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Message |
    
JGTierney
Citizen
Username: Jtg7448
Post Number: 43
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 11:31 am: |     |
We just removed the plaster off the walls separating our kitchen and our dining room.
We were overjoyed to discover that this wall is not load bearing as the previous owner had told us.
But we discovered that the wall has some brick - about a 3'x3' area (just off the floor) in the middle of the wall. It is framed out in wood and filled in with the brick.
We're thinking that this is where the original stove was!?!?
Any thoughts? Has anyone made similar discoveries? (The gas line is right at this position as well) |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1735
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 11:44 am: | |
What year was your house built? I'm no expert, but 3x3 seems small for a stove. Are you thinking fireplace? |
JGTierney
Citizen
Username: Jtg7448
Post Number: 44
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 11:51 am: | |
It was built in 1929.
Hmmm - it's probably more like 4x4 now
that I think of it...
I'm not thinking fireplace - as there are no
signs of a chimney and the main bath is above.
But I have little experience with older homes,
so who knows. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3480
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 12:52 pm: | |
Nothing like a little old house archeology at lunchtime on Thursday.
My initial reaction was that your “find” is fire blocking. In our first house, about the same age as yours, I found roughly mortared bricks in the stairway walls and fire blocking is the only answer I could come up with.
However, given that your bricks don’t extend the whole width of the wall I suspect this was some sort of heat sink for the original stove. Apparently 1920s stoves were not well insulated. Is there a maybe two inch in diameter tin or metal tube above the bricks running up through the ceiling? In our current house we found such a tube when we had to repair the wall behind the stove. Since there was some charring of the studs I assumed that this was some sort of stove vent, although I know absolutely nothing about early gas stoves.
Every time I open up a wall I hope to find something really interesting. A friend found an absolutely beautiful brass bound folding carpenters ruler in his walls. So far I have only found bricks, vent pipes and a few old newspapers from 1928, which unfortunately crumpled to dust upon removal.
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jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3159
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 1:29 pm: | |
Ah I have that, and I have the original blueprints for my 1920 home.
That was the back wall to a coal cooking stove. Since the stoves were iron, and the heat could cause a wall to catch fire, brick was used to back the area.
Look above it and you will likely find an old sooty exhaust pipe. Mine was clay.
During my adventure, I also found the cool pantry which had an open grating to a room in the basement. There I found what was left of tin trays that held ice and had a water drain. I learned from the lady we bought the house from, that Mom kept the milk, butter and cream in the cool pantry area.
Upstairs, in a wall I found a certificate for 100 shares of the New York Central Railroad Company. Since the daughter of the original owner is still alive, I gave her the certificate. |
JGTierney
Citizen
Username: Jtg7448
Post Number: 45
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 1:43 pm: | |
Ahhh, I'll look for the pipe when we get home
tonite.
I think this stuff is fascinating...
Every house tells it's story - we're just beginning to discover ours.
I feel badly for the previous owner's, as they were under the impression that this particular wall was structural. They always wanted to remove it, but didn't dare to try.
Now, it's days are numbered |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3481
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2003 - 2:14 pm: | |
I think 1929 is late for a wood stove. From the following link it looks like the change over to gas was pretty much complete by 1920, although in our 1916 and George's 1920 houses this may explain the pipe.
If you have a spare $10,000 you can get a nice restored period stove.
http://www.goodtimestove.com/
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