Choosing a fireback for your hearth is an exciting event. One must take into consideration the space available and aesthetics you want to achieve. A fireback should be wide enough to shield the hearth wall directly behind the fire. Remember that it is not uncommon for there to be anywhere from 3 inch to 10 inch of exposed back wall on either side of a fireback. The top of the fireback must be below the opening of the flue. Firebacks are shipped with a water base black paint to prevent rust build up during transit. To give a brighter finish to the fireback and to protect the casting from rust after use with a fire, an application of water base graphite stove polish is recommended. Applied with a toothbrush or rag, this paste, when dry, can be polished with a wire brush or rag giving the fireback an attractive silverfish sheen.
To that end, the ideally proportioned Pennsylvania Firebacks Franklin Sun Cast Iron Fireback was the first design created for the initial production of original firebacks by Pennsylvania Firebacks in 1979. This historic and symbolic design pays homage to Benjamin Franklin, his stove, and the first firebacks produced by James Logan in Pennsylvania in 1728. The Sun face is comprised of sixteen rays and a scroll engraved with the words Alter Idem closely resemble those on Franklin's famous stove of 1744. Additionally, the frame and festooning of this fireback harkens to a series of eight firebacks cast for James Logan who was the Colonial Secretary for William Penn at the Durham Foundry. This series was thought to be among the first iron castings made in Pennsylvania.
- Cast Iron Construction
- 18 inch W x 21.5 inch H
- Handmade in the USA
