The Forgotten Art of Building a Good Fireplace

by Orton, Vrest

• ISBN13: 9780911469172
• ISBN10: 0911469176
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1969-01-01
• Publisher: Alan C Hood & Company

Summary

Since its original publication in 1969 by Yankee, Inc., Vrest Orton's classic book on fireplace design has gone through numerous printings and has brought about a revival of the Rumford fireplace. The basic principles that Count Rumford set forth in 1795 describe the construction of a large shallow fireplace which does not smoke and which throws out much more heat than many of today's fireplaces which send too much of the heat up the chimney. This new edition contains some practical notes by Wally Leeds, a mason in Tunbridge, Vermont who builds Rumford fireplaces today.

Author Biography

Vrest Orton loved the five fireplaces in his 1828 Federal brick house in Weston, Vermont because of their architectural beauty and because of the enormous amount of heat they produced without letting smoke into the rooms. In his quest to understand why his old fireplaces worked so much better than most "modern" versions, Orton discovered the work of Count Rumford, the eighteenth-century genius who brought fireplace design to an unprecedented level of efficiency. Born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1753, Rumford was a Tory during the American Revolution, and he emigrated to Britain. While in Britain, he applied himself to the study and improvement of smoky fireplaces, and had so much success that his fame spread to Europe. In Bavaria, his contributions to society were so appreciated that he was ennobled as "Count of the Holy Roman Empire" by the Elector of Bavaria. He took the name "Rumford" from the old name for Concord, New Hampshire. In this book, Vrest Orton recounts the fascinating story of Count Rumford. He then goes on to spell out Rumford's basic principles of fireplace design with the help of drawings by Austin Stevens. Since its original publication in 1969, this book has gone through numerous printings and has brought about a revival of the Rumford fireplace. Vrest Orton served in France during World War I, had a distinguished career in book and magazine publishing for twenty years, and then moved back to Vermont after Pentagon service following World War II to found The Vermont Country Store, which issues one of America's most trusted and popular mail-order catalogs. This new edition includes some notes and clarification by Wally Leeds, a mason in Tunbridge, Vermont who has built many Rumford fireplaces. In addition, there is a preface by Lyman Orton, son of Vrest Orton.

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(2)
Foreword	11	(4)
A Biographical Account of Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford	15	(10)
The Riddle of the Modern Fireplace and Its Shortcomings	25	(6)
Benjamin Franklin's Observations on Fireplaces	31	(6)
Count Rumford's Major Principles of Fireplace Design	37	(20)
Helpful Aids	57	(4)
Additional Notes	61