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How to Date a Vintage Stove

Vintage stoves can be attractive accessories in homes where the ambiance is all about the colonial era, or even the time around and after the American Civil War. However, if you're interested in knowing when a particular stove was made, you're not generally going to find it stamped on the body. Knowing the different types of stoves and when they were made is crucial for accurate dating.

Instructions

- 1
  Look for ovens with between five and 10 cooking plates over an open flame, some with two cooking compartments stacked to one side. Made in the 1700s, these stoves also served as the primary heat source in homes, so you might find one in a colonial bedroom as well. Built of cast iron, these were highly durable.
- 2
  Check for a split-level cook stove if you're interested in a 19th century innovation. The two tiers increased the surface area in which cooks could heat pots on the stove. Cast more finely than their 18th century counterparts, these stoves were also somewhat lighter.
- 3
  Watch for more ornate scroll work and drawers where you could warm your food, as well as places to store heated water, as stoves entered the 1900s. In addition to iron, ceramic became a common cooking surface.

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