Is This a Geneva Cook Stove From Phillips & Clark Foundry ?...

Hello,

First post... Az. dweller seeking wisdom. I hope I am following the rules, and am in the correct location.

Today , I found a long neglected cast Iron cook stove (4 eye). It has a front hinged swing door with the imprint "Geneva" . And, raised imprint
of "8-16" on the cooktop surface. No other foundry identifier logo visible (although I found raised letter "W" in three locations). The base plate
has a clearly visible (underside) "gate" mark .... which would seem to indicate late 1800's. Appears to be a plain Jane model.... as there is total
lack of ornate attachments.

I have just begun the clean up. A search of the internet has failed to yield this "model" Geneva.

All commentary is gratefully received...and any insights provided will be welcome.

Thank you,
Charles

Welcome, CD.

It might be a P&C foundry "cookstove". Might be from before they started adding their name ? Are there any numbers on the insides of the castings ? Sometimes those part numbers included a pattern/casting date.

The 8-16 was a common way of designating cookstove and range models. The 8 would be the approximate size of the four round covers on the cooktop. The 16 would be the approximate size of the oven.

It's of an early style of cook stove that were the forerunners of the kitchen "range" type with oven doors on both sides behind the "hearth" - the front of the stove. The later ranges often having a mantel with shelves along the left side, and only having one oven door on the right. You did most of the cooking from that right side. As a result, many people think that right side was actually the front of a range, but long after cookstoves went out of style some manufactures still labeled parts, such as the firebrick liners with the front being the hearth end.

Without some type of cast iron grate, or basket, to raise a coal firebed up on so that primary air can feed the firebed from underneath, it will only work with wood.

Paul

Paul thank you for your insights.... the historical record seems to indicate P&C moved from Troy to Geneva around 1885. The gate
marked underbelly indicates poured sometime in that time frame. I will attempt to source a grate and, if possible, a slide for the front hinged
door. Am doing a little more disassembly this a.m. .... have located interior (posterior wall) raised marking of "6" which possibly might indicate
stove pipe size. 100 + years of oxidation leads me to believe the first step in the rehab process should be to check my tetanus status.

I will continue to search for foundry "tells" and let you know if I find any. This will be slow going, but, I enjoy the process. (the good news.
no holes/cracks/breaks in the belly of the beast !

Thanks again. (here is a photo of my last rehab... a Martin (Alabama) "Perfection"). circa 1918. Not "pretty" like the parlor stoves.... but absolutely functional.

Charles

By the way Paul...spot on with the directional aspect of this flat top stove.....access to load additional kindling/coal is granted on one side (left)
unless one opts to use a lifter and add thru the stove top. The oven has bilateral access.

I found additional numerical catalog designators inside (hidden) the legs... combining a few views I can visualize.... MO 517 M And, if any have interest... the sand mold "gate marks" on the underbelly of the ash pan and oven. Internet gurus seem to believe this
type of marking disappeared by 1890'ish. Charles

The copy of the 1904 P & C catalog I have, that you can download from the Harvard University Baker Library, doesn't show a plain "Geneva" line. Just the more decorative "Andes" line of stoves. However, they are still offering the smaller cookstoves in addition to their line of ranges.

And they are still using the round cover and oven sizes as model numbers.

Paul

Thank you Paul. That Harvard catalog copy is the earliest catalog i have been able to source. Wow...those parlor Andes line stoves
are over the top spectacular....appear very high end. I like some of advertisement copy for the Andes art and trading cards... very
Victorian era women and children as cover art...lots of pastoral scenery/backdrops. I'm guessing they knew early on who made the
culinary decisions. Both Phillips and Clark had a lot of experience with foundry work.... Clark had his own stove manufacture at 22
years old ! (Troy, New York, 1866). Phillips seems to have been the "money". And, I have sourced 3 patents to their foundry. The move
from Troy to Geneva (labor issues) was inspired... ready access to waterways, sand, iron, manpower. At one time the foundry was the
major source of employment in Geneva.

I'll keep digging. The rehab is proceeding nicely. Unable to locate a size appropriate ,L-shaped grate on the web... probably going to take
some luck. I enjoy the history and the hunt. Thanks again.

Charles

Our friend Sonny Boy has a good body of knowledge when it comes to cook stoves not to mention being just smart on top of it all.
In my opinion there needs to a good collection of experience concerning cooking ranges. I would like to have one some day if illness would stop hounding me............
But a word about Andes stoves. Andes stoves are among the TOP, BEST quality stoves that you can have or use. They are up there with Glenwood, Crawford, Germer Stoves made in Erie, PA.
To have an Andes is to have something to be proud of and not be afraid to use.

I agree W Sherrick...always great to have the knowledge Jedi's so willing to share ! Rarely do the consumers of that which is so freely
shared acknowledge the expertise. Thank you Paul.

also, the craftsmanship involved in manufacturing the Andes line is amazing... works of art.

Charles

Paul, et al...

I think I sourced a strong candidate as foundry of origin. Thomas D. Burrall, inventor (numerous patents for farm / agricultural
implements...thrasher, corn shellers, grain reapers, mowers, manure spreaders, etc. ) , Yale alumni, and,... cook stove patent holder
(Jun 26,1835). Unfortunately, the Patent Office fire of Dec 1836 consumed his record (only the patent diagram exists). Burrall was
one of the early entrepreneurs of Geneva, New York, and. opened a foundry he named the "Geneva" Stove Co. . He sold his interest
in the operation by the mid-1850's. I believe the flat top cookstove I am re-conditioning may be earlier than the Phillips and Clark
Co. product. ... it holds very simplistic design, has the sand mould gate marks, and, very crude (by later standards) mould markings
on doors and sidewalls. In other words, little attention paid to esthetic appeal... a work stove. I will keep searching ...but, this choice
appears less of a "forced fit" to my thinking.

The cleanup is proceeding nicely... I picked up a lid lifter / ash shaker on ebay ($5.99). It was poured at the Union Stove Works, Peekskill,
N.Y. in 1904. It cleaned up nicely. (see below). I think I will keep it. I enjoy the hunt and the history. As always , comments, ideas welcome.

Charles
http://imgur.com/a/q9R2W

Many hours later... I am pleased with the results. I am still attempting to locate the front door slider, and, a grate. The "beaver" (State mammal of New York) is in place to
allow only one side of the oven to open . Internal firewall presents some long ago repair work...so i just kept it. This weekend will add stovepipe and have a test fire. This will only
be used in the backyard for cooking/fire/heat. I have learned much from this one.

Charles
http://imgur.com/a/t4lyE

First firing...scrambled eggs, biscuits, and (of course ) bacon. Found a size appropriate grate (arrival pending) on Ebay.
All worked perfectly. Re-learned how hot cast iron gets...... cast iron : 1, skin 0. Sorry , no coal....yet. Charles

hello i have a simular stove made by martin stove and range co. also gate marked on bottom numbers are 7-14A four burner top says junior on the front cannot find much information at all on it. any info would be greatly appreciated, thank you