18th Century Central Heat

October 13, 2009: In the 18th Century most cabins were one room with a loft for the children to sleep in and a fireplace on the back wall for cooking/warmth etc. The chimney was built outside the cabin because chimneys were prone to catching fire so were built to be knocked down away from the cabin. It was much easier to build a chimney than a cabin and to lose everything in that cabin would be devasting on the frontier. Levi Shinn, however, circa 1778, built not only a 2-story log house with 4 rooms but it also had 18th century central heat. His house had not one, but two fireplaces - back to back - with a stone chimney in the center of the house. The fires heated the stones and although it was not much heat, it was more than was found in most 2-story houses in that period. Come to the Gillum House and go see this wonderful piece of history. There is no admission charge - just a free-will donation.