Franklin Stove

Q: I have an antique parlor stove made by the Richmond Stove Co. of Norwich, Conn. Cast above the stove door are the words “Ivy Franklin” and ivy is cast into much of the stove’s surface. Centered over the door is a square ceramic tile showing a profile of Benjamin Franklin’s head. Below the rail there’s a cast plate with the words “Olds & Whipple, Hartford, Conn.” Can you tell me the approximate period of manufacture?

A: The Richmond Stove Co. was founded by A. Richmond in 1867. Benjamin Franklin invented a free-standing stove that allowed warm air to circulate in a room while smoke went up the chimney. The invention, originally called a “Pennsylvania Fire-Place,” was first made in 1744 by a friend of Franklin’s. This type of stove became known as the “Franklin stove.” Your stove was made about 1885. It was sold by Olds & Whipple, a retail company that also sold farm equipment, seeds and fertilizers. Richmond Stove Co. became the Richmond Co. in 1902.