I just had the 1970s wood stove removed that came with our home. I'm not sold on the painted brick but love the mantle. Evidently the block and stone hearth were added to accommodate the stove because on one side I can see the original hearth was flush with the floor and appears to be some type of black tile. I'll have the tacked on hearth removed next. I just had a new flue liner, damper, and cap installed (old flue had cracks) and they found evidence of flue fires (previous owners mentioned two fires) and bought a grate. House is a 1926 Dutch Colonial Revival from Sears and Roebuck catalog which has been neglected, remodeled, and remuddled over the years. We are slowly restoring it. Is there a gentle way to remove block hearth to reveal original tiles or should I expect them to be destroyed either by the block addition or the demolition of such? Is there any way to make the inside prettier or cleaner or is this normal? I wondered if a strategically placed fireback would cover up the three patch jobs along the back? We plan to use the fireplace for fun and as a power outage backup only. I've thought about marble, tile, or quartz to re-face the brick front and future uncovered hearth (assuming black tiles are unsalvageable) or should I consider fieldstone or slate, which is in other parts of the house and yard? Lastly, when they pulled the stove we discovered a hole which I've been told is an ash pit (with no apparent lid) and hole opens to entire base of chimney complete with rubble (and who knows what else) from maybe another fireplace in basement prior to furnace installation? Found ash clean out square metal door in basement but is sealed and directly behind furnace. First post TMI? Thanks in advance!