Do people still roast chestnuts?

Maybe, not.  But, we do have an officially functioning fireplace, as of, this week! But, before I delve into that, some background is needed.

Last May, I had the original chimney that was used, specifically, for the original coal furnace and kitchen stove, repointed.  This appears to be the first repair ever made on the chimney as the mortar joint color appeared consistent.  Throughout the neighborhood, there are several examples of repairs and it is painfully obvious, based on the mortar color differences.  Repointing a chimney entails removing most of the existing mortar between the bricks and replacing it with new mortar. Completed correctly, the repair will last a very long time.

Before

 

 

After

Afterwards, the mason provided an assessment of the fireplace.  He said the existing flue was not salvageable and needed to be removed and replaced with a metal flue liner. This would entail cutting a hole in the existing (original) cast iron dome damper (think of it as the roof inside the main firebox) to retrofit the new flue pipe. In addition, it was recommended to have an insert put into the existing firebox.  In all, the quote was almost $20k.  I said, "thanks" and told him I'd needed to think about it.  I paid for the repointing work and that was my last contact with him.  Nice guy, but $20k is a lot of opportunity cost.

Since it was Spring, I decided to put the entire idea of having an original, functioning fireplace out of my mind, mainly because it appeared to be a very expensive proposition and, also, I wasn't interested in destroying an original feature of the house.  I had succumbed to having a fireplace with a bunch of lit candles decoratively displayed in the firebox.

In the early Fall, after some thought, I began looking for someone to provide a second opinion and whom would be more sensitive to preserving old home character.  Eventually, I found a local, small company to inspect the fireplace. The challenge was scheduling--he was very busy, mostly because there are so many old homes in our area.  This past Monday was his first opening and I was both excited and anxious about his visit.

He inspected the entire fireplace, top-to-bottom, and said it was in very good condition, including the clay tile flue. That was a relief!  The fireplace was thoroughly cleaned and it was amazing how much creosote was removed from the flue.  A minor repair to a firebrick in the firebox was made and we had an official Level II inspection completed--$145 total cost!

One of the neat things about the fireplace is the cast iron fire basket (technically, it is a coal basket as that what was mostly used in 1920s fireplaces in our area). It is in fantastic condition and original to the fireplace.  I'm confident it is original, since it fits perfectly inside the not so perfectly square firebox.

Built-in swivel ash dump

Fits like a glove!

The next phase will be having the entire facade of the fireplace updated to a style common in many Arts and Crafts bungalows.  While the fireplace is originally brick, in the past (guessing the '90's), someone decided it would look better with a thin skimcoat of mortar applied and painted. I assume this was done to mimic a more Mediterranean style. Ugh! Unfortunately, it is impossible to restore the facade back to its original condition without damaging almost all of the brick. But, I abhor how it currently looks. This past year, I found and and have been in communication with an individual in Pasadena, California who specializes in creating Arts and Crafts fireplaces.  They will create the design, custom make every tile, as well as, glaze and fire every tile.  Amazingly, they are in possession of original tile casts from Ernest Batchelder.  That, however, is a project for later this year. The main reason for pursing this is due to the deep history within our own neighborhood of Van Briggle fireplaces.  There are dozens and dozens of homes in our area containing the coveted work of his local early 1900's kiln, which is less than a mile from our home. While it is impossible to have a Van Briggle fireplace in our home, I can have one created using the identical process.

Finally, however, we get to enjoy our fireplace for the first time. So, until the next phase, this will have to suffice...