Illustration by Caroline Magerl

It’s easy to forget, in these days of pricy imported fuel, that not all that long ago a good part of Maine was energy self sufficient – burning locally grown wood in locally built stoves. And while some homeowners opted for imports from distant places like Vermont or Taunton, Massachusetts, there were also many homegrown heaters and ranges: the “Atlantic” from Portland Stove Foundry, the ubiquitous “Clarion” from Wood and Bishop of Bangor, the “Kineo” from Noyes and Nutter (also of Bangor). Or for that matter, the stove might have been built in Waterville, Houlton, Mapleton, Hampden, Augusta, or Brunswick. It seemed that almost anywhere you went in Maine you might find a stove foundry.

Part household appliance, part furniture, the cast iron range and parlor heater was a study in practical and elegant construction. Some have likened a cast iron wood stove to a steam locomotive: levers and dampers that slide, lids that lift, shakers that shake, heat chambers and flues, water jackets, and dandy thermometers.

One was expected to know one’s woods (and their relative heating values) and to be an active participant in the heating and cooking process. Like any proper locomotive of the same period, a wood stove would have ornamentation ranging from humble to elaborate. Nickel plated trim was common and the cast iron would be adorned by foundry men with bas relief scroll work in Gothic, Greek, Italianate, Rococo, or Egyptian motifs. There might be cast-in lion’s heads, a cod fish, a quote from Milton, or even torch-wielding cherubs traipsing through a vineyard accompanied by a hound. There could be iron urns that humidified, stacks that recalled temple columns, warming ovens and swinging elevated trivets. The entire top of the kitchen range was a cooking surface of differing temperatures. Some had ovens that could accommodate a 35-pound Thanksgiving turkey — and all the trimmings. Also reflecting the era, the devices bore confident names: “Queen Atlantic,” “Star Kineo,” “Home Comfort,” “Glenwood Oak,” “Monitor,” “Hot Blast,” and “Climax.” Clearly these were appliances to be reckoned with.

Alas, times change. Wood heat went to central heating. Gas and electric ranges arrived in kitchens. No stove black, firewood, or ashes to contend with. Just turn it on and there you go. Many of the old stoves were broken up. But others simply went into retirement in the barn or shed to await better times. These arrived in the early 1970s when a fuel crisis and a back-to-the-land movement rekindled an interest in the practical business of wood heating.
By this time, most of the old foundries were gone, but the remaining old stoves could be dusted off, and with the addition of some new grates and perhaps a few parts, they would be ready to go. If, that is, you could find the stoves -- and the parts. Enter Bea and Joe Bryant.
In downtown Thorndike is the home of Bryant Stove and Music Inc. There, Bea and Joe specialize in restored antique stoves — kitchen and parlor, Franklin, wood/gas combination, and gas. Also, they will restore customer’s individual stoves, supply hard-to-get parts and offer nickel plating. A visit to the showroom is akin to a stop at an antique car museum. Polished black iron (and occasional enamel) is accented by glistening nickel. Cook stoves in a wide array of sizes jostle with parlor heaters of all sorts.