Project Chimney

Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA

 

3 chimneys saved, 4 to go!

 

                    

                    

                    

After the 2025 Palisades Fire, the architectural heritage of the Pacific Palisades was reduced to isolated fragments—scattering people, history, and communities. Among the rubble, over 55 historically significant chimneys survived, some designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Richard Neutra, Ray Kappe, and Paul R. Williams. House Museum is working to preserve these structures through documentation and relocation. Our goal is to save 7 of the surviving chimneys that represent the development of Southern Californian architecture, legacies of homeowners, and the Pre-Fire Palisadian landscape.

 

Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. (1890–1978)

Notable Buildings: John Sowden House, Hollywood Bowl Shells, Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Taggart House, Oasis Hotel, Samuel-Novarro House, Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Wayfarers Chapel, Will Weber House, Otto Bollman House, Claudette Colbert Residence

Paul R. Williams (1894–1980)

Notable Buildings: LAX Theme Building, 28th Street YMCA, Rene Faron Residence, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, Williams Residence, Los Angeles Superior Court, La Concha Motel, St. Jude Hospital, Memphis, First AME Church, Los Angeles, Beverly Sunset Medical Center

Richard Neutra (1892–1970)

Notable Buildings: Kaufmann Desert House, Lovell House, Jardinette Apartments, Van der Leeuw House, Laemmle Building, Scheyer House, Landfair Apartments, Neutra/Maxwell House, Stuart Bailey House, Case Study House #6, #13, #20A, #21A, Cyclorama Building, UCLA Lab School

 

House Museum creates an Artifact Catalogue that highlights the unique architectural heritage of the Pacific Palisades, from Mediterranean villas to Coastal New England homes dating back to the 1920s. We have collected oral histories, material data, photographs, and videos captured throughout the community engagement process, in collaboration with the Pacific Palisades Preservation Coalition. With the Army Corps debris clearance nearing completion, Project Chimney documentation represents a small window in history when the structures were free-standing.

 

Now, over 85% of the historic chimneys have been demolished.

 

Pacific Palisades Fire Memorial Artifact Catalogue House Museum Fireplaces Chimneys Architecture Salvage

Palisades Fire Memorial [Artifact Catalogue G–L], 2025.
 

 

House Museum's goal is to create the Palisades Fire Memorial—a public installation built of 7 freestanding heritage chimneys. Committed chimneys were designed by Eric Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Ray Kappe—among others with unique architectural characteristics. Working with local residents and public land stewards, the memorial will invite the community to gather, while recalling bygone structures as a critical architectural guide for future rebuild trajectories. In order to resist complete erasure, we are fundraising to relocate select structures. Salvaged freestanding chimneys will stand as beacons for future generations to remember the past.

 

"Etched in the minds of many Angelenos are the post-fire images of entire residential blocks razed, save for the chimneys, standing defiantly. The chimneys have quickly become symbols of the heart of lost homes and the endurance of the community."

 

Adrian Scott Fine, President and CEO of Los Angeles Conservancy

 

 

Palisades Fire Memorial, Concept Rendering © Milton Lau, AIA, Evan Hall, House Museum

 

"From a conservation perspective, the memorial stands as an invaluable addition to our cultural landscape alongside important Los Angeles landmarks like the Eames House, Schindler House, and other architectural icons."

 

Timothy P. Whalen, Director of Getty Conservation Institute

In partnership with the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) and Mason Contractors Association of California (MCAC), a national and local task force has assembled to salvage the 7 heritage chimneys for the Palisades Fire Memorial. Construction teams led by preservationist Ean Frank, President of Significant Structures LLC, are collaborating to save the fire resilient chimneys and aid in heritage recovery.

 

TASK FORCE

           

                    

                    

 

 

                    

 

 

                    

 

 

                    

 

 

 

"These seven chimneys aren't just brick and mortar; they are historically significant pieces of the area's past and a lasting testament to the term Masonry Strong"

 

Jeff Buczkiewicz, President and CEO of Mason Contractors Association of America

 

 

 

We need your help raising $20k to salvage the next chimney in our queue.

 

501c3 nonprofit charitable donation

 

FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS

 

 

                    

                    

 

 

 

Click to read about Project Chimney

 

 

The Art Newspaper - Chimneys of famous architects Eric Lloyd Wright, Ray Kappe

                    

 

NPR WBUR KPCC How one group is working to save historic chimneys after Palisades fires Evan Hall, House Museum

 

Los Angeles Daily News - As Palisades Rebuilds

  

ArchPaper House Museum proposes memorial made of chimneys to commemorate people and places lost in the Southern California wildfires Evan Hall

Get involved

For volunteer, partnership, or special donation inquiries please email info [at] house [dot] museum

 

 

 

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House Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

 

Interested in contributing a vacant site or partnering with House? Please contact info [at] house.museum

   

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"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places." John 14:2