100+ YO Tiny Potbelly Stove - Grey Iron 'Spark'

[UnderMiner]

I found this tiny stove today disposed of in the trash. Took me about 10 minutes to find all the parts and put it all together. The stove is very small, only 14 inches tall, and according to my research is it in fact the smallest functioning stove to come out of the period between 1890-1925. It is called the 'Spark' and was made by the The Grey Iron Casting Company in Mt. Joy, PA.

There is considerable debate among collectors of antique stoves about what the purpose of this stove was. Many insist that it was a miniature salesman's sample that was displayed to prospective customers as a miniature working model of a much larger stove. Others claim however that the Spark stove was actually intended to be a functioning stove in its own right and was not a miniature sample but a stove meant to be used by children.



The Grey Iron Casting Company began as the 'Wrightsville Hardware Company' in 1881. The company was a manufacturer of cast-iron toys. At no point in the company's history was it known to produce full-size cast iron stoves. The Spark is the only cast-iron stove the company produced as far as I can tell.

Everything on the stove works despite its tiny size and videos on Youtube made by people who own the Spark prove that it works exactly the same as a full-size potbelly stove. More photos will be uploaded later.

 

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[A2coins]

Now that is really really cool that would be a great décor piece well done

 

[UnderMiner]

Now that is really really cool that would be a great décor piece well done

Funny you should say that as one popular use these stoves had in their later years was being converted into ashtrays.
Must have looked really cool to see cigar smoke raising out the top of a tiny stove.

 

[Whyme]

That is so cool! Why would you throw something as cool as that out? Congrats on the find!

 

[xcopperstax]

I found this tiny stove today disposed of in the trash. Took me about 10 minutes to find all the parts and put it all together. The stove is very small, only 14 inches tall, and according to my research is it in fact the smallest functioning stove to come out of the period between 1890-1925. It is called the 'Spark' and was made by the The Grey Iron Casting Company in Mt. Joy, PA.

There is considerable debate among collectors of antique stoves about what the purpose of this stove was. Many insist that it was a miniature salesman's sample that was displayed to prospective customers as a miniature working model of a much larger stove. Others claim however that the Spark stove was actually intended to be a functioning stove in its own right and was not a miniature sample but a stove meant to be used by children.

View attachment 1638175

The Grey Iron Casting Company began as the 'Wrightsville Hardware Company' in 1881. The company was a manufacturer of cast-iron toys. At no point in the company's history was it known to produce full-size cast iron stoves. The Spark is the only cast-iron stove the company produced as far as I can tell.

Everything on the stove works despite its tiny size and videos on Youtube made by people who own the Spark prove that it works exactly the same as a full-size potbelly stove. More photos will be uploaded later.

Very nice find! You should test it out with some real fire!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on that nice save...very cool piece!

 

[mirage83]

Now that's a really cool find. Excellent recovery UM.

 

[RW]

Looks like a little shaker stove meant for burning coal. Cool find.

 

[tahomatom]

Just wondering, What size is the flue pipe for the exhaust? If you do decide to test fire it be sure NOT to use galvanized pipe. It's puts out some nasty stuff. Great find!

 

[UnderMiner]

I found this tiny stove today disposed of in the trash. Took me about 10 minutes to find all the parts and put it all together. The stove is very small, only 14 inches tall, and according to my research is it in fact the smallest functioning stove to come out of the period between 1890-1925. It is called the 'Spark' and was made by the The Grey Iron Casting Company in Mt. Joy, PA.

There is considerable debate among collectors of antique stoves about what the purpose of this stove was. Many insist that it was a miniature salesman's sample that was displayed to prospective customers as a miniature working model of a much larger stove. Others claim however that the Spark
The Grey Iron Casting Company began as the 'Wrightsville Hardware Company' in 1881. The company was a manufacturer of cast-iron toys. At no point in the company's history was it known to produce full-size cast iron stoves. The Spark is the only cast-iron stove the company produced as far as I can tell.

Everything on the stove works despite its tiny size and videos on Youtube made by people who own the Spark prove that it works exactly the same as a full-size potbelly stove. More photos will be uploaded later.
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stove was actually intended to be a functioning stove in its own right and was not a miniature sample but a stove meant to be used by children.

View attachment 1638175

The Grey Iron Casting Company began as the 'Wrightsville Hardware Company' in 1881. The company was a manufacturer of cast-iron toys. At no point in the company's history was it known to produce full-size cast iron stoves. The Spark is the only cast-iron stove the company produced as far as I can tell.

Everything on the stove works despite its tiny size and videos on Youtube made by people who own the Spark prove that it works exactly the same as a full-size potbelly stove. More photos will be uploaded later.

Here are some new pics showing its diminutive size.

 

[glass half fool]

That is not your regular find .It looks like it cleaned up real nice .Mt Joy is not to far from me but I never heard of any of the companies you mentioned in your research