Historic chimney care in Stillwater, the birthplace of Minnesota

Lumber-era homes, lumber-era chimneys

Stillwater's National Register homes include the Mortimer Webster House from 1865-66, the Ivory McKusick House from 1868 and the Roscoe Hersey House from 1880. In 2008, about 776 homes built before World War II in the older part of town were found potentially eligible for the city's Heirloom Homes program. That is a lot of old chimneys in one place.

Brick from the 1800s is softer than modern brick, and so is the lime mortar that holds it. New mortar should be weaker than the brick, so the joint takes the wear instead of the brick face. Good repairs replace only the units that are failing and keep as much original brick as possible.

Bringing an old flue back into use

Many chimneys from the 1800s were built with no liner, and others got liners later that are now worn out. Before you use an old fireplace again, or put in a wood stove or insert, the flue should be checked from top to bottom. In most cases, relining with stainless steel makes the old flue safe for a modern appliance and shields the brick from heat and acidic gases. See chimney repair for details.

Historic district rules

North Hill and South Hill make up the Original Town, and the Cultural Landscape District covers about 260 acres that largely follow the 1848 town plat. Any building at least half a century old that is proposed for demolition must be reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Commission. If you plan to take down or rebuild a chimney on an older home, ask the city first.