Were historic DC rowhouses heated with coal fired boilers? Or some other energy source?

Does anyone have any links about rowhouse construction design by era? I have a 1920s era house.

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solidrecommendations t1_j0x0p90 wrote on December 20, 2022 at 1:17 AM

#977,165

1920s is when oil burning furnaces took off … are you just interested in the heat source or other info as well?

Nerf_er_nothin OP t1_j0xj0d2 wrote on December 20, 2022 at 3:37 AM

#978,536

Replying to solidrecommendations (#977,165)

Mostly the heating but also curious about other stuff if you have any good info.

skunkytuna t1_j0yvq62 wrote on December 20, 2022 at 1:07 PM

#981,623

Mine was built in 1908ish, and used coal originally.

SandBoxJohn t1_j0zav2t wrote on December 20, 2022 at 3:10 PM

#982,766

If your home has one of these on it or a bricked up patch of the same size, It had a coal fired boiler in the basement when it was built.

Nerf_er_nothin OP t1_j0zbmj4 wrote on December 20, 2022 at 3:15 PM

#982,829

Replying to SandBoxJohn (#982,766)

There was a wood door that looks like that in the rear brick wall. It was eventually covered by the rear room/sleeping porch. Hmm 🤔

DrewinSWDC t1_j0zgzhv wrote on December 20, 2022 at 3:52 PM

#983,201

Everybody on the block is gonna hate you if you start up burning coal again

Nerf_er_nothin OP t1_j0zhac2 wrote on December 20, 2022 at 3:54 PM

#983,221

Replying to DrewinSWDC (#983,201)

lol

DCTom t1_j0ztsmk wrote on December 20, 2022 at 5:16 PM

#984,298

My house was built in 1908 and when i bought it in 2000 it had an oil furnace (and huge oil tank) that looked like it might have been original. If not original, it was very, very old.

gator_fl t1_j1010fr wrote on December 20, 2022 at 6:02 PM

#984,852

Been in a rowhome with a coal boiler still intact but not been in use for decades.

Even coal chute to the street.