The Forgotten Art of Building a Good Fireplace, Revised Edition: The Story of Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, an American Genius & His ... Which Have Remained Unchanged for 174 years - Softcover

Since its original publication in 1969 by Yankee, Inc.,Vrest Orton's classic book on fireplace design has gone through numerous printings and has brought about a revival of the Rumford fireplace. The basic principles that Count Rumford set forth in 1795 describe the construction of a large shallow fireplace which does not smoke and which throws out much more heat than many of today's fireplaces which send too much of the heat up the chimney. This new edition contains some practical notes by Wally Leeds, a mason in Tunbridge,Vermont who builds Rumford fireplaces today.

Orton served in France during WWI, had a distinguished career in book and magazine publishing for 20 years, and then moved back to Vermont after Pentagon service following WWII to found The Vermont Country Store.