If you take a little trip back in time to September 2015, you might recall our issue in which we checked out some really old buildings. On the cover of that issue was Concord’s iconic gasholder building, the round brick structure on South Main Street by South Main Quick Stop.
It turns out that the folks at the National Register of Historic Places liked our cover shot so much, they decided to add that building to the rolls just a few years later.
Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly how it all played out, but the fact of the matter is the gasholder building is now on the national map, thanks to the committee that decided who makes the list. Deep down inside, we always knew this building would make it, and we like to think we played a significant role in the process by highlighting its odd beauty and mystique.
The gasholder was built in 1888 to, well, hold gas. Back in those days, coal gas was a big source of light and heat, and it needed a big building to be stored in. It’s instantly recognizable by its unique cylindrical shape and conical roof, which used to move up and down depending on how much gas was inside.
The gasholder has held some significance in recent times, too, even though it hasn’t been operational since 1953.
Liberty Utilities obtained the building from National Grid in 2012. In March 2016, an entryway collapsed, adding to the damage inflicted by a fallen tree limb during a storm years before.
The result? The building has been deemed unsafe to enter.
This gasholder has also been called the only one still in existence that still contains its original storage equipment. That’s the tidbit that sets it apart from the rest, and to be sure, there are others still in existence.
In Concord, the post office at St. Paul’s School is situated inside an old gasholder building, but that one doesn’t have its original storage equipment, the Monitor’s David Brooks reported.
The city of Concord sponsored the nomination of the building amid concerns for its preservation. Since it has held no purpose for decades and has deteriorated physically over the last several years, many questions have arisen surrounding what to do with the useless yet historically significant building.
Its addition to the National Register of Historic Places does not guarantee that it will be preserved. That means that despite this big news, the future of the building remains uncertain.
Liberty Utilities estimates that it would cost about $500,000 to stabilize the structure, and considerably more to make it usable in any way. It remains to be seen what the next step will be.
In the meantime, have a gasholder party to celebrate this historic news!
