The proposed Palisades Fire Memorial, to be located on public land, will feature free-standing fireplaces and chimneys as a tribute to the community’s resilience
The Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) Board unanimously voted to support Project Chimney, an initiative to memorialize the 2025 Palisades Fire by preserving historically significant chimneys, during their May 8, 2025, meeting.
Led by House Museum director Evan Curtis Charles Hall, Project Chimney aims to catalog, relocate, and create a permanent installation of over 55 chimneys from the fire’s burn zone, designed by renowned architects like Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Paul R. Williams, and Richard Neutra. These structures, dating back to the Palisades’ founding in 1922, reflect styles such as Spanish Colonial Revival and Mid-Century Modern, capturing the area’s architectural heritage. The initiative has garnered support from the Pacific Palisades Preservation Coalition and the Los Angeles Conservancy.
The proposed Palisades Fire Memorial, to be located on public land, will feature free-standing fireplaces and chimneys as a tribute to the community’s resilience, drawing inspiration from landmarks like Stonehenge and the 9/11 Memorial. The project includes chimneys linked to notable figures like Reverend Dr. Charles Scott and actor Anthony Hopkins, as documented in House Museum’s Artifact Catalogue, per the State of California’s Office of Historic Preservation standards.
Hall emphasized the memorial’s role in “resisting cultural erasure,” especially as Phase 2 demolition accelerated, with the Army Corps of Engineers clearing 35 properties daily, aiming for 1,050 per month, according to LTC Nathaniel Weander. House Museum is collaborating with residents to salvage chimneys and has petitioned elected officials for public land designation. Community members are encouraged to submit candidate chimneys at www.house.museum.
