In Vancouver, WA the Providence Academy is tearing down their smokestack, brick by brick. Historic Trust CEO Temple Lentz says the structure just can’t be saved. “It could've been a collar and yoke system. Could've involved pouring concrete all the way down the middle. The building might still be here, but the things people love, would be gone." The chimney hasn't been used in a long time. It was built in the mid 1950's with local bricks and mortar without any reinforcing. Ron King’s company is carefully removing the top 40 feet of the 88 foot stack. "The mortars just so deteriorated it's not even holding the brick." The cost to just stabilize the smokestack would’ve been 3 1/2 million dollars. The Trust is sorting the worthy bricks out, saving them and building a new foundation from the past. "When you're in the preservation business, having to take down any building is always sad." Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/KGWNews8 Watch the latest KGW newscast: https://www.kgw.com/watch Get the KGW app: https://kgw.com/appredirect