The chimney...

 After demoing out the wall on the dinning room side, a hidden chimney brick was revealed.  It was in better shape than I expected and I had been thinking about the aesthetics of having exposed brick in the kitchen.  So... I decided to dive into exposing the brick on the kitchen side.  I knew the plaster was likely directly on the brick, but did not realize how much of a pain in the a%$ it was to get the plaster to separate from the brick.  Perseverance and a masonry chisel prevailed.  

I will post more photos of the chimney after the sealant is applied and a metal plate installed over the opening.  







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