Purpose of firebacks

Colonial-era chimney backs, or firebacks, were cast iron plates that was installed on the rear wall of a fireplace to protect the brick or stone from "burning out" or crumbling due to heat of the fires. They were also decorative and come in many cast-in designs.

In Europe, firebacks date back to the fifteenth century and were used until about the nineteenth century, when coal grates were introduced and large firebacks were no longer necessary.

Oftentimes, the old firebacks were sealed up in the fireplace and forgotten. Some have been pulled out of fireplaces before they were sealed and were used in alternative ways such as paving stones, chimney caps, down spout pavers, and more. Later on, many of the reused firebacks found their way to scrap dealers to be destroyed or stacked with other scrap and forgotten.

In the 1740s through 1760s, the Oxford Furnace was probably most known for producing firebacks. The design was the royal coat-of-arms of George II (1683-1760) and the Hanoverian royal family of Great Britain, who reigned over the colonies.

Also included on the fireback were the royal mottos, "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Evil to him who evil thinks) and "Dieu et mon droit" (God and my right).

Making firebacks

The mold for the fireback casting was made up of several hard wood boards. These were held to battens by large rose head nails. Once the pallet was assembled, it was carved in "high relief" in the coat of arms of England. The very bottom of board would have the name "Oxford" and the year so that it could be changed annually.

The finished mold would then be pressed into a bed of sand in the casting floor. The furnace was tapped to allow molten iron to run through a channel and into the impression. The known firebacks vary in thickness, which indicates that sometimes the mold was pressed deeper. Overall, the firebacks were between 1 and 3 inches thick and weighed anywhere from 150 to over 500 pounds. From that point, it appears that no further finishing was needed as the cooled fireback was pulled from the sand impression because many exhibit a rough sprew at the top.

There were four variations of the Oxford firebacks.

Type I:  The largest measured 34" x 34" with an arched top. The name "Oxford" is found on the lower left while the date is on the lower right.

Type II: This is smaller than Type I, measuring around 28" x 28" and had a rounded top. The name "Oxford" is centered at the bottom with the date split (17-- left, 48-- right).

Type IIa: This is a variant of Type II and is mostly the same with exception to the date, which is at the top. The century is on the left (17) and the year on the right (58). 

Type III: There are two examples of this type that are known-- both were removed from sealed fireplaces at Shippen Manor during restoration. It is similar to Type II but with a variation in the coat of arms and a flat border instead of reel and bead.

There are very few and mostly scattered records of the Oxford Furnace and products, which makes it difficult to piece together its workings. It is also possible that the firebacks were exported to England even though it was not mentioned in the scant records.

List of known firebacks

The locations in this chart were listed in the "Oxford Furnace Firebacks" (Bulletin No. 1) from 1993.  Some have been verified as still in possession of a site, and either on display or in storage.  This list is based on the original compiled by D. Matthews in 1993 (page 10 of the bulletin). It has been updated and firebacks added to the list.
This list will be updated as more firebacks are located.

The list represents a small portion of the firebacks originally cast. The earliest date determined is 1744 and evidence shows that they were produced at least through 1762. 

Please remember that this list was compiled before 1993. Therefore, there will be some changes in the locations and/or other descriptive information of the firebacks.
Updates will be posted if any information needs amending.

Known original locations of firebacks

1. Bronck House (Coxsackie, NY)
2. Clermont (Germantown, NY)
3. Fort DePui/DePuy (Shawnee, PA)*
4. Van Campen Inn (Walpack, NJ)*
5. Ludwig Titman House (Blairstown, NJ)
6. Shippen Manor (Oxford, NJ)
7. Bryan House (Broadway, NJ)
8. Cox House (Bushington, PA)
9. Graeme Park (Horsham, PA)*
10. Hope Lodge (Fort Washington, PA)
11. Shippen-Wistar House (Philadelphia, PA)
12. Cliveden (Philadelphia, PA)

*Firebacks remain in original location (as of 1993 list)

Other firebacks

In 2016, Sotheby's auctioned an Oxford fireback (Type II, 1754), which sold for $8125 (USD). The fireback was a part of the collection of the Germantown Historical Society, Germantown, Philadelphia Co., PA. A note that the fireback was an entry of Winterthur's plate in Donald Fennimore (Iron at Winterthur, Winterthur, DE: 2004, p. 40-3, pl. 8). 

A 1746 Oxford fireback was sold in auction in Harrisburg, PA in 2011. It appears to have been a Type I, 1746. It measured 34-1/4" x 34" and sold for an unlisted amount.

There are several known to be in private collections in Warren County, NJ and others in NJ, PA, or elsewhere. 

Resources

Matthews, Richard. Oxford Furnace Firebacks. Bulletin No. 1. Warren County Cultural & Heritage Affairs. Oxford, NJ. 1993. [pdf]

Additional Resources

A Collection of Papers Read Before the Bucks County Historical Society, Volume 4. Bucks County Historical Society. Bucks County, PA. 1917. [ebook]

• Article: Rice, A.H. "Stoveplate Hunting." Doylestown Meeting, 17 June 1916. 606-611.  
  A.H. Rice traveled to Oxford because there was a fireback in the stone house (Shippen Manor) that belonged to the Furnace. At the furnace, Rice saw Mr. [Sterling Galt] Valentine, superintendent of the furnace company, who was very much interested (609). According to Rice, the firebacks in Shippen were taken out before Valentine lived there (610). 

Mercer, Henry Chapman. The Bible in Iron or The Pictured Stoves and Stove Plates of the Pennsylvania Germans. Doylestown, PA: Bucks Co. Historical Society. 1914. [e-book]

Updated 11/1/2022