Illustrated Architecture Dictionary ....................... Illustrated FURNITURE Glossary
Fireplace Terms
"The castle was a vast stone and timber building that evolved from one large room, the great hall. Until the introduction of the fireplace in the fourteenth century, fires were made on the stone floor with an open window providing ventilation. To safeguard against the risk of fire, ceiling heights exceeded twenty feet, a characteristic that endures as a symbol of greatness and wealth." - Treena Crochet, Designer's Guide to Furniture Styles," pub. 2204, p. 135
Even after the fireplace was made technically obsolete by the widespread use of the stove and by central heating, it retained a symbolic and decorative importance. Moreover, an open fireplace was a sign of wealth.
Click on illustrations below for larger size
 Chimneyboard - a board, usually
painted, fitted into the opening to stop draughts when the fire was not
in use, especially in the summerIllustration: MacKay Homestead, Genesee Country Village, & Museum |
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Illustration:
Richmond-Lockwood House |
 Coal
scuttle - a box or bucket used as
a coal receptacle. Sometimes made of brass and ornamented.Illustration: Private collection, Orchard Park, NY Other examples: |
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Other examples: |
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Entablatures are supported by columns, or, in the case of fireplaces, sometimes by ancones (in the illustration to the left) or pilasters Illustration: Miller House |
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Fender - a low, metal guard made of iron and/or brass, used to protect the rug or floor from flying embers or sparks from the fire.
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Illustration:
Spencer Kellogg Jr. House |
| Firebox - Part of the fireplace where the
actual fire burns |
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Other examples:
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Illustration: Philip
Smith House / College Club House |
 Fire screen
/ Cheval screen / pole screen - Any screen set in front
of a fireplace to prevent flying sparks or embers from entering the roomIllustration: Cheval screen - Stella Lowry House |
| Gas
logs - A gas burner designed to
look like a log for use in a fireplace. Illustration: Hewitt House/Inn Buffalo |
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Other examples: |
| Grate - a metal open basket in
which coal or wood is burned in a fireplace. See dog grate above and hob grate below |
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Other examples: |
 Hob
grate - A cast-iron grate in
which the fire basket is supported off the ground, between two flat
hobs (sidepieces). Intended for charcoalIllustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site |
 Jamb - One of a pair of vertical posts
or pieces forming the sides of a door, window frame, or fireplaceIllustration: Electric Tower / Niagara Mohawk Building Other examples: |
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1. Finish
around a fireplace 2. Shelf
above a fireplace Illustration:
Seymour H. Knox House |
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Illustration:
Lockwood
House
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Illustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore
Roosevelt Inaugural Site |
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Slip - Brick slips (often referred to as brick tiles or brick veneers) are thin cuts of real brick, or in some cases purpose-made brick tiles, commonly used to replicate the appearance of a conventional brick wall in both internal and external applications. "Brick slips are cut from full-size bricks. The face of the brick is removed, usually at about 20mm thick. These thin slices of brick replicate the appearance of the conventional brick. Just like the traditional brick, there are a wide variety of styles and colours allow you to create both contemporary and traditional looking walls. Brick slips are easy to install. The brick slips are glued to an insulation panel or wall on site. Once you have pointed the bricks slip, they cannot be distinguished from a traditional brick wall." - Real Brick Ltd. (online April 2019) Illustration: Bemis/Ransom House Other examples: |
 Summer piece - a decorative piece, probably made
of steel for lightness, that could be placed in front of the grate when
not in useIllustration: River Lea Other examples: |
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Illustration: Seymour H. Knox House |
Gas
radiant heater 
