Name/Title
Scuttle, CoalContext
Next to the fireplace in the Cochran Master Bedroom is a brass, helmet-shaped coal scuttle with a roundish base, a large bucket-style handle at the top, and a small, fixed handle on the back. This scuttle is American-made, from the late 19th century.
Coal scuttles were used to bring coal into the house to burn in the hearth. Though the NCHM fireplaces originally burned wood, they were modified in the late 19th c. to burn coal, a more efficient heat source. At some point, the downstairs fireplaces were further modified to draw heat up from a furnace in the cellar. This allowed the coal to be delivered through a window at ground level, removing the need to haul coal through the house with a scuttle.
This coal scuttle was given to the NCHM Collection by Mrs. Robert W. McClendon. You can see it, and all of our heartwarming artifacts, Wed-Sun, 11-4pm.Acquisition
Accession
1974.01Source or Donor
Mr. Robert W. McClendonAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
In Mem of donor's wife, Mary Olive Titterington of Texarkana