Ithacagun's Chimney
 

I posted a couple pics of this a while ago. Credit to Peter Belllisario, who posts in the "Ithaca Is Crazy" group on FB...and apparently has a drone!

Is that a chimney or a shot tower?
Surprising it's left standing.

It's the chimney. A whole lotta forging goin' on!

To my knowledge, Ithaca Gun never produced shot. They used a lot, though, in testing...enough to contaminate Fall Creek.

My former wife did office work there in the service dept., which had been moved down by Cayuga inlet from the steel shed it originally occupied on the factory grounds--located at the edge of the cliff above the gorge. Attached to that building was a shooting tube maybe 20' long, used to check success of the repairs, and it went along during the move.

According to the National Register database for Tompkins County, this is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places - it would certainly be eligible.

KFS

An historic place, for sure. The chimney and some random concrete slabs on the site are all that's left to register. Issues about the lead contamination might also affect the process.

Without maintenance, the chimney's exposure to the weather will eventually take it from us.

I hope that there is a local historic preservation group in Ithaca interested in saving the chimney. Contamination of the site might actually deter future development.

KFS

Dave, I think you should go down to that site and find the best looking brick you can find as a historic souvenir! :D

(I'm watching 'Evan & Tiki' on cable and Tiki has an engraved brick from 'The Paramount - Huntington NY' on his desk). :p

You might even be able to sell them! :thumbup:

Isn't a shot tower the platform where atomic devices are tested??? :confused:

Or is it where molten lead is dripped into water??? :rolleyes:

A shot tower is a tower in order to air cool the lead. In free fall, liquids are spherical, not the shape of the prison tattoo.

Granted, when an A-bomb goes off on its tower, it is indeed quite a shot!

A souvenir brick is a good idea. I'll check to see what's available, but fear any good bricks are still part of the chimney, as the site seems pretty clean.

My mom had a brick she salvaged from the demolition of the elementary school she attended a hundred years ago. My aunt did needlepoint, and made a cover for it with an image of the school. My sister might have it now...

Dave, cool photos of an iconic gun manufacturing facility. Thanks for sharing. I hope that the chimney never gets torn down "to put up a parking lot".