The Historical Society recently accepted this historic barrel stove, a gift from Lee Denison of Denison Logging and Lumber in East Colrain.
The term "barrel stove" refers to its function rather than to its shape. This stove was used to heat moistened staves arranged around it until they become flexible enough to bend. The staves are then held together by metal hoops to create a barrel.
Wooden barrels and crates were widely produced throughout our agricultural history for transporting and storing apples, potatoes and other produce from Colrain farms. This barrel stove joins the Historical Society's collection of artifacts from the town's economic, cultural, and social history.
The lumber business started by Caroll A. Denison in 1900 is as historic as this barrel stove. It is now a fifth generation family enterprise offering a multitude of services such as timber harvesting, site development, and emergency tree services.
