Hollow Ware Production of the Richmond Stove Works During the Civil War

By Andrew J. Bentley

INTRODUCTION

In the years immediately preceding the Civil War, the South was experiencing a revival and growth of the domestic manufacturing industry. At the outbreak of the war, the Southern states were ranked amongst the top industrial nations of the world behind only the Northern states, England, France, and a few other European powers.(1) It was in the midst of this economic growth and shift towards a more industrialized South that the Richmond Stove Works was formed. Like many other Southern industries, it would contribute materially to the Confederate war effort as a prominent manufacturer in the city of Richmond.

This research paper seeks to provide an overview of the company’s history from its formation through the end of the Civil War as well as providing a documentary record of the cast iron hollow ware produced during that era. The term hollow ware will be used extensively throughout. Hollow ware is the period term used to describe the form of an item cast in iron with a hollow void or space, like the inside of a tea kettle or the interior “void” of a skillet.

In addition to the documentary record, this work will also provide a brief material cultural analysis of the Richmond Stove Works and their hollow ware production during this era. This practice of studying the context of objects has become more commonplace when discussing objects related to Civil War history. It provides much needed insight and understanding for the objects themselves as well as the people who designed, created, and used them.

RICHMOND STOVE WORKS COMPANY HISTORY (1851-1865)

The Antebellum Years (1851-1860)

The Richmond Stove Works was founded in 1851 by Asa Snyder and Andrew Jackson Bowers,(2) and would be fully operational by late January of 1852.(3) Asa Snyder and A.J. Bowers were not just business partners but also brothers in-law, with Bowers being married to Snyder’s sister.(4,5) It is possible that their new business concern may have absorbed some part of the operation of a former foundry that operated on Clay Street in the 1830s or 1840s.(6) The newly established Richmond Stove Works were located within the immediate vicinity of the Tredegar Iron Works and operated under the styling of “Bowers & Snyder” at the “Richmond Stove Works”. They built and operated the foundry on land leased from Joseph Reid Anderson’s Tredegar Iron Works.(7)

From the outset, the Richmond Stove Works was manufacturing “improved Air-Tight and Premium Cooking stoves, parlor, office, and factory heating Stoves, Fronts, Grates and Fenders, and the most useful kinds of Hollow Ware.”(8) Not only were they producing the aforementioned items, but they were also offering a wide variety of architectural cast iron from fencing to balustrades. Despite the variety of goods offered, it is important to note that from its inception, hollow ware was a primary component of the production at the Richmond Stove Works. Throughout the rest of 1852, the production of the works grew quickly. By September they were producing 10 to 15 stoves per day while still offering architectural iron castings and various other hearth goods (including hollow ware).(9) The quality of their goods, as purported by their own advertisements, was stated to be of greater quality than their Northern competition in terms of the material itself as well as the workmanship.(10)

A little over a year after the foundation of the company, the partnership of Bowers & Snyder would expand to include a third member, Charles Carter. On February 8, 1853 the Richmond Stove Works would be operated under the styling of “Bowers, Snyder & Carter.”(11) The stove and architectural iron offerings expanded and overall production increased from 1853 to 1857, with many members of the local community publicly voicing their support for their quality of design and craftsmanship.(12)

On February 20, 1857 the firm of Bowers, Snyder & Carter would officially dissolve.(13) In this era, the dissolutions of partnerships and business generally signaled a change in ownership or management rather than the ending of the company’s operation or existence. Similarly, it was not necessarily an indicator of a declining business or its financial situation. This dissolution was one of mutual consent with Asa Snyder placed in charge of resolving any outstanding business of the former firm.(14) Asa Snyder would continue operating the Richmond Stove Works, manufacturing stoves (and presumably holloware), while A.J. Bowers is noted as carrying on the architectural iron manufacturing side of the former partnership.

With Snyder continuing his operation solo, the Richmond Stove Works continued to operate and solidified its place in the local market as one of the premier manufacturers of stoves and holloware in the region. In 1860 the Richmond Stove Works, operating under the styling of “ASA SNYDER”, had their wares offered in four different retail locations within the city of Richmond.(15) The operation was employing primarily Virginians in 1860, with purportedly two thirds of the moulders (individuals responsible for forming the sand molds that the iron was cast in) working for the company being Virginians.(16) In the post-civil war era the Richmond Stove Works, as well as the other stove manufacturing concerns in Richmond, sought to bring in skilled laborers from other regions beyond Virginia’s borders. It’s possible that the other third of the moulders followed this post-war model of external recruitment to enhance their operations quality and meet labor demands.

The Civil War (1861-1865)

With the outbreak of Civil War, the nascent company would begin shifting to a wartime footing. Various factors dictated this change in the operation. Everything from the availability of raw materials and laborers to the fulfillment of government contracts changed the Richmond Stove Works over the next four years of war.

After the July 21, 1861 Battle of First Manassas was fought, both North and South realized that the war would not be resolved with a quick decisive battle, but rather would be decided through a longer and bloodier war. It would be a war that would be won only at a great cost of money, men, and material. For the Richmond Stove Works, the loss of men and material would specifically pose new challenges to their operations.

By late August of 1861, Asa Snyder was advertising to the Richmond citizenry to save their old stoves, stating that he would be willing to pay “the highest market price” for them.(17) Be it either for the purposes repairing and reselling them (if they were in fact Richmond Stove Works stoves originally), or for the sake of obtaining scrap iron, the strain of the war was already becoming evident.

By late 1861 the war would come to Asa Snyder and the Richmond Stove Works in a different way. This time, it would be in the form of a business opportunity. The Confederate Quartermaster Department tasked Major J.B. McClelland to procure commissary equipment for the armies of the Shenandoah and Northern Virginia.(18) Asa Snyder was selected in late 1861 as one of the primary contractors to supply the army with mess equipment in the form of cast iron cookware.(19) In addition to providing the cook ware in the form of hollow ware, Snyder also started to provide the Confederate government with cooking stoves and associated goods.(20) It’s not clear whether these were for hospital uses, offices, laboratories, or for other service, but contracts for these cooking stoves first appear during the winter of 1861-1862.

Craig Schneider’s seminal work on Confederate cookware “Biscuit Bakers and Camp Kettles: Notes on Confederate Commissary Equipment” succinctly and effectively describes the mess equipment Snyder supplied the Confederate Quartermaster Department.

“Rather than the sheet iron mess pots, basins, and frying pans typically seen in U.S. Army service, Snyder … produced cast iron skillets with lids and camp kettles. These were distributed to the armies by the thousands. Their usual production consisted of 10”, 11”, 12”, and 13” cast iron skillets with lids (also commonly referred to as “spiders” or in one contract as “biscuit bakers”), with the 10” and 11” versions being the most common. Camp kettles … were made in 8” and 9” diameter sizes.”

With government contracts now placed, and the ranks of the Confederate armies in Virginia growing, Asa Snyder’s operation was not able to meet the demands of both the military contracts and the civilian market. On April 1, 1862 Asa Snyder partnered with Amandus Neville Walker “for the purposes of conducting the manufacture of stoves in all its branches, and doing a general foundry business.”(21) They would operate under the styling of Snyder & Walker.(22) In the announcement of the partnership published in a Richmond newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, Snyder states that his previous operation was not sufficient to meet his patrons wants, but that the new partnership would increase their operational capacity four fold.(23)

This partnership would be relatively short lived, however. It would continue until at least early 1863, with the last public advertisement from the firm appearing in January of 1863. By the end of that year in December 1863,(24) Asa Snyder appears to be operating alone once again and in a new foundry location at the corner of Cary and 10th Streets.(25) It should be noted that this address for the firm appears on the last dated Snyder & Walker advertisement, so the construction of the foundry at this location (or transfer to this location if pre-existing) may have preceded the December notation of the solo operation. By January of 1864, the partnership is clearly dissolved with Amandus N. Walker having returned to his residence on his farm near Forest Depot, Bedford County, Virginia.(26) Asa Snyder was once again advertising under the styling of “ASA SNYDER” at the Richmond Stove Works by March of 1864.(27)

It is not presently clear what the cause of the dissolution was or what the settlement of the business looked like between the co-partners. What is known, however, is that Snyder would continue production and operation of the Richmond Stove Works through 1864 and into 1865. In 1864 Asa Snyder was continuing to ramp up production for the Confederate quartermaster, delivering thousands of spider skillets with lids and camp kettles of various sizes.(28) In addition to the hollow ware provided to the army, Snyder was producing and repairing large numbers of stoves, specifically for the Confederate hospitals in Richmond.

In 1865, the war would impact the Richmond Stove Works in a far more direct manner. On April 2 the City of Richmond was evacuated by the Confederate Government with numerous military stores and facilities put to the torch in order to avoid capture. These fires quickly spread and destroyed many buildings not intended for destruction, including the Richmond Stove Works.(29)

The total loss for Asa Snyder was valued at $20,000.(30) This figure was based on 1860 valuations, however, and likely not representative of the operation as it stood in 1865 before the fire.(31) The destruction of the factory did not necessarily destroy all of the finished goods stored within it which were appropriated by less scrupulous individuals. On April 17, 1865 Snyder put out a stern advertisement in the Richmond Whig calling for the return of his “Pots, Ovens, and Spiders at once.”(32)

During its service as a government contractor, the Richmond Stove Works had provided over 8,000 pieces of cast iron cookware to the Confederate Quartermaster Department through the four years of war, as well as numerous ancillary items, and even a number of larger pieces like stoves. With the destruction of the factory, the Richmond Stove Works would cease operation for a short time, closing the chapter on its wartime years only seven days before Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia would surrender at Appomattox.

BRANDING AND STYLINGS OF THE RICHMOND STOVE WORKS (1851-1865)

The above table shows the branding and stylings the Richmond Stove Works used during its various partnerships from its founding in 1851 through 1865 at the end of the Civil War.

PRODUCTION ANALYSIS & DOCUMENTED EXAMPLES

GOVERNMENT CONTRACT HOLLOW WARE

During the wartime years, Asa Snyder and the Richmond Stove Works fulfilled numerous Confederate government contracts supplying stoves, hollow ware, and other cast iron goods.(33) Snyder’s surviving receipts from the Confederate Quartermaster provide detailed insight into both the military usage of these goods as well as a glimpse into the Richmond Stove Works domestic offerings. Cross referencing these receipts with other archival records as well as the surviving pieces of hollow ware helps provide a more complete view of their production offerings during these years. The below section has extrapolated the information from those sources and compiled them into various data sets to enable further analysis and a more holistic understanding.

TYPES OF HOLLOW WARE SUPPLIED TO CS GOV BY SNYDER

The above chart is compiled from Asa Snyder’s Confederate contract receipts and has listed all pieces of hollow ware the Government purchased from the Richmond Stove Works for which receipts still exist at the National Archives. While this list is diverse and varied, it should not be considered inclusive of the totality of the company’s product line. While spiders with lids and camp kettles were used in the field by the army as mess equipment, there are a variety of other pieces that were contracted for use in hospitals, such as ham boilers, larger cauldrons, and stove spiders (skillets).

The receipts also provide data points on the foundry’s production volume, which gives valuable insight into both the company’s production history as well as the military’s requirements. The Richmond Stove Works produced thousands of Spider Skillets with Lids and Camp Kettles throughout the war. The below charts provide information on the total production volume, ratios of sizes, and average weight for each piece for which there is a surviving record.

SPIDER SKILLETS WITH LIDS PRODUCED FROM 1861-1865 FOR CS GOV

*ratio for all sizes represents the percentages of each size including both known and unknown sizes
** ratio for known sizes compares the distribution of sizes for the known sizes and excludes the unknown pieces from the data set.

CAMP KETTLES PRODUCED FROM 1861-1865 FOR CS GOV

*ratio for all sizes represents the percentages of each size including both known and unknown sizes
** ratio for known sizes compares the distribution of sizes for the known sizes and excludes the unknown pieces from the data set.

WEIGHT OF SPIDER SKILLETS WITH LIDS PRODUCED FROM 1861-1865 FOR CS GOV

Note: Weights were determined by taking the average weight for each skillet type based on the weight totals and number of pieces listed in the receipts.

SPIDERS & LIDS / CAMP KETTLES PRODUCED PER YEAR FROM 1861-1865 FOR CS GOV

SPIDERS AND LIDS

CAMP KETTLES

As noted in the beginning of this section, the company provided hollow ware not just to the quartermaster for field service, but also for hospitals and other non-combat arms related functions of the Confederate Government. The below chart provides additional details for those items.

OTHER HOLLOW WARE PRODUCED FROM 1861-1865 FOR CS GOV

* (joint listings on receipt)

CIVILIAN HOLLOW WARE OFFERINGS

While Asa Snyder and the Richmond Stove Works were certainly concentrated heavily on the mass production of hollow ware for the Confederate Government to supply the armies in the field, they still maintained a significant presence in the civilian market space. Whereas the goods sold to the Richmond Quartermaster were at their core no different from domestic hollow ware pieces, it is likely they were offering those types of castings to the civilian market as well. Post war catalogs from the Richmond Stove Works show a whole line of “Premium Medium Hollowware” that includes biscuit bakers, spiders with lids, and a variety of kettles.

In addition to those pieces that show up in the receipts, the few advertisements from the wartime years give additional insight into the wide variety of hollow ware being produced and offered. During the summer of 1864, Asa Snyder advertised in the Richmond Whig that the Richmond Stove Works was manufacturing Sorghum Kettles from 8 to 100 gallons, 100 gallon Sorghum Pans, as well as Stove Hollow Ware, Spiders and Ovens.(34) This advertisement, being for the general public, supports the assertion that they were providing these goods to both civilian and military entities alike.

These early years of production are typified by the vast variety of goods being offered in all manner of sizes. It is unlikely there will ever be a comprehensive and definitive list of all the hollow ware offerings from this era and these noted examples should be considered a small sampling rather than an exhaustive list. Given the glimpses we are afforded by the archival record and few surviving examples, it can be safely assumed that their production also included most if not all the common other types of hollow ware of the day.

Figure 4: Excerpts from the 1881 Richmond Stove Co. Catalog showing pots and spiders which changed little in form from their 1860s counterparts. The straight pot is a close analog for the Camp Kettle noted on the receipts and shown in period paintings as well as a surviving examples. “Biscuit Bakers” noted on the one receipt are likely similar in form to the “Biscuit Spider, with Lid” shown in the catalog which is essentially a standard spider with a shorter side wall.

SURVIVING EXAMPLES

The spider skillets with lids and camp kettles produced by the Richmond Stove Works for the Confederate Quartermaster appear to have utilized primarily antebellum patterns commonly used in commercial production. These patterns, following the company’s established pre-war precedent (as established by the few surviving pieces), were generally marked with the Location and the firm’s latest styling (i.e. Asa Snyder, or Snyder & Walker). They additionally all exhibit similar design features across the various sizes as would be expected from a company utilizing standardized commercial patterns. This section lists the extant documented examples (or remnants) of the four sizes of spider skillets with lids as well as one of the sizes of camp kettles purchased by the CS Quartermaster.

10IN SPIDER SKILLET WITH LID (FRAGMENT)

Description: There are no known complete 10-inch spider skillets with lids to gather further information on various design features or the overall form. One extant no. 10 lid fragment is known and displays common marking types as seen on other Asa Snyder (Richmond Stove Works) produced pieces. The fragment is of a thin casting type measuring less than ¼” thick with raised markings in the mold. The back of the fragment does show a long gate mark (casting marking) that runs the full length of the object.

Markings: The skillet lid fragment is marked “RICHMOND, VA” and “10 IN” above. The “RICHMOND, VA” marking is atop a raised and curved banner.

Provenance: The piece resides in the author’s collection. It was purchased from a relic reseller who noted that it was found near Gettysburg in a Virginia Camp (which is reflected on the painted label on the fragment).

11IN SPIDER SKILLET WITH LID (FRAGMENT)

Description: There are no known complete 11-inch spider skillets with lids to gather further information on various design features or the overall form. One extant no. 11 lid fragment exists and displays common marking types as seen on other Asa Snyder (Richmond Stove Works) produced pieces. The fragment measures approximately 7” wide by 9.5” long. It has a raised top edge for the retention of coals and a small interior heat ring inset from the outer edge that helps to contain heat and enable it to function as a small oven.

Markings: The skillet lid fragment is marked “RICHMOND, VA” and “11 IN” above. The “RICHMOND, VA” casting mark is atop a raised curved banner.

Provenance: The surviving lid fragment is in the collection of the American Civil War Museum (catalog no. 0985.13.01919). It was amongst other relics found from the battlefields around Fredericksburg, VA. More specifically it was noted to have been found from a winter camp at Nalls Hill along the Rapidan River, which served to guard Peyton’s old mill ford and the German Ford. This would place its association with the winter of 1863-1864 where the Confederate Army encamped and entrenched along the Rapidan River.

12IN SPIDER SKILLET WITH LID

Description: There is one known surviving example of the 12-inch skillet complete with lid. It has an elongated rounded end handle with a flat top, curved bottom, and a slight bulged end. The bulged end does not have a hole as is seen on typical other patterns from the 1840s-1860s.

The handle reinforcement area (where the handle meets the body of the skillet) has an inverted triangular shaped raised casting with a rounded bottom. This style of handle reinforcement is also common to the era. Other unmarked spider skillets with Civil War provenance exhibit the same handle reinforcement pattern.

The three legs are round shaped with a slight taper from the end at the smallest to the base of the skillet at the largest point.

The bottom exhibits a large gate mark from the casting. The gate mark stretches across approximately ¾ of the diameter of the base.

The exterior side wall of the skillet has a raised edge around the top lip. This may be a both stylistic design element as well as a reinforcement feature.

The lid has an evenly shaped handle in the center with slight thickening occurring where it meets the base of the lid. It has a raised edge along exterior rim to allow for coals to be retained when fulfilling a baking function.

13IN SPIDER SKILLET WITH LID

Description: There is one known surviving example of the 13-inch skillet complete with lid. It has an elongated rounded end handle with a flat top, curved bottom, and a slight bulged end. The bulged end does not have a hole as is seen on typical other patterns from the 1840s-1860s.

With the only available picture presently, it has a handle reinforcement. The lid has an evenly shaped handle in the center with slight thickening occurring where it meets the base of the lid. It has a raised edge along exterior rim to allow for coals to be retained when fulfilling a baking function.

Markings: The lid is marked with “ASA SNYDER RICHMOND, VA” in raised letter atop a raised curved banner at runs through the center of the skillet and underneath the handle. Dude to the image quality, it is unclear if there is a size marking, however it is likely that there is.

Provenance: The extant 13-inch skillet is currently in a private collection.

The extant 13-inch skillet was found at a confederate camp site on Bolivar Heights, WV. It was found in the same hole during the recovery as the 12-inch skillet. This site was likely from the occupation of this location during 1862 by Jackson’s men during their siege of Harpers Ferry. This places it as one of the earlier wartime used Snyder pieces.

9in Camp Kettle

Description: The kettle shown is one of the few known surviving examples of complete pieces produced by the Richmond Stove Works during the Civil War. Even more exceptional is that it is a non-dug example that survived.

This round bottom kettle, referenced in later catalogs as a “Straight Pot”, is of a typical form commonly seen from the 1840s-1860s. It has ears that come to a point and are slightly downturned. The overall form of the pot flares out slightly as it goes up. It has a rounded bottom with no lip or ring. The top rim has a flared banded edge.

It has three vestigial feet that allow the kettle to stand on its own but do not serve the same function as the longer feet of a spider skillet. The bail is wrought iron and is bent around the ears. The ends of the bail were reinforced with extra iron through forge welding. The bottom shows a gate-mark that runs across the center from the 9 o’clock position to the 3 o’clock position.

Markings: The kettle is marked “SNYDER & WALKER” “RICHMOND,VA” on the bottom of the kettle. The “SNYDER & WALKER” marking runs in an arch along the upper half with “RICHMOND,VA” covering the bottom 1/3 of the circle. The “RICHMOND,VA” marking matches the text pattern and style of the markings on the Spider Skillet lids.

Provenance: This kettle in the author’s private collection. It was found in Waynesboro, PA. This kettle was the product of the one-year partnership of Snyder & Walker from 1862-1863. It was certainly produced during the Civil War and is an archetypal example of the kettles being produced by the firm and likely supplied to the Army of Northern Virginia. It is possible this was a piece left behind during the Gettysburg campaign given the limited time of the partnership between Snyder and Walker and the proximity of the location of its discovery to Gettysburg.

If this kettle was present during the Gettysburg campaign, then it would have been made during the 1862 contracts, as the 1863 contracts are not fulfilled until August 1863. This would place it as one of approximately 260 No. 9 camp kettles the Richmond Stove Works delivered to the Confederate Quart master on April 19, 1862 (Snyder and Walker partnered on April 1, 1862) making it on the earliest pieces produced by Snyder & Walker and possibly present during the campaigns of 1862.

MATERIAL CULTURE ANALYSIS

Sectionalism and Stoves: 1851-1860

From the inception of the company, the Richmond Stove Works was affected by the political climate of the day. Categorically, the new class of industrial manufacturers did not hold extreme pro-secession views and were often skeptical of the traditional Southern agrarian societal model.(35) They were still susceptible however to the social influences of the day. In 1852, the Richmond Stove Work’s first full year of operation, the sectarian strain in the nation became evident in their advertising. In a March 2, 1852 advertisement, they request dealers to carry their goods and promise to match the quality and pricing of Northern manufacturers.(36) This vying for a place in the local market and call for direct competition with their Northern counterparts is on its face purely economic, but alludes to the deeper social tensions.

These tensions would continue to amplify through the remainder of the decade right up until the outbreak of the war. As the country accelerated towards armed conflict, the messaging of the Richmond Stove Works became more overt, calling for reliance on goods and products made in Virginia. In late November 1860, after Lincoln was elected and the nation teetered on the brink of Civil War, Asa Snyder ran an advertisement titled, “The Reasons You Should Buy a Homemade Stove.”(37) In this, the opening line bluntly states, “They are better than Northern Stoves.”

After highlighting the ease of repairs and availability being a local product, he makes a larger economic point. The advert states that by buying a Southern produced stove, “You do not add to the debt of the South to the North, which drains us of specie.”(38) This line transcends the previous economic and pragmatic notes about quality of the stoves, the availability, and the ease of the repairs. Instead, it appeals to a very different sentiment playing into the rapidly polarizing situation the country and more importantly Virginia found itself in. By buying a Northern stove you would not only be economically hurting the South, but you would be betraying your kinsman and fellow Virginians. You would be by default voting with your dollar in support of the North and their policies.

Cast Iron for the Cause: 1861-1865

As is well documented and known, these tensions boiled over and led to a cascading series of states seceding which quickly devolved into armed conflict. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, the Richmond Stove Works, with Asa Snyder at the helm, began to meet the material needs of the new Confederacy. Supplying everything from cast iron spider skillets to lead polish for stoves, the company utilized its prewar industry and specialty to fulfill contracts for the Confederate States Government, as did many Southern industries.

During the war, the products being produced remained very similar to those of their pre-war operation. Indeed, Snyder provided the government with everything from ham boilers for hospitals to hundreds of stoves of various patterns and sizes. All that was in addition to the goliath contracts for army mess equipment consisting of Spider Skillets with Lids and Camp Kettles. While production boomed and increased greatly, there does not, however, appear to be a great broadening of offerings or refinements in design as is seen in the post-war era of growth. The enhancement of their capacity to produce their current goods was their focus and speaks both to the economic situation of the South as a whole and the needs of the Confederate war effort.

The focus quickly became one of utility and meeting basic needs, rather than outcompeting the quality or design of other manufacturers. The cast iron produced in this era reflects this neatly. There are no new or major additions to the lineup of stoves being offered, nor are there any noted technological advancements in the stove designs as can be seen before and after the war in various advertisements or catalogs. The patterns utilized to create the massive amounts cast iron hollowware for the Confederate Army are the same patterns being utilized prior to the war. They are branded with Snyder’s name, and briefly with Snyder & Walker, but largely remain otherwise static for four years. They are truly still civilian goods, cast from the same antebellum molds and patterns, being pressed into military service.

Advertisements of this era are sparse and utilitarian in nature. The government contracts, combined with the basic needs of the civilian populous necessitated the operations to grow with little need to advertise. With limited manpower and raw material available, the works was fully occupied providing stoves and cookware to hospitals as well servicing as the primary supplier of mess equipment for frontline troops.(39) There are multiple instances throughout the war of Snyder putting advertisements in Richmond newspapers for scrap iron(40) and requests for people to sell him their old stoves, presumably for scrap metal or to repair and resell.(41) These basic appeals highlight the shortage of iron in the south with the omnipresent need of the war to produce more war materiel and munitions.

With the close of the war dovetailing with the destruction of the factory, this chapter of the Richmond Stove Works’ history is neatly bookended by this cataclysmic event. While the fire may have destroyed the physical operation, Asa Snyder would not be so easily extinguished as his newspaper advert from April 17, 1865 shows. Snyder would go on to rebuild the works in the later part of 1865 and see it prosper and grow exponentially through the Reconstruction period. The Richmond Stove Works, rebuilt from the ashes would in turn go on to serve as a foundational industry in Richmond through the remainder of the 19th Century and facilitate the economic reconstruction of the city and Virginia.

Endnotes

1. Wilson, H. S. (2005). Confederate Industry:Manufacturers and Quartermasters in the Civil War. Univ Pr of Mississippi.

2. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 17, Number 49, 27 February 1860. Notes: “Established in 1851”

3. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 2, Number 113, 28 February 1852

4. Catherine J. Snyder Bowers (1822-1905) - find a... Find a Grave. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28912115/catherine-j-bowers

5. Alexandria gazette (Alexandria, D.C.) August 18, 1865

6. The Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Vol 16. Number 606, 31 July 1904

7. American Civil War Museum. (n.d.). Object record: Remnant of cast iron lid. Lid | American Civil War Museum. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://acwm.pastperfectonline.com/Webobject/0B476D3E-F75B-44A7-92FB-641281181402

8. ibid

9. Richmond Semi-Weekly Examiner (Richmond, VA), Volume 5, Number 89, 10 September 1852

10. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 3, Number 11, 30 October 1852

11. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 3, Number 103, 14 February 1853

12. Southern Planter (Richmond, VA), Volume 14, Number 11, 1 November 1854

13. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 11, Number 44, 20 February 1857

14. ibid

15. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 17, Number 49, 27 February 1860

16. ibid

17. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 20, Number 65, 18 September 1861

18. Schneider, C. (n.d.). Biscuit Bakers and Camp Kettles: Notes on Confederate Mess Equipment. The Liberty Rifles.

19. Ibid

20. Citizens file, Asa Snyder; Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, Record Group 109: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

21. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 21, Number 103, 29 April 1862

22. ibid

23. ibid

24. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 24, Number 7, 8 January 1863

25. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 25, Number 136, 11 December 1863.

26. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 26, Number 3, 4 January 1864

27. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 26, Number 77, 30 March 1864

28. Schneider, C. (n.d.). Biscuit Bakers and Camp Kettles: Notes on Confederate Mess Equipment. The Liberty Rifles.

29. Richmond Whig (Richmond, VA), Volume 1, Number 9, 13 April 1865

30. Ibid

31. ibid

32. Richmond Whig (Richmond, VA), Volume 1, Number 14, 19 April 1865

33. Citizens file, Asa Snyder; Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, Record Group 109: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

34. Richmond Whig (Richmond, VA), 3 August 1864

35. Wilson, H. S. (2005). Confederate Industry:Manufacturers and Quartermasters in the Civil War. Univ Pr of Mississippi.

36. Richmond Semi-Weekly Examiner, Volume 5, Number 53, 2 March 1852

37. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 18, Number 134, 5 December 1860

38. ibid

39. Citizens file, Asa Snyder; Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, Record Group 109: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

40. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 26, Number 77, 30 March 1864

41. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Volume 20, Number 65, 18 September 1861