Stove

Object Name:

Stove

Object ID:

2008.031

Place of Origin:

Somersworth, NH

Date:

circa 1884

Description:

Stove, cast iron, made by Somersworth Machine Co., Great Falls, NH, c. 1884. Combination parlor and cook stove. Stepped cast body, in two sections bolted together. Top section has hinged front door with "COTTAGE" cast in decorative lettering; "COT 2" (reversed) cast on inside of door. Floral decoration cast on sides of top section. Cast lettering on back of bottom section: "SOMERSWORTH MACHINE CO. / GREAT FALLS, N.H." Bottom section has hinged front door with three mica windows and adjustable vent; doorknob missing; finial missing on bottom hinge; "COT 2" cast twice on inside. Ornate cast monogram on each side of bottom section: "SMC". Finial on right side of hearth; left finial missing. Hinged top; finial missing; "COT 2" cast on underside. "COT 2 1884" cast on inside front of top section. Hinged door on right side of bottom section; adjustable vent; "2" cast on inside; finial missing on bottom hinge. "COT 2" cast on top of fire box. "C T 2" cast on exterior bottom of fire box.

14 removable pieces:
Oval insert for top; "C T 2" cast on underside.
Center divider for insert; "CH 12" cast on underside.
2 burners for oval insert; "CH" cast on underside.
Hearth cover; "No. 2" cast on top.
Interior grate; "S. M. Co." cast on front; cracked.
Interior burner plate; "COT2 83" cast on underside.
Burner to fit interior plate.
Burner lifter with coiled wire handle; cast "STOVER 66".
Hooked poker with coiled wire handle.
4 curved legs, each with cast monogram "C" (one is a replacement).

Material:

Metal
Iron

Dimensions:

H-36 W-26 D-22.5 inches

Provenance:

Used by seller in his house in North Berwick, ME, just over the state line from Somersworth.

Somersworth Machine Co. was incorporated in 1848 and began making cast iron stoves in 1851. It became the largest manufacturer of cast iron stoves in New Hampshire, making 40 models by the 1880s. The company closed c. 1920.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Purchase