Cast Iron Schoolhouse Fireplace Surround c.1800

ABOUT This is an original cast iron fireplace surround. The piece dates to the nineteenth century and was originally in a San Francisco school. The body is dark blue with yellow, geometric patterns on the front and stylized leaf pattern on the mantel. A large "key stone" element is located in the center. The piece is structurally sound and has retained much of its original paint. The mantel is structurally sound and is in a distressed condition.  CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1800-1880 MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Cast Iron, Paint. CONDITION Good.  Wear consistent with age and use. DIMENSIONS H 45 in. x D 12 in. W 53 in. HISTORY In the mid 1800’s, as households began burning coal instead of wood there was a shift in design to horseshoe-arched cast iron styles.More ornate fireplace designs emerged with the Victorian age in 1837. Designed with overmantels and columns these fireplaces included a cast-iron combination- the first inserts. The legs of the surround were also detailed