SMOKESTACKS

by Kevin Walsh

By GARY FONVILLE
Forgotten NY correspondent

Because NYC was a great manufacturing center, many factory chimneys can be found within our city limits. They belonged to businesses who generally produced a lot of exhaust.  Some businesses took advantage of their chimneys’  height to advertise themselves… 

 

You may have seen blue and white trucks that belong to the Sea Crest Linen Supply rolling around the city, servicing restaurants, hotels, etc. Obviously, there has been a laundry here at Franklin Avenue & Crown Street in Crown Heights for a long time. Formerly, it was Erasmus Laundry.

 

This time of year [July 2013] this chimney would be impossible to see because of foliage. Fortunately I saw this in February of this year while driving up Washington Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Interboro Brewery is on the premises as the former Consumer Brewery on Franklin Avenue, near Crown Street.

 

Cascade Laundry was a fixture on Marcy & Myrtle Avenues in Bed-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn  for many years. They closed shop and  bolted for New Jersey a few years back, leaving many local residents jobless.

 

Bohack’s, many years ago, could be found in almost every corner of NYC.  Bohack’s warehouse had this chimney on Flushing Avenue near Metropolitan Avenue in Maspeth, Queens.

[This was formerly known as Bohack Square, as the company had its base of operations here. They even operated a cafeteria, and the distinctive Bohack B’s can still be made out on the building.]

 

Can anyone enlighten us FNY fans about Trageser on Grand Avenue, near Page Place in Maspeth, Queens?

[Trageser produced water heaters, but I’m stumped on further details.]

 

Ditto for this chimney on Vernon Boulevard near Broadway in Astoria, Queens.

[The lettering says “Wood.” That’s a nice painted ad using the Copperplate font below.]

 

Looks like the sign says “Just Packaging”.  It’s in Brownsville, Brooklyn, somewhere near Junius Street.  In a rare instance, I can’t remember exactly where I took this picture.

[There are a couple of Just Packaging smokestacks around, including one in Greenpoint]

 

It appears that there was once greater height to this chimney on New Lots Avenue, near Sackman Street in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

7/16/13

 

11 comments

Larry July 16, 2013 - 8:11 pm

When you get back to Brooklyn, don’t forget about the Vitagraph Studios smokestack near Ave M and E15 St. If it’s still there.

Reply
Andy Jo July 16, 2013 - 8:57 pm

It is still there!

Reply
roger_the_shrubber July 17, 2013 - 7:50 am

Find two stacks close together and tie a large, inflatable pig between them. It’s been done before to great effect but it would still be cool.

Reply
therealguyfaux July 17, 2013 - 9:19 am

Some appear to have lightning rods, and some don’t– wouldn’t the building code or insurance mandate it? (I’m sure Howlin’ Wolf might have something to say on the subject…)

Reply
Sergey Kadinsky July 17, 2013 - 9:33 am

Or the smokestack at Grand Ferry Park in Williamsburg

Reply
Thursday Blogwrap | Brownstoner Queens July 18, 2013 - 3:30 pm

[…] Too [Glorified Tomato] Yet Another Weekend Food and Craft Market Edition [We Heart Astoria] Smokestacks Around Town [Forgotten […]

Reply
Edward July 20, 2013 - 9:33 am

The Pilgrim Laundry smokestack was once a major landmark on Brooklyn’s Prospect Avenue, all the more prominent because it was on a hill. It took up the entire block between 11th Avenue and Terrace Place and back through to 17th Street. Demolished in the 70’s for houses.

Reply
Kibu July 25, 2013 - 2:38 pm

It’s not uncommon to see smokestacks that have been decapitated over the years. Nine times out of ten this is done when the upper traces of brick become deteriorated to the point that they become a hazard. Rather than just tear down the stack itself, they’ll go up and cut the damaged traces of brick down to the more integral ones.

Reply
kennyfrader March 14, 2017 - 9:15 pm

Where ARE the smokestacks located seen in”ghostdog the way of the samuri”.in the scenes on the rooftop

Reply
K Naughten May 8, 2017 - 10:55 am

Update on the Trageser Smokestack: John Trageser was a plumber, builder of boilers. Post Civil War his business was just west of the Tenderloin on W22 St.

In the 1940s the firm had grown and he was headquartered in Queens…see attachments from Brooklyn Eagle-

https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50419193/?terms=%22Trageser%22

https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52891410/?terms=%22Trageser%22

https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52703042/?terms=%22Trageser%22

Reply
Paul Eversman November 28, 2019 - 1:51 am

At the end of Central Ave. near Pilling St. there is a smoke stack. It is by the entrance to Most Holy Trinity Cemetery. There is a bus company there now. Does anyone know the history of what kind of factory was there before the bus company?

Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.