Photo -- See Caption Below


Foot warmer
c 1790-1840

Description: Pierced tin box within a turned and raised wooden frame, turned wooden corner posts, and an interior metal pan for hot charcoals.

Prior to the installation of a furnace and central heating in the mid-1850s, fireplaces and stoves were used to heat the house, making Arlington a chilly place in winter. Contrivances such as this, designed to add as much comfort as possible on icy evenings, were widely used in homes throughout the 19th century.

Metal, wood. H 14.4, W 20, L 22.5 cm
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, ARHO 1095