Holidays

Staying Warm

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Imagine this: Snow falling to pad the ground in white while you are nested in blankets taking refuge from the cold, basking in manufactured warmth. For ages, the ideal winter’s day has been spent gathered inside, either in front of a crackling hearth or cast iron heater, while the snow outside adds a tranquil, dreamy backdrop beyond the window. Today, in the era of faux fireplaces and central heat, we don’t think too much about where that cozy warmth is coming from. For two Little Compton proprietors, it’s their business.

The Antique Stove Hospital is a refuge for old-fashioned coal, wood, and gas stoves, ranges, broilers, heaters, and ovens. Father-son duo Emery and Brandon Pineo, self-proclaimed “Paleostoveologist” and “Stove Whisperer” respectively, have been restoring antique stoves since the ‘90s, after Emery tinkered and refurbished his own 20 years prior. The Pineos don’t just clean them up to sell as vintage home decor; they repair each one to working condition to be used for its original purpose.

“They just don’t make stoves like they used to,” says Brandon, pointing out the durability of iron stoves compared to today’s limited warranty, mass-assembled appliances. “They were made to last for generations.” He and his father spend hours upon hours, often months, fixing up the stoves brought to them by clients from as far as Alaska and the United Arab Emirates: disassembling, cleaning, welding, caulking, reassembling, painting, installing, and polishing. The finished product is as shiny as day-one, which could have been as long ago as the eighteenth century or as “recent” as the 1930s, give or take.

The shop itself is a rotating treasure trove: There are between 300 and 400 stoves kept in stock, most filling the barn out back and others spilling into the yard. Tools and spare parts dominate entire rows of shelves inside, and a blanket of black sand marks a workspace dedicated to sanding metal. In the Hospital’s lifetime, the Pineos have doctored around 5,000 stoves, rebuilding between 100 and 150 per year. Most are from clients looking for a practical way to heat their house without electricity, or for a period-appropriate appliance to match their historic home. Some are abandoned at their shop, or salvaged.

While the Pineos acknowledge the nostalgia and aesthetic of antique stoves, they are insistent on putting practicality first. Yes, there may be something alluring about the gleam of a freshly polished Glenwood Wood Parlor, but people should also appreciate how it heats a home like it did so many generations ago – and will continue to do. After all, in the middle of winter, there’s nothing quite like curling up with a blanket, cozy and warm. Little Compton

Megan Schmit, Hey Rhody, Hey Rhody Holiday, holiday season, Antique Stove Hospital, Little Compton, antique stoves, ranges, ovens, restoration, staying warm, Emery Pineo, Brandon Pineo, Glenwood Wood Parlor, Paleostoveologist, Stove Whisperer, Rhode Island

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