What are pillars either side of firebox?

[rehatx]

I pulled a wood stove out of this fireplace, and the side panels were covering these pillars from either side of the lintel to the bottom of the firebox. Does anyone know what these are for? Hard to get a good pic, but these don't go all the way to the back of the lintel, and narrow as they go back, which makes me think they may not have been intended to help support the lintel. The lintel goes 3.5" to 4" into the mortar above the stone. My wife would like to remove these, but I want to know what they are for first. Many thanks.

 

[bholler]

I have no idea I have never seen anything like them

 

[Dobish]

do you have a picture of what it looked like before you took out the stove?

 

[xman23]

Only a guess here. Based on the dimensions and look of the fire box, I think it a home brew. If the ratios and angles of the box aren't right they don't work well. It looks like these side walls were added to contain the smoke. Or had something to do with the insert.

 

[rwhite]

We're the bolts holding the previous door screwed into them? Just a guess but maybe the opening was to wide for a conventional door and they slapped some concrete up for something to secure it to.

Edit: just seen that it was a stove in there. Same guess, if not doors it may have been to hold the surround. Surely doesn't look structural to me.if your going to put a stove back in or use fire place doors i'd leave them there until your sure they aren't needed.

 

[Destructor]

Looks like a major past uglification project.

 

[rehatx]

Dobish's ask for a picture before I removed the stove gives the answer (I believe, but please correct me if I'm making a bad assumption). It was a Squire circulating stove that had just been slid in, with no connection to the chimney, allowing smoke to leak before a draft was established (xman23's guess). From the picture, looks like the side panels weren't as wide as the firebox opening, hence the (to use Destructor's terminology) uglification project, so the side panels would overlap the mortar. Sorry for the, in hindsight, dumb question, and thanks for helping me get to the answer.

 

[Dobish]

Dobish's ask for a picture before I removed the stove gives the answer (I believe, but please correct me if I'm making a bad assumption). It was a Squire circulating stove that had just been slid in, with no connection to the chimney, allowing smoke to leak before a draft was established (xman23's guess). From the picture, looks like the side panels weren't as wide as the firebox opening, hence the (to use Destructor's terminology) uglification project, so the side panels would overlap the mortar. Sorry for the, in hindsight, dumb question, and thanks for helping me get to the answer.

View attachment 193457

i figured it was something like that. especially with the smoke stains on the top and sides, but not directly in back.... glad you figured it out. now go get a hammer and chisel and make it less ugly !