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A Brief History of the Woodstove

Image Credit:
Pixabay
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

A woodstove could once be found in nearly every American home, but today, more efficient means of heating have taken over. Here’s a brief history of a centuries-old device, the wood-burning stove!

The first metal wood-burning stove is said to have been invented in 16th-century Europe, but the stove became more common nearly 200 years later, during the Industrial Revolution.

In the 1740s, a wood shortage in Philadelphia inspired Benjamin Franklin to improve upon the existing open hearth. His three-sided iron box, aptly named the Franklin stove, used only one-quarter as much fuel as a fireplace and could raise the room temperature higher in a shorter time.

Franklin stove, ca. 1795. Photo courtesy of the MET.
A Franklin stove, circa 1795. 
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Unfortunately, Franklin’s design was not as iron-clad as the product itself, and it did not gain much popularity. However, many subsequent wood stove designs did derive inspiration from Franklin’s stove.

Despite the wood stove’s superiority, people resisted the switch from the inefficient, wood-gobbling, smoky open hearth to the hotter, more efficient fire contained by a wood stove. Were those rock-ribbed early settlers romantics who preferred the dreamy glow of a crackling fire?

Robert Bailey Thomas, the founder of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, wrote in 1823:

“So then, you have a cooking stove! This is economical, saving much wood and labour. I know it by experience. But many people are so prejudiced against them that they will scarcely look at one. Wood has become a cash article nowadays in my neighborhood. I have procured me one of Rich’s cooking stoves and think I save half my wood by it nearly.”

Wood stove in church building, Tarrytown, NY. Photo courtesy of the National Parks Service.
A simple wood stove used to heat a church building in Tarrytown, NY, circa the early 1900s. 
Photo courtesy of the National Parks Service.

Practicality won out in the end, and by the beginning of the 20th century, 40 million American homes were heated with wood stoves, often a behemoth, nickel-plated Home Comfort or Queen Atlantic.

But, as people found other ways to heat their houses, the popularity of wood stoves waned, only to come around again in the 1970s. Then, a new generation realized the truth behind the old country saying, “Wood warms you thrice—when you chop it, stack it, and burn it.”

Do you still use a wood stove in your home? Let us know in the comments!

Wondering which wood burns best? See our list of best-burning firewood to use. Also, be sure to read our tips for keeping warm in winter!

Home Improvement

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Joan M</span> Tue, 12/13/2022 - 08:24
Our woodstove is our preferred heat source despite having the modern recommended heat pump. We have plans to put another one in the basement as we finish that space. We stay warm when the power goes out in the event of an eastern Canadian storm.
<span>Lizajane</span> Thu, 12/30/2021 - 20:01
I've heated my home in Montana and cooked with a wood stove for about forty years. Baked almost all my own bread in one. Love the radiant heat.
<span>Coral</span> Thu, 12/30/2021 - 11:24
Of course we do! Most everyone here in the "True" Northern California has and uses a Wood Burning Stove for heating their home. We have an abundance of wood our our properties or access to purchase wood. More economical than PG&E., using Gas or Electricity. (And in case you didn't know...the "True" Northern California is NORTH of Sacramento...no where near San Francisco, which we consider Middle California)
<span>Patrick G</span> Wed, 12/28/2022 - 08:10
We have used manytypes of woodstoves. My friend would say it's 10,000$ worth of work but I would trade it for a free membership to the gym.
<span>Roger</span> Sat, 10/01/2022 - 09:13
Very True, I’ve Trucked above Sacramento which is really part of the San Joaquin Vly. Love Alpine ,Ca.
<span>Noella Moore</span> Tue, 12/28/2021 - 04:13
We have a slow combustion fire in the city & another in the country as well as an old wood stove in the country. We have plenty of fallen timber on the property so our heating is virtually free in both homes. The water heater has worn out but still helps heat the house & cooks beautifully. There is always hot water ready for a cuppa. From Australia.
<span>Christina</span> Mon, 12/27/2021 - 11:48
There was a wood furnace already installed the home that we purchased which was a welcome site, that was a boon for us and another reason we purchased this home. We burn wood in the winter months and the only time the gas furnace is on is when the wood furnace burns down while we are sleeping, :) well worth the effort to have a wood stove.
<span>Karen</span> Mon, 12/27/2021 - 11:04
We moved to the PNW last year. The house we bought had a furnace that we used to heat this 1800 sq. ft, manufactured home. Our first full monthly bill was over $300! And that was keeping it at 57 degrees! We immediately turned that off and installed a wood stove. It is the most beautiful, home and heart warming part of our little slice of heaven.
<span>Dianne Lampkin</span> Mon, 12/27/2021 - 09:54
I grew up with a fireplace my mom kept going all winter (even thought we had heat). I married and we bought a big house with a very inefficient heat system. We installed a Warm Morning Heater and used it for years. It kept the house warm, if not hot at times. My husband cut wood for it and we could even, if necessary, cook on the top of the unit. We did this for years. We finally got a new heating unit and then installed an enclosed fire box in the fireplace downstairs. It would heat the downstairs and the floor above. Heating this was was great, cheap if you cut your own wood, and we were able to stay warm where otherwise we would have been a bit chilly. We have since gotten older and now rely on gas and electricity for heat but we kept the Warm Morning Heater in case we ever needed it. Who knows what will happen down the road.
<span>Melanie</span> Mon, 12/27/2021 - 09:05
I've heated my Long Island, NY home exclusively with wood for many years, the original oil burner having broken down the first winter I lived here after purchasing the place. I started, ironically, with a Franklin Stove replica, which I sold and replaced with a Drolet wood stove I had shipped in from Canada. It's done well for heating, cooking, drying laundry in front of, and even bathing water when the electric would go out during storms. I go through 3-4 cords a winter, most free of cost (but not of labor!). Yup, wood warms you many times - taking down the tree, cutting it up, splitting it, stacking it, bringing it in and finally burning it! But there's something about wood heat that makes me continue to use it as my main source, despite the fact that I purchased and had had a new oil burner installed before last winter. The oil burner is my backup option in case I get too sick or injured to move wood and the wood stove is my primary heat source. Nothing feels as good as wood heat, it just has no comparison.