position of wood stove in an 1860s house

[mstowe]

Question - Would a stove ever be in the center of a one storey house built in 1868 (or against a central wall in the house) with a chimney in the center of the roof, or would a stove always be on an outside wall as well as the chimney?

I'm trying to nail down the original footprint of the house which had a 2nd floor and west wing added later. One can still see the original chimney/pipe enclosure on the center wall of the house. If the original stove was on an outside wall, that makes that center wall the original outside wall which makes the house only one room, with no bedroom(s), and that doesn't really work out. However, if that stove was right in the middle of the house (or on a center wall), it allows for the bedroom on one side, and the stove facing the open 'kitchen/living' area on the other side. Did they ever put the stove in the middle of the house?

Thanks!

 

[Cubist]

'The short answer is 'Yes'. Stoves were commonly installed backing against an external solid wall with an integrated chimney but were also installed in a central location within a stone or brick built chimney stack. The choice would largely be based in the original footprint of the structure and the nature of its construction.