Standing near Carnegie Hall, two brick smokestacks dominate the campus skyline, one branded with “MC,” and one holding no markings at all. Since smoke no longer pours out of these chimneys, it is easy to forget they were once a key component of the campus’s steam plant.
Prior to 1939, the campus smokestack was near Anderson Hall. This structure was seen as an extreme eyesore by many, and in several older college photographs, the chimney was even photo-shopped out by hand.
The current day steam plant was constructed near Carnegie Hall in 1939. During the construction of this plant, only one stack was deemed necessary; but in 1951, another was added for efficiency. During this early period, these chimneys were the home for coal heated broilers…