Masonry stoves are heating stoves developed in medieval Europe, or even earlier. Some sources are mentioning some kind of similar Roman stoves.
It is a wood burning stove with high efficiency and high thermal mass. Because of that mass it can accumulate heat in the fireplace and the result is a great efficiency because most of the wood gases are burnt. It is an efficient ecological alternative to ordinary wood burning stoves.
Useful links
- Demotech simple brick stove
- Swedish ceramic stove aka kachelofen (German name)
- http://mha-net.org/ - the best site on the internet about masonry stoves, there was a original german book written in 1940 about traditional ceramic heating stoves , kachelofens. It was a complete how to book, but I don;t know is it still online.
- How-to manual for a Missouri design masonry brick heater.
- http://www.diymasonryheater.blogspot.com/ - the name says it all