John and Sylvia Skistimas in Grain Valley, Missouri wanted an open wood-burning fireplace that would be efficient, so they consluted with Gene Padgitt from HearthMasters, Inc. in Independence, Missouri. Gene told the Skistimas' about how Count Rumford designed a fireplace in the 1700’s that is much more efficient than a standard “box” style fireplace, so less heat is wasted up the chimney and more heat is reflected into the room. The couple decided to add this fireplace to their new home in 2003.
Count Rumford, for whom the Rumford fireplace is named, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1753. He moved to Britain in 1776 during stressful war time. Rumford is known primarily for the work he did on the nature of heat. Back in England, Rumford applied his knowledge of heat to the improvement of industrial and residential fireplaces at the request of the Royal Family, who was concerned about the diminishing Black Forest.
Rumford designed fireplaces that are shallower and narrower, with widely angled covings so they would radiate better. And he streamlined the throat, so as to "remove those local hindrances which forcibly prevent the smoke from following its natural tendency to go up the chimney..." Rumford wrote two essays detailing his improvements on fireplaces in 1796 and in 1798. He was well known and widely read in his lifetime, an shortly after his modifications his "Rumford fireplace" became state of the art worldwide. The book The Forgotten Art of Building a Good Fireplace by Vrest Orton has detailed information on the Rumford design.
Rumford fireplaces were common from 1796, when Count Rumford first wrote about them, until about 1850. Jefferson had them built at Monticello, and Thoreau listed them among the modern conveniences that everyone took for granted. There are still many original Rumford fireplaces - often buried behind newer renovations-throughout the country. Many are still in use in the U.K. and Europe today.
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