Chimney trim - 82-foot smokestack on Water Street is shortened

By MICHAEL KITCH, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — The brick chimney that once towered above the Laconia Car Company and now casts its shadow over the offices of Rist-Frost Shumway Engineering has been topped, but spared to remain among the enduring landmarks of the city's industrial past.

Chris Shumway said that the condition of the chimney, particularly the deterioration of the brickwork at its highest reaches, had become "a serious safety concern." He explained that the chimney is owned by The Foundry, a condominium association, whose members hired Apex Chimney Company, Inc. to undertake a thorough inspection of the structure. "We considered every alternative, from restoring the chimney to taking it down," he said, "and wound up somewhere in the middle."

Shumway said that the uppermost 18 feet of the chimney have been removed, shortening the height of the structure from 100 feet to 82 feet. The top of the chimney will be fitted with a concrete cap, which by minimizing the condensation and moisture within the structure will preserve the integrity of the brickwork. The chimney will be fitted with a lightening protection system and the brickwork on all four sides will be repointed from top to bottom.

"We wanted to be respectful," Shumway said, adding that the chimney has stood on the site for more than a century. "But, we couldn't just wait for a piece of it come down on somebody in the wrong place at the wrong time. And," he continued, "it's good to keep it."

A team from Apex Chimney Company, Inc. work atop the 82-foot chimney that originally served the Laconia Car Company. (Michael Kitch/Laconia Daily Sun)