[MassHistPres] industrial type smokestacks

[Ralph Slate]

How about using them for advertising. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

Ralph Slate
Springfield, MA


Tristram Metcalfe 3 wrote:
> The structural issue is not small on smoke stacks.
> Adams has two old stacks that are scary to look at inside with their 
> non stop freeze thaw eroding structural tiles.
>
> If no repair is done on a stack, I'd suggest at minimum capping with a 
> vented non visible cover to keep water out but with some minimal air 
> able to move, thus stabilizing the structure's environment.
>
> At an historic mill preservation in Turners Falls we suggested using 
> the stack as an accessible base to a small wind turbine [Horizontal or 
> vertical cantilever shaft]. The spiral stair inside to reach it would 
> ALSO  be the structural reinforcement to preserve it 'Safely' for 
> centuries while it helps pay for itself as a direct part of 
> civilization's combustion era to electron era evolution ;-)
>
> On safety,, Historic dams get flamed with a standard very bogus "high 
> hazard" which often leads to tear downs and yet it appears chimney 
> stacks stand empty with much less standard government assassination 
> orders.
> It's the fishermen I suspect who are in with the hit men on historic 
> dams even though they are simple enough to reinforce on the back [deep 
> water] side with very large rock fill berms eliminating an excessive 
> flow hazard if a break begins in those 1000:1 odds. A fish ladder 
> should appease the fishing men, but misplaced overly retentive 
> liability fear may be that bigger problem and I suspect chimney stacks 
> will not be far behind.;-(
>
> Tris Metcalfe
> Northampton
>
>
> On Dec 17, 2009, at 11:49 AM, Dennis De Witt wrote:
>
>> The immediate question is less about the money (altho obviously that 
>> matters a lot) but rather trying to understand best preservation 
>> practice for an extremely tall 110 year old utilitarian masonry 
>> structure that was intended to be kept warm all winter and is now 
>> subject to internal and external freezing combined with asymmetrical 
>> solar heating etc, etc.
>>
>> The cell antenna idea has also come up.  There are obviously 
>> philosophical
>> questions associated with that -- altho a brick smokestack is 
>> significantly different than a church steeple.  Given the extremely 
>> high cost of upkeep of the object itself, that idea cannot be 
>> dismissed out of hand without careful consideration.  After half a 
>> century of demolitions, with no new examples being built, tall 
>> smokestacks are becoming quite rare and need to be preserved.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>>
>> On Dec 17, 2009, at 11:16 AM, Tucker, Jonathan wrote:
>>
>>> I don't know about publications, but the usual approach to preserving a
>>> functionally vestigial structure is to give it a new purpose that has
>>> social or economic viability.
>>>
>>> Make it into a community landmark through public art that highlights 
>>> its
>>> history and the community's identity.  Make it a feature for all
>>> celebrations.  Light it up for the holidays (topped with a lighted
>>> tree).  Run the lights up to the top at midnight for New Year's Eve.
>>> Use it as a launching stage for Fourth of July fireworks.  Rent it out
>>> for cell tower use.
>>>
>>> Amend your charter to require that, before they can be sworn in, every
>>> mayor or member of the select board must to climb up to the top using
>>> the rusting steel rings, write their name on a surface provided for the
>>> purpose, and then bungee down to the bottom, where their robes would be
>>> donned and they would promptly be sworn in by the Clerk, amid
>>> appropriate fanfare (a pipe band is always good).
>>>
>>> I jest (a wee bit), but once the tower has a viable use and a place in
>>> the life of the community, the money for its restoration and
>>> preservation will follow.
>>>
>>> Jonathan Tucker
>>> Planning Director
>>> Amherst Planning Department
>>> 4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall
>>> Amherst, MA  01002
>>> (413) 259-3040
>>> tuckerj at amherstma.gov
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
>>> [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Marcia Starkey
>>> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:13 AM
>>> To: Dennis De Witt; MHC MHC listserve
>>> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] industrial type smokestacks
>>>
>>> This would also be welcome information in Greenfield.
>>> Marcia Starkey
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Dennis De Witt" <djd184 at verizon.net>
>>> To: "MHC MHC listserve" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 8:19 PM
>>> Subject: [MassHistPres] industrial type smokestacks
>>>
>>>
>>>> Does anyone know of any publication or guidelines having to do with
>>> the
>>>> preservation of major industrial type smokestacks no longer in use?
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>> Dennis J De Witt, President
>>>> Metropolitan WaterWorks Museum, Inc.
>>>> Chestnut Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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