Electric Fan
Western Auto Supply Company

The Sandburgs' home in Flat Rock was built in 1838 as a summer home for Christopher Memminger, a Charleston businessman who served as Secretary of the Treasury for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Around 1924, owner Ellison Adger Smyth converted the home from a summer residence into a permanent residence by adding a central heating system.

After purchasing the house in 1945, the Sandburgs continued to heat the house with the coal-fired boiler until 1957, when they purchased a General Electric oil-fired boiler. The Sandburgs' home, like many homes in the area, never had central air conditioning. The Sandburgs used fans like this one to cool the house in addition to opening the many large windows throughout the house for ventilation. The house had been designed to maximize air flow at a time before central air conditioning systems were invented. The Sandburgs enjoyed the mild summers in Flat Rock with open windows, screen doors, and small electric fans.
Metal, rubber. L 34.5, L 18, W 11.5 cm
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, CARL 99776