-cased, the Todd and the Franklin Free Standing (named after Franklin D. Roosevelt). Prices for wood-burning parlor stoves, circa 1910, ranged from $1,500 and up.

Cooking Stoves

• Cooking stoves were humungous in comparison to stoves and ranges today. A standard four-burner stove is 30-inches wide. However, it was common for cooking stoves in 1910 to have a width of 50 inches. They were built more along the lines of a range, in that they were self-contained appliances that included stovetops and ovens. The 1910 stove also had lots of compartments and chambers, including a separate broiler compartment, often one or two ovens, and a compartment for firing the wood. The stovetop would be comparable to a gourmet chef's dream cooktop surface. Stoves during that period typically had six burners; a stove with only four would be considered small.

Cooking Stove Styles

• Like their sister heating stove in the parlor, the cooking stove was equally ornate. Doors and walls of the cast iron stoves often featured detailed carvings, filigree and fleur de Lis floral patterns. Many stoves were 50 inches tall, or more, with shelves behind the cooktop surface -- as opposed to today's seven-inch backsplash -- to hold and keep pots and kettles piping hot. The stoves rested on claw feet, also ornately carved, and often featured copper or porcelain handles on doors. Top-of-the-line models with warming drawers became the "it" stove of the decade. Prices on fully restored and functioning antique cooking stoves, circa 1910, start around $2,000 and can easily cost as much as $4,500.