Based on a 19th Century design from the Aetna Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, CT (the ancestor of the current Aetna Life Insurance Company) this fireback design features a charming piece of Americana for your hearth. While many people think of our Firebacks as being purely decorative, solid cast iron firebacks first absorb and then radiate the heat directly into the room, making the fireplace much more efficient at heating the house. They also protect firebrick, increasing the life of the firebox and helping to prevent further damage to an aging fireplace. Firebacks are designed to rest on the floor of the hearth, but fireback supports may also be used to hold the fireback upright and raise it off the hearth if extra height is desired. All our firebacks are designed for use with both gas logs and wood burning fireplaces, even becoming popular as a decorative element behind the kitchen stove. MINUTEMAN INTERNATIONAL has been serving fireplace and wood-heating needs for 40-years, with a full line of decorative and functional accessories, from tool sets and screens, to wood stove steamers and hearth gloves.