November 2009

The Penn Coachyard chimney, colloquially known as the “shaft” by Drexel students, was imploded on Sunday Nov. 15 at 7:45 a.m. According to representatives from Amtrak, which owns the property, the West Philadelphia Steam Plant and Pullman & General Service Building will be demolished over the next few months, and the demolition of the chimney is part of these plans. The steam plant has been in disrepair, with no maintenance since 1964. According to Amtrak, the chimney was a safety hazard and was therefore slated for demolition.

The Drexel University campus has drastically changed due to this development since the chimney was visible from various areas of the campus and had represented students’ feelings of frustration toward Drexel staff and faculty. Alumni have commented that previously, the “Drexel Shaft” referred to a fountain on campus, presumably the fountain in front of North Hall. Future Drexel students may find another structure to relate to their perceived frustrations or may revert to the historic “shaft”.

Blog post by Omkar Baxi, Triangle photos by Olivia Garrity, video of the chimney implosion courtesy of Michael Harte.

\”Drexel Shaft goes BOOM\” - Youtube