For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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

More Like This

Comments

<span>Vickie Hunter</span> Sun, 12/30/2018 - 08:18
We found a beautiful wood burning stove in a church built in 1837. We are going to set it back up to its original location. I cannot post a picture, but would love to know more about it.
<span>Lisette</span> Tue, 11/27/2018 - 12:39
Love my wood stove. Got rid of our electric heat and strictly rely on our airtight. So much better.
<span>Thomas Fowler</span> Tue, 11/27/2018 - 10:17
...and, the oil companies have gotten richer. We retired back to our little farm in Southside, Virginia, installing a home-made wood stove for a two story house. It just breaks my heart to not pay 3-5,000 dollars a season for heating oil. When friends come in, they often mention how warm and inviting our house is. They may have conventional oil furnaces, blown hot air, or the worst--the "Heat Pump". With the right sized log, we stoke it at night, and wake up to coals. We were advised by an old grandmother in Pennsylvania--''Be sure to burn it hot, once a day!'' We find it a little dirty, with sawdust and bark on the tile floor, but the resulting warmth makes that a small thing, indeed. When the power goes off, my bride and I find a seat near the stove, and read our books or drink our coffee there. We took a giant step backward, and love wood heat.
<span>Bill</span> Tue, 11/27/2018 - 07:31
I have been heating with a Vermont Casting wood stove for 12 years since moving to Pennsylvania. A tri-axel load of logs, about 100, equals 7 cords. 2 years of heat for $700 dollars. Love it.
<span>Mark Scott</span> Sun, 03/25/2018 - 22:52
I purchased and installed a Lopi brand model “the Endeavor “ about 15 years ago to offset my heating bills and for the winter charm of fire dancing thru its glass door. Well my home furnace cracked it’s heat exchanger almost the same month I finished installing the stove. To my surprise this stove easily heats my 2200 sq ft home in Denver CO and I’m saving electricity too because I cook on it for many dinner meals. My Xcell energy bill, gas and electric, is about $60 a month during the coldest months. I will say it’s a pain when we have consecutive days of below zero degrees Fahrenheit, I need to wake up around 3 in the morning and add a few chunks of seasoned wood. It’s worth it. I also enjoy the exercise of cutting and splitting my fuel. It does take up some yard space but like I said earlier, my furnace died 15 years ago and I still haven’t replaced it. I did break down and buy a 35 ton wood splitter this fall, what a time saver!
<span>Rachel</span> Sun, 12/10/2017 - 11:47
I have a Black Bart wood stove built into the fireplace. Here in coastal SC we do not have severe winters, but nothing takes the chill out as quickly and as comforting as a wood fire in the stove. When the box reaches a certain temp, it blows warm air and heats much of the downstairs, aND rhe cat loves to lie where the warm air first hits the floor! Keeps heating bills low, is peaceful and comforting, and beautiful! Love wood stoves!
<span>Belinda S. Colley</span> Tue, 12/05/2017 - 20:23
Here in Azalea, Oregon, we lose our electricity ALOT in the Winter and I wouldn't be without my wood burning stove - in the house and in the shop! Not only do we still stay warm even with no electricity, but I can make a pot of soup on the stop and put bread underneath and make homemade bread to go with it!
<span>Alan</span> Tue, 12/05/2017 - 09:13
My grandparents had a wood stove right in the middle of their kitchen and the in winter it was the focal point of winter living. My grandfather would fire it up in the early morning and put in a log or two when he thought it needed it. It would go all day only dying out late at night. During the big white porcelain clad box would have everyone around it at one point in time. There were two kitchen stools on both sides and a rocker and recliner a short distance from the front. The best spot was on one of the stools as the heat radiated right at you. Especially coveted after a cold time outdoors in the snow. It held function beyond heating as my grandmother would us it for cooking as well having 6 square feet of cook top and a big oven it's use saw many pie and keeping food warm while the main stove cooked away on the meals. Best thing was reheating her chocolate donuts to prepare them for confectioners sugar. As I initially said it became a social magnet as many a conversion was heard around the stove. I remember many neighbors and family sitting for hours and learning more about their lives and thoughts. Very much the social point of the house.
<span>Bruce Oyer Horne</span> Wed, 11/15/2017 - 19:09
While I was in the Army in the late 1970's, I built my own home around a wood burning stove. I now live in a 450sf with loft old log cain. I also heat with wood when below 40degress. The best wood to burn is whatever you can get for free. I cut storm damged trees to get most of my wood. I try toseason it at least 6 months, and oak and hickory are the best heat producers.