National Masonry Associations Arrive to Help Salvage Historic Chimneys For Palisades Fire Memorial

Words: Dan KamysWords: House Museum
Photos: House Museum

Los Angeles, CA – Beginning in the final week of May, an assembly of masonry teams will arrive in the Pacific Palisades to help salvage the historically-significant chimneys identified through House Museum’s disaster recovery initiative, Project Chimney. The task force’s goal is to disassemble and relocate 7 heritage chimneys designed by master architects such as Richard Neutra, Eric Lloyd Wright, and Ray Kappe, in preparation for a public art installation, the Palisades Fire Memorial.

Volunteers from across the nation have responded to a ‘Call To Action’ sent by the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), California Masonry Council (CMC), and Mason Contractors Association of California (MCAC). From concrete block to modern brickwork, the surviving chimneys demonstrate masonry’s resilience to climate-related disasters and stand as relics of pre-fire architectural and cultural heritage. Project Chimney is supported by the Pacific Palisades Community Council, Los Angeles Conservancy, Pacific Palisades Preservation Coalition, and Together Palisades.

According to House Museum director Evan Curtis Charles Hall, “We’re taking on an unprecedented revitalization project, in response to an unprecedented disaster. Although challenging, innovative preservation initiatives are now more important than ever.” Experts, including Jack Hillbrand, AIA, President of Studio1323 INC.; Ean Frank, President of Significant Structures; Mikael Alinger, Chief Operating Officer at Kaptive C&P; and Jean-Pierre Chakar, Principal at Chakar Consulting, have collaborated to strategize safe relocation plans for the free-standing chimneys. Laser scans and UAV images, captured by Alan White and Morgan Richmeier of AQYER, LLC, have produced 3D ‘digital twins’ for reconstruction plans and archival cataloguing.

With the Army Corps of Engineers temporary hold on Project Chimney addresses lifting on May 31, 2025, the construction teams will work against the clock, in the 11th hour. According to Jeff Buczkiewicz, President of Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the preservation initiative will help “keep the historic value of the community for many generations to come,” and serve as a lasting reminder of efforts that can be made collectively to “build back the community stronger.”

The first chimney scheduled for salvage was designed by Ray Kappe, architect and founder of SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Originally built in 1959 for the Hal Erdley Family, the mid-century modern chimney will be salvaged by a team led by Dan Ricketts, President of Mason Contractors Association of California (MCAC).

Kraig Hill, fire survivor and Project Chimney homeowner, views the forthcoming memorial “notas a mere tribute to past architecture, but as a focal point where the greater community can share their remembrances and collectively process the tragedy.” He goes on to describe the Palisades Fire Memorial as “analogous to the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan or the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima's Peace Park.”

With an immediate fundraising goal of $250k, House Museum encourages donations and designated public land from elected officials for the commemorative gathering place. The memorial will directly benefit fire survivors and serve as an enduring symbol of resilience and hope for Los Angeles and beyond.
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About House Museum
House Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose mission is to preserve historically significant landmarks through the integration of site-specific artworks and community engagement. House Museum reimagines the function of underserved properties, in order to transform them into culturally rich and productive places. Each installation—interior, virtual, or otherwise—becomes an access point that connects the public to a constellation of citywide programs and exhibits. House Museum responds to challenges at the intersection of art, architecture, and historic preservation.

All donations are tax-deductible and contribute to raising awareness of historic landmarks and support their revitalization and programming. To learn more, visit www.house.museum or contact info@house.museum.

Palisades Fire Memorial, 5 Heritage Chimneys, 3D Concept Rendering. Image Courtesy of House Museum

Army Corps of Engineers in Malibu, CA © Evan Curtis Charles Hall, House Museum

Kraig Hill’s chimney in Big Rock, Malibu. © Evan Curtis Charles Hall, House Museum

Alan White, Principal at AQYER, and Evan Curtis Charles Hall, Director of House Museum, deliberate in the Pacific Palisades. Photo © Morgan Richmeier, AQYER, LLC

Alan White, Principal at AQYER, and Evan Curtis Charles Hall, Director of House Museum, deliberate in the Pacific Palisades. Photo © Morgan Richmeier, AQYER, LLC

3D Point Cloud of an Eric Lloyd Wright chimney. Captured by AQYER, LLC.

National Masonry Associations Arrive to Help Salvage Historic Chimneys For Palisades Fire Memorial

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