After 111 Years In Service, This Northfield, MN Stack Will Never Be The Same

It could be described as a fixture on the Carleton College campus, as it looms over the Western edge of campus. The steam tower/stack that has been in place since 1941 has gone quiet as Friday marked the last time the steam plant would be used to generate heat for the campus.

The private college in Northfield, MN posted about the steam plant going green on Thursday.

A portion of the post alludes to the campus going over to a geothermal heating system. On "Friday, May 21...we will shut off steam for the last time in the 111-year history of Carleton’s heating plant. This marks a significant milestone in the college’s history as Carleton makes the switch from steam to geothermal energy."

It's not clear from the college website, or the post to social media if there will be any changes to the steam plant building, which has been expanded three times in it's existence on campus.

In addition to the change over to geothermal, a Carleton alumnus is putting on a Smokestack light show each evening through the 28th of May according to the website dedicated to the steam shut-off celebration that happened Friday on campus. People interested in the steam building/process can also check out an exhibit on steam history in the Gould Library Athenaeum through June 4th.