The recent series of cold snaps has triggered a run on electric space heaters, but their usefulness often ends during power failures. After years of research and restoration, Jim Addington of Bear Lake has a solution--no generator required.Addington has refurbished a number of Perfection Stoves, which combine the reliability of kerosene heaters with attractive design. The technology is over 100 years old, but the aesthetics evolved well into the 1960s.
The Perfection Stove Company began its life as a small enterprise in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888. It hit its stride about 12 years later, when the company founders won the backing of John D. Rockefeller. As the founder and owner of Standard Oil, Rockerfeller was interested in expanding the demand for kerosene, one of the products generated by his petroleum empire.
Marketing explains at least half of the Perfection Stove's success. When Standard Oil trucks came around for home kerosene delivery, Perfection Stoves dangled from the side of the trucks, ready for sale. The Perfection product line developed in tandem with a growing population. By the 1920s, over 8 million Perfection room heaters and kitchen appliances were used in American homes.
Although the stove eventually fell out of fashion, it caught the eye of Jim Addington, who has a background in cultural preservation. He found them both practical and charming--and discovered that many stoves still existed. After researching their origins, he took up the task of cleaning, repainting and polishing. Careful scouring of old barns and online merchants eventually led to his reassembly of Art Deco and even Victorian design models.
Addington recommends their small size and portability for basement duty, to keep pipes from freezing. While they were once a staple item in the family parlor, Addington says upscale accommodations aren't necessary. "You can move it from the living room to the bedroom. It helps thaw out old bones and encourage them towards movement." A bulit-in handle allows the lightweight unit to be carried. 
Modern homes might be Perfection's greatest hurdle. "These were used in many homes very safely for decades," said Addington. "But many homes today are so tightly sealed up, that inadequate ventilation could pose a problem." Addington even has a cure for that problem. He's created a lighting component that permits the stove to simulate the warm glow of the heater. "Some people even hold their hand over it. They're fooled by the light."
For older homes that breathe, in garages and other ventilated spaces, the antique stoves don't lose any significance from the new cosmetic addition--the decorative light can simply be lifted out, the burner inserted and the stove is ready to be lit for heating.
Jim Addington's renewed Perfection Stoves are available for purchase at Niizh Makwa Traders on Lake Street/US-31, Bear Lake, (231) 864-1213.
