Meet April H. Parker, the Woman who Patented the Gas Heating Furnace

February is Black History Month. And what better way to celebrate than to lift from obscurity African Americans who played crucial roles in this country’s scientific, cultural and industrial progress. Their achievements saved thousands of lives, made the lives of many Americans easier and in some instances changed the course of history. And yet, they are largely forgotten by the world they helped to change for the better. In this series, we will highlight some of these under-appreciated and forgotten men and women.

Before April H. Parker, people had to rely on burning coal or wood to stay warm in the winter. Parker invented a furnace that supplied central heating to entire homes and buildings.

Little is known about Parker, who was born in 1895 in Morristown, NJ. and attended Howard University Academy where she received a certificate of honors in 1910, according to online site. It’s unclear if she ever married or had children.

But it’s reported she grew tired of the cold winters in her New Jersey hometown and of using fireplaces that had limited effect in warming her home.

This led to her revolutionary idea.

Though hers wasn’t the first, her heating furnace was different from the other furnaces around at that time, according to Blackdoctor.org. Her design had air ducts that allowed heat to spread throughout the structure, it included a multiple burner system and used natural gas.

“What made it especially unique is that it was like later zone heating where the temperature could be moderated in different areas of a building,” according to the online site.

Based on Parker’s design, cool air would be drawn into the furnace, conveyed through a heat exchanger that sent warm air through the ducts to individual rooms. Though the concept of central heating was around before Parker was born, her design was especially unique because it used natural gas as its fuel instead of the typical coal or wood.

Parker’s design helped provide central heating in millions of homes and buildings around the world today, according to BET.com

Parker’s gas heating furnace revolutionized how people heat their homes, the online news organization reported. People no longer had to perform the dangerous task of leaving their fireplace burning throughout the night.

On Dec. 23, 1919, Parker filed a patent for her design, which was remarkable since she was an African American woman filing for a patent before the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement.

“At this time, African American women had very limited opportunities to do anything entrepreneurial on a big scale, but Parker’s patent for her invention during that time not only …pushed through barriers, it was an outstanding achievement that we benefit from today,” according to Blackdoctor.org.