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ANTIQUES PEEK by Jessica Kosinski
ANTIQUES PEEK

As Grate As It Gets

s someone who lives in an older home, I That way they could be closed and opened
have a strong appreciation for the charm easily at will. They were typically called heating
Aof older houses with their senses of registers to differentiate them from grill grates.
character and interesting quirks. I’m sure many
modern Americans share my appreciation for The Top Early American Heating
houses and household features from an earlier Grate Producer
era. One such feature is the heating grate, Today, many homeowners seek out older
sometimes known as a heat grill or register. heating grates as collectibles or decorations.
Heating grates are still present in many homes Some also want functional, authentic early
today. However, modern examples do not have heating grates to complete restorations of old
the style and elegance of earlier heating grates. homes. If you want to locate older grates for
Let’s take a peek at the origins of these modern any reason, the top name to look for is Tuttle
marvels for their time and why they are still and Bailey.
beloved by old home enthusiasts today. Many heating grate manufacturers existed in
the United States and Europe. However, one of
The Switch to Central Heating the most famous was Tuttle and Brother, which
There is evidence to show that some ancient later became Tuttle and Bailey. The company’s
civilizations used forms of central heating. Tuttle and Bailey Rounded Grate heating grates were used in some of the most
However, the majority of home heating prominent and largest homes in the United
technologies we know and love today were At the same time, the Victorian Era was States throughout the late 1800s and early
largely developed only in the last couple of taking place. It was so named for Queen 1900s. The primary focus of Tuttle and Bailey
centuries. For example, the home radiator Victoria of England, who reigned from 1837 was to create decorative grill covers to hide what
was invented in France in 1855. Even modern until 1901. However, some consider the were then innovative new radiators. However,
thermostats were not invented until 1885. Victorian Era itself as lasting from as early as heating registers and grills of various sizes were
In the United States, American homes were 1820 to as late as 1915 in England. A major also produced. The New York-based company
largely heated by fireplaces until just after 1866. feature of that era was the desire for attractive- was so popular that it has survived to the
That year, Lewis W. ness, beauty, and artistic design. That desire present day. Its current main office is located in
Leeds wrote a book was carried across the Atlantic to the United Texas, and the grills it now produces are more
called Lectures on States. Thus, the combination of a push for industrial in nature.
Ventilation which innovative heating systems and beauty merged
led American into the desire for functional but artistic
engineers and heating grates in homes.
inventors to start
focusing on The Influences of the Turn of the Century

better heating and the Art Deco Era
and ventilation Another major change to home heating
systems in homes. grates came after the turn of the century. Decorative Radiator Cover
The slow change to Throughout the early 1900s changes in Reasons to Buy Antique Heating Grates
1870s Furnace Register better air circulation in materials used to make the grates occurred. You might wonder if the only reason to seek
houses also corre- Early grates were primarily metal. Grates out old heating grates is to install them in a
sponded with two major events – the industrial produced in the 1900s began to incorporate restored home. It’s not. You can also use
revolution and the Victorian Era. materials like enamel, porcelain, and lacquer. antique grates in a modern home to add a touch
When metal was used, the types of metal used
How the Industrial Revolution and the varied more. For example, gold-plated grates of style. Wall and floor grates are available in
many different sizes and styles. The advantage
Victorian Era Shaped Grates popped up in some homes. of using older grates for that purpose is they
The industrial revolution in America led to As the Art Deco period hit in the 1920s and were typically produced of sturdy materials
the widespread development of machines and 30s, grate styles also experienced changes. They and had more intricate, attractive designs than
factories for many different purposes. It also led were often molded and designed to feature modern heating grates. You can also opt to
to engineering innovations and changes in how geometric patterns. The grates themselves also purchase a few heating grates for projects
American society worked. However, it was a varied in shape. Formerly mostly rectangular, unrelated to heating. If you have some metal-
slow and expensive change. At first, innovations they expanded to include square, round, and work experience, you can turn them into lamps,
like central home heating were only available to horseshoe-shaped models, among others. table centerpieces, magazine racks, and more.
the wealthy. They were, along with many other They are not just practical, but also works of art.
luxuries, considered symbols of status. The Two Major Types of
Early Heating Grates
Heating grates in homes came in two types,
based on how the air was circulated. Some
systems only recirculated air within homes, but
many drew air in from outside, warmed it, then
circulated it through the homes. Flat heating
grills were most often used in homes where
recirculated indoor air was heated. Heating
grates that were part of systems involving
Salvaged Victorian Grate outdoor air often had wheels or levers on them. Grates as Lamps
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