Fueled by Fire: Coal & Steam at the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station

Inspired by the recent loss of our iconic smokestack, this exhibit explores the historic use of coal at the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station, the equipment used to turn that coal into steam, and the complicated legacy of the role of fossil fuels in industrialization.

Throughout its near century of operation, the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station harnessed the power of steam to move vast quantities of water to the people of Boston.

In the 19th century, coal was the dominant fuel for homes and industry alike. Locating the station next to an existing railroad ensured a constant flow of coal, which was fed into massive boilers and burned to create steam, powering enormous pumps that provided water for Boston’s citizens.

Though the station switched to oil fuel in the early 1930s, the image of smokestacks billowing smoke remained a symbol of industrial progress

A towering 150-foot smokestack vented thick clouds of smoke and gases, while ash was regularly hauled away to be dumped—sometimes into the ocean.

Today, the environmental costs of that era cast a different light on such facilities. Once-bustling brick buildings now stand silent, their smokestacks weathered and fragile. It’s easy to overlook the complex network of engineering they once embodied.

From coal mines and locomotives to steam powered water delivery systems, the story is one of bold ingenuity, resourcefulness, and relentless labor—a legacy carved into every bolt and brick.