Billy Bud statue could return to Henry Jung Apartments chimney by winter

Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press
·2 min read
The Jung Apartment building complex’s smokestack, right, got a trim recently and now not near as tall as once was as seen, Monday, September 18, 2023, in Sheboygan, Wis.
The Jung Apartment building complex’s smokestack, right, got a trim recently and now not near as tall as once was as seen, Monday, September 18, 2023, in Sheboygan, Wis.

SHEBOYGAN – The Billy Bud chimney sweep statue could be put back up on the Henry Jung Apartments, 620 S. Eighth St., by winter following restoration work to the shortened smokestack.

Heartland Properties, owner of Henry Jung Apartments, took several actions on the smokestack since a Aug. 10 Historical Preservation Commission meeting where the issue was discussed, regarding historical status and jurisdiction and costs.

Initial estimates shared at that meeting regarding restoration costs were up to $1 million and demolition costs were around $325,000.

The meeting concluded with the commission requesting no action be taken on the smokestack until the group could determine what jurisdiction it had over the smokestack, as it is under historic preservation status.

The Jung Shoe Co. Building, excluding the Billy Bud statue that was added afterward, has held state and national historical designations since the early 1990s.

Heartland decided to take immediate action on the smokestack in late August because crews found it was in “poor physical condition” that posed a potential safety hazard to residents, visitors and neighboring schools, according to a Heartland letter shared by commission member Wendy Schobert at the Sept. 14 meeting.

FILE - The spires of Central High School, right, and the sweep atop the historic smoke stack by the Henry Jung Apartment complex are silhouettes in the fog, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Sheboygan, Wis.
FILE - The spires of Central High School, right, and the sweep atop the historic smoke stack by the Henry Jung Apartment complex are silhouettes in the fog, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Sheboygan, Wis.

They found vertical cracks, joint separations and bulging bricks that could have fallen. Sunlight could be seen from some places in the smokestack’s interior and some brick could be removed by hand a few feet from its top, Heartland said in the letter.

Heartland intended to demolish most of the 90-foot smokestack, taking it down about 20-30 feet where it'd be level with the roof of the building. However, crews found thicker walls, better bricks and stabler joints lower down that allowed for part of the smokestack to remain, the letter said.

Crews intend to restore the remainder of the smokestack to about 50 feet, expected to be done by the end of the month, according to the letter.

Duke Corning from Custom Metals of Madison, makes adjustments on the Billy Bud statue before it's put atop the Jung Shoe Co. chimney, as seen, August 1992, in Sheboygan, Wis.
Duke Corning from Custom Metals of Madison, makes adjustments on the Billy Bud statue before it's put atop the Jung Shoe Co. chimney, as seen, August 1992, in Sheboygan, Wis.

As for Billy Bud?

Property Manager Katharin Watson said at the Aug. 10 meeting that the property owners intended to place the statue back on the apartments’ east side because the smokestack would be level with the building.

According to the new letter from Heartland, Billy Bud could be put back up on the smokestack before winter after undergoing possible restoration. The smokestack’s new height will keep the statue visible to the surrounding area, Heartland said.

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The commission plans to discuss the Henry Jung Apartments issue at its October meeting with representatives from the City Attorney’s and Building Inspection offices. Specifically, it will review its jurisdiction and authority over the building, regarding historic designation documents and Heartland’s partial removal of the smokestack. Members said this case could be used as a precedent for similar situations that might arise in the future.

Heartland Properties could not be reached for comment by publication time.

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner. 

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan's Billy Bud statue expected to be back up by winter