The City of Charleston has begun a full restoration of the historic smokestacks at the St. Julian Devine Community Center — an effort to preserve one of the Eastside’s most recognizable landmarks and protect the neighborhood’s historic skyline for generations to come.
Built in 1935 as part of the city’s municipal trash incinerator, the twin smokestacks once served Charleston’s waste disposal needs before the facility closed in the 1960s. When the site was redeveloped as a community center in the late 1970s — and later renamed in 1992 to honor St. Julian F. Devine, the first African American elected to Charleston City Council since Reconstruction — the smokestacks remained, standing as a visual reminder of the neighborhood’s industrial past and its ongoing resilience.
“Protecting these smokestacks means protecting the Eastside’s historic skyline,” said Mayor William Cogswell. “They are more than just structures — they are part of Charleston’s history and a source of pride for the community.”
The restoration will be led by ICC, a contractor that has inspected the smokestacks for the past decade and is deeply familiar with their condition. Work will include:
- Exterior stabilization — Removal of existing steel “corsets” and reinforcing bands, replacing them with corrosion-resistant stainless-steel bands; removing embedded steel step irons that have caused vertical cracking; tuck-pointing the entire exterior; and replacing any cracked or damaged bricks.
- Interior reinforcement — Adding structural masonry and a Gunite (shotcrete) lining over new reinforcing materials, strengthening the stacks to withstand hurricane-force winds and meet current safety codes.
- Additional upgrades — Reinstallation and re-certification of the smokestacks’ lightning protection system following completion of repairs.
About two years ago, the city performed interim stabilization work to address failing masonry inside the smokestacks and reduce the risk of internal failure. Now, with full funding secured, the City is moving forward with a complete rehabilitation…