When Only the Chimneys Remain, a Bold Plan Rises to Save History and Memory
In the wake of the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles earlier this year, the only remnants of once-storied homes in Pacific Palisades are haunting silhouettes of charred chimneys—stoic, skeletal structures standing against a backdrop of blackened earth and newly budding green.
For most, these chimneys might seem like wreckage. But for Evan Hall, artist and founding director of the nonprofit House Museum, they are monuments to memory, and he’s on a race against time to save them.
His initiative, Project Chimney, is turning what many dismissed as debris into the foundations of a future memorial to architectural heritage, resilience, and loss. As deadlines loom and funds run low, this grassroots campaign is fighting to ensure that these remnants of LA’s architectural golden era are not lost to bulldozers.
When Fire Erases Homes, What’s Left Behind Speaks Louder
Pacific Palisades’ Legacy in Ruins
On June 17, Hall found himself once again surrounded by ash, standing on the ruins of a 1953 home designed by modernist legend Richard Neutra. He and his team of preservationists, masons, and volunteers gathered not to mourn, but to act — eyes locked on a single towering chimney.
This was no ordinary salvage job. The structure was scheduled for demolition under the Army Corps of Engineers’ fire cleanup operation, which had set a hard deadline of June 30. If Hall couldn’t secure the funds and manpower, it would be gone—like so many others.
“Other organizations went through the grounds and said: ‘Oh, there’s nothing here, the structure’s burned,’” Hall recalled. “But nobody was looking for what could be salvaged.”
Project Chimney: The Mission to Preserve the Memory
A Wildfire Memorial in the Making
Project Chimney is a pioneering cultural preservation initiative that aims to salvage, transport, and preserve chimneys from architecturally significant homes destroyed in the wildfires. Hall sees these chimneys not just as architectural fragments, but as symbols of endurance, standing tall where everything else has fallen.
The team has already identified 55 historically notable chimneys, with designs from architectural greats like Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Eric Lloyd Wright, Paul R. Williams, Ray Kappe, and of course, Neutra. From that pool, they narrowed their immediate salvage list to seven, based on access, structural integrity, and homeowner permissions.
Logistical Nightmare Meets Artistic Vision
How Do You Move a 7,000-Pound Chimney?
Preserving a 20-foot chimney sounds poetic—until you factor in the logistics.
Working without blueprints, preservationist Ean Frank engineered a custom process to dismantle chimneys in large sections, placing them in steel cages to maintain their form and surface “patina” left by the fire. On site, sandstone unexpectedly crumbled, crews worked under pressure, and time was never on their side.
“Usually, I’d have months and a real budget,” Frank said. “This time, it was total improvisation. But the idea that the chimneys are the only thing that remains of these people’s memories is incredibly profound.”
A Deadline, A Mission, and a Race Against Bulldozers
Army Corps Cleanup and the Crunch to Save the Structures
The Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for removing the toxic debris left behind, has largely supported Project Chimney’s work—but also made it clear: cleanup must continue.
“We’re trying to be as flexible as we can while still meeting our primary mission of ending the public health and safety emergency,” said Major Matt Grussing, who’s been coordinating closely with Hall.
By June 30, Project Chimney had relocated three chimneys, including those designed by Ray Kappe and Richard Neutra. Others remain on the list, still standing but vulnerable.
The People Behind the Walls
Homeowners, Masons, Preservationists Join Forces
Among the most poignant moments of the project came when Lynn Fehr, now 97, returned for the first time to the ashes of the home where she had lived for 65 years and raised five children. She brought tissues expecting grief, but found something else.
“I had no sense of loss,” Fehr said. “We had a marvelous time living there. We enjoyed it while we had it. What can you do with something when you can’t change anything?”
Mason Andy Gerber, president of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 4, volunteered his expertise, chipping away at fire-damaged mortar with reverence.
“It was all just built correctly, nice and plumb, flat, good lines,” he said. “I’ve never done anything like this. I’m hopeful it works.”
What Comes Next: A Memorial to Endurance
Seeking a Site, Funding, and Public Support
The salvaged chimneys are currently in storage, awaiting a future site. Hall and his team are petitioning the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to secure land where the structures can be installed as a public memorial.
The idea is simple but powerful: create a space that honors architectural genius, community memory, and environmental resilience.
“This disaster and the memories they have here won’t just be paved over,” said Frank.
Why It Matters: More Than Bricks and Mortar
This project is about more than saving chimneys. It’s a living response to climate crisis, urban memory, and cultural erasure. Wildfires are no longer rare events in California. In their wake, how we choose to remember — and rebuild — defines us.
As modern construction rises over the old bones of burned homes, these chimneys remind us that heritage and memory need caretakers, especially in times of destruction.