Hello from 1698!!!

[phil]

The landlord is lucky to have someone who appreciates the place. I can see how he'd be sensitive about tenants and liability. Id be clear about what you plan to do and where the boundaries lie, but maybe you can lead by example. If he sees you caring for it then that might help buy a bit of leeway in what the landlord allows. In some cases maybe things can be funded but I guess a lot is dependent on the level of communications and trust and the landlord's plans for the place. That might vary depending on the circumstances.

[LoveBlockIsland]

The landlord is my father's 3rd or 4th cousin. We don't do anything without approval and make sure everyone is clear about what is to be done.

We are thrilled we found a place to move to that we care about and the landlord is excited and thrilled someone they know will be in the house. We are a mile into the woods.

Their million dollar home sits up the hill from us. I'd be careful who I brought in too.

I'm relieved myself. Being this far out in the woods, that my neighbors are family!

[mjt]

I am just curious how those with old homes like this keep warm in the winter. I was told with these old beams and wood, there is no way to blow in insulation.

Mine is a brick home and we've not done any significant insulating in the walls. Restoring the windows and putting on storms had a huge impact on our heating bill.

The four fireplaces were all coal burners originally and re-lining the chimneys was going to be ridiculously expensive. Converting three to gas inserts was less than the cost of re-lining one chimney and the gas insert is easily reversible, so it was a no-brainer. Our dining room fireplace has such a small firebox that no gas insert would fit, so we just blocked the chimney for that one. Again, easily reversible should someone want to spend 5-figures to get a real fire there again...

[LoveBlockIsland]

Thanks for responding.

I had almost forgotten, I lived in WV in 2006 and the house we lived in had fireplaces with gas inserts.

At this house, my cousin told me it would take thousands to get the chimney working efficiently again.

They had already replaced all the windows, so I am sure that will be a big help in retaining heat. I can't imagine what the original windows looked like, but I am sure they were highly inefficient.

New England winters can be brutal.

I am glad you were able to refit your fireplaces.

It's a lovely thought to revert everything to its original use, but not everyone has the bank account to do so, no matter how much they would wish to.

[LoveBlockIsland]

I was wondering if the horse hair plasterboard should be removed or left and covered over in the rooms that have been stripped down to this type of wall?

[nhguy]

I have added pictures of the pew found in the basement and an online picture showing one in Jamestown RI, being used to keep warm at the hearth.

Also, one of the pictures is of the walls in the dining room and a closeup. The current owner wanted to stain this and leave it, but the wood is very rough. I don't know how this would look. I could imagine people tearing clothing on it. I can see some kind of plaster wall behind these walls, I imagine the original walls.

A couple pictures of additional finds in the house that need to be stripped and stained and reupholstered.

We found a portrait of the last owner, the brother of the current owner who passed away last year. He was a beloved area Santa for 45 years.

This family goes way back. I can't wait to go to town hall tomorrow to see how far back I can check the deed of the property!

I just realized, I should be posting any questions I may have as a separate question in the other sections of the Historic District.

Thank you all for the welcome! I appreciate your input!

Welcome.
The fire place in the room with the beamed ceiling and the settee to the left. That appears to be 17th or very early 18th century. The feather edged vertical paneling you took a closeup of looks like oak that is of the same era most likely. Are these in an ell on the house or in the main structure? The other fireplaces you showed are of a much later style more like 1800 vintage, so perhaps a style upgrade at some point.

[LoveBlockIsland]

The closeup wall is in the dining room. There is a fireplace in this room that shares the same hearth as the fireplace in the original kitchen.

I can see plasterboard behind this wall. Probably that same horsehair board I am seeing in the rest of the house. I wouldn't want to remove this board just to get to the original colonial house wall.

[LoveBlockIsland]

The dining room fireplace is connected to the original kitchen fireplace.

The room adjacent to the dining room and the other side of the original kitchen is the living room with the much smaller fireplace.

I'll try to take a picture later that will explain what I mean.

All on same floor, with no ell. The rooms don't appear to be a part of add ons.

I removed the picture you described from the early 1700s because it wasn't of this house. I had added it to show how the seating was used and am sure that is the use of the pew in the basement. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. I am sure all you historians know of this already.

[phil]

around me they make a choice of lifting or tearing down to rebuild a big square ugly box. when they lift they usually loose the fireplace , gain floorspace. its about economics.
Im curious how the laws are in the US and it may be different by town or county but as we move forward and people eliminate or changeover they may be loosing the right to burn wood.
I'd take that into consideration when considering mods. because although they perhaps can be converted back. new enviro laws may prohibit that kind of heating whereas if you are grandfathered in then maybe you are more likely to retain your rights. My fear is the rule makers may take our rights to play with fire away.

as it is now it seems the cast iron kitchen stoves have already gone from a lot of houses and fire insurance doesn't like them much. of course some survive especially in rural places.

I just had a roofer tell me my insurance would be so much cheaper if I lost my 100 year old cedar shingles and put new siding. Ugh!

Are others seeing fireplaces banned or the building/resurrection of old ones? are new houses still being built with new fireplaces?

[LoveBlockIsland]

You are right, insurance companies despise the hearth we love! I am sure each city or town has their own requirements pertaining to installing a fireplace.