How essential a fireplace was in the 1800's

to cook meals to heat water or just to keep the house warm and aired when Mrs Wilson wanted to light a candle or Mr Wilson wanted to light his pipe they caught the flame here with a spill a spill was a stick of tightly rolled paper most often newspaper paper was expensive in those days so the flame was snuffed out right away and the spill saved for later at the fireplace Mrs Wilson also toasted bread her toaster could be turned to Brown the slices evenly on both sides she baked her bread and her pies in the oven next to the fireplace this was usually a weekly chore for it took at least 2 hours to bring the oven to baking temperature above the fireplace she dried vegetables for cooking and herbs for making medicines and spices