When did chimneys become metal pipes boxed within a wooden column covered with vinyl siding?
I'm sure the change began a while ago, but it only just registered with me this afternoon.
A chimney should be made of brick or stone and lend a sense of permanent structure to a home. It should be a spire of masonry that communicates both the warmth of the hearth within and the stolid weathering of storms without.
I've seen ancient brick chimneys rising up alone in the middle of fields where a house once stood. The house had not survived the ravages of either weather or fire, but the chimney had.
That's what chimneys are supposed to do - survive. I'm sure no one will never see a wood encased metal pipe standing alone in a field eighty years from now.
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