[MassHistPres] Chimneys

[rcsmitharch at verizon.net]

I believe that it is the exterior that a local board has any authority over.  To support a chimney without masonry under it, there needs to be structure to support it or a way to reduce the weight.  Full masonry at the roof would probably require a steel frame to support it.  That may raise planning issues within the house.  

One thing you might consider is that the historic appearance could be replicated by creating a false chimney with a thin brick facing.  Something similar to that was done years ago for the Bowditch House on North Street in Salem, a NR listed property.  You can find a thin veneer brick that is a decent match for the typical red brick in this part of the world.


Sent from my iPad

Richard Smith
Swampscott Historical Commission

-----Original Message-----
From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> On Behalf Of Jay Tetzloff via MassHistPres
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 3:42 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Chimneys

Hello all - I chair the Essex, MA historical commission and am an elected member of the Essex Planning Board.  Tomorrow I need to vote on a proposed major renovation and addition to an old house.  Essex has no historic district and there are no preservation restrictions, so technically anything goes as long as the local building inspector and Planning Board approve.  Planning Board cannot deny any project that complies with Essex zoning bylaws, which this project does.  Planning Board CAN however add Conditions to its approval.  The proposed design involves a gut renovation of the existing house, including removal of its central chimney, which prominently extends above the roofline.  Have any of you been successful in preserving an existing chimney as part of the original roofline and facade of an old home?  If so, how did you go about it?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Jay Tetzloff
Chair
Essex Historical Commission 

Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
MassHistPres mailing list
MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
https://mailman.cs.umb.edu/listinfo/masshistpres