Gargantuan American Gasometers of Yesteryear
1968 Los Angeles – Source: waterandpower.orgThis blog author can still picture in my mind the giant gasometer on Prospect Avenue in Indianapolis from my youth. For the longest time I had no idea what purpose these enormous structures were built for. Well, it turns out they stored manufactured gas from coal in the days before natural gas became plentiful and readily available via pipelines.
“A gasometer is used to store [manufactured] gas at atmospheric temperature and ambient, relative to the surrounding environment, temperatures. If the structure were still in use there would be walls visible inside the cage with a visible “cap”, rising and falling dependent on amount of gas stored.”
– schuylkillcorps.org
Today…it appears that all gasometers except possibly one cage-like frame in Philadelphia are gone. Erased from urban landscape histories like they never existed, despite often being the tallest, and potentially the largest structure in the entire city. In some places they were referred to as gas holders, gas tanks, or even gas towers, though most “gas holders” tended to be smaller conical-topped buildings from the later half of the 19th century.
Gas holder tended to be a leftover term used primarily on the East Coast from the conical-topped gas storage structure designs. However, for purposes of this blogpost, gasometer will be utilized when referring to the gargantuan cylindrical metal-frame structures that dominated skylines across the country.
Listed below are a number of the tallest and largest of the gasometers identified to date across the United States. There were many more whose records are absent from the internet or who have been lost in the annals of time.
The list is not supposed to be comprehensive, just representative of an era that has both passed and has been largely undocumented or preserved to the extent it deserves. Included are both the telescopic gasometers whose inner gas containment would rise and fall based on the amount of gas being stored at the time, as well as piston operated ones.
This blog author finds it quite sad when we have discarded certain engineering marvels to the point of oblivion. Gasometers and previously discussed railroad coaling towers are two such victims of modernized extinction here in the United States. But somehow, Europe finds ways to preserve and adapt fascinating aspects of its industrial heritage in unique, interesting, and innovative ways. A separate blogpost on their success at preserving gasometers will be forthcoming on this blog site.
Peace!
p.s. A separate blogpost will cover 19th-century gas holders in more detail.
p.s.s. The number of photos included in the post appear to have reached the maximum allowed. As a result, a number of other photos could not be added. A separate post will be published showing many of these.
- Peoples Gasometer @ 73rd & Central Park (1928-1970s): Chicago, IL = 490 feet/20 million cubic feet
- Brooklyn Union Gas Maspeth Gasometers x 2 (1927/1928-2001): Brooklyn, NY = 400 feet x 2/16 million cubic feet each
- Citizens Gas & Coke Gasometer – Northwestern Avenue (1941-1980): Indianapolis, IN = 387 feet – if anyone has an image of this gasometer, please forward it or a link.
- Kokomo Gasometer Tower (1955-2003): Kokomo, IN = 387 feet/12 million cubic feet
- PGSE Harrison Gas Works “Gentle Giant” Gasometer (1925-1996): Newark (Harrison), NJ = 380 feet
- Peoples Gasometer @ Kedzie & Pratt (1926-?): Chicago, IL = 362 feet/15 million cubic feet
- Citizens Gas & Coke Gasometer – Prospect Avenue (1941-2016): Indianapolis, IN = 361 feet
- “Gas is Best” Lynch Station Gasometer (1927-1960s): Detroit, MI = 330 feet
- Peoples Gasometer @ Six Corners/Portage Park (1920s-1971): Chicago, IL = 300 feet
- LA Gas & Electric @ Ducommon and Center Gasometer (1912-1960): Los Ángeles, CA = 300 feet
- Allentown-Bethlehem Gas Co. Gasometer (1927-2004): Allentown, PA = 290 feet/6 million cubic feet – see images below
Source of three images above- commons.wikimedia.org
- Harrisburg Gas Co. Southside Gasometer (1926-?): Harrisburg, PA ~285 feet/6 million cubic feet
- Brooklyn Union Gas Elmhurst/Newton Gasometers x 2 (1910/1921-1996): Queens, NY = 270 feet each
- CG&E Potrero Hill Gasometer “Old Ugly” (1950-1989): San Francisco, CA = 260 feet/17 million cubic feet
- BGE Melvale/North Baltimore Gasometer (1933-2013): Baltimore, MD = 258 feet/7 million cubic feet
- Long Beach Gas and Oil Gasometer (1927-1997): Long Beach, CA = 220 feet/10 million cubic feet
- BGE Spring Gardens Gasometers x 3 (built between 1912 and 1921 and demolished in 1996, 1998, and 1999): Baltimore, MD ~220 feet each
- PGW Gasometer – Port Richmond/Venango Ave. (1954-2023): Philadelphia, PA = 212 feet
- Columbia Piston Gasometer (1926-1966): Binghamton, NY = 210 feet/3 million cubic feet
- Brooklyn Gas Works Coney Island Gasometers x 2 (1908-1981): Brooklyn, NY = 200+ feet each
- Equitable Gas Telescopic Gasometers x 3 – Reedsdale Street (?-1927): Pittsburgh, PA tallest = 200 feet
- Madison Gas & Electric Gasometer – E. Main & Livingston (?-1967): Madison, WI = 176 feet
- Laclede Gas Company Gasometer – Forest Park Southeast (1901-2007): St. Louis, MO = 175 feet
- Cedar Rapids Gas Co. Gasometers x 2 (1926-?) – First & Ninth Streets: Cedar Rapids, IA ~125 feet/1 million cubic feet and ?/500k cubic feet
- PGW Point Breeze Gasometer (pre-1898-?): Philadelphia, PA = 90 feet
- Fulton Works Gasometer (1950-2021): Richmond, VA ~60 feet/600k cubic feet
Others:
Aurora Gaslight Hurd’s Island Gasometer: Aurora, IL
Aurora – Source: aurorahistory.orgChicago Area – 73rd & Central; Kedzie & Pratt; and Six Corners listed by heights above, plus Goose Island; 87th, 95th, 97th Streets; Skyway; North & Clybourn; Oakton & McCormick in Skokie; West Rogers Park; Blue Island; 4600 W. Roosevelt in Cicero; Aurora (directly above); and 31st & Ashland.
North & Clybourn – Source: industrial scenery.blogspot.com Chicago Skyway Gasometer – Source: industrial scenery.blogspot.com Gasometers near 97th Street in Chicago – Source: industrualscenery.blogspot.com Chicago West Rogers Park – Source: Facebook.comDuluth Gasometer – Price’s Point: Duluth, MN
Duluth – Source: twin ports rail history via flickr.comEvansville Gas Works Gasometer- 5th & Pennsylvania (?-1962): Evansville, IN
Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Co.: Fitchburg, MA x 2
Fort Wayne Gas Co. Telescopic Gasometer – North Side (1906~1955): Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Wayne – Source: towns-and-nature.blogspot,comKenosha Gas Works Gas Holder (ca 1921-1965): Kenosha, WI
Kenosha – Source: instagram.comLaclede Gas Company Gasometer Pumping Station/Natural Bridge Road (1920-2013): St. Louis, MO
Source: sublunarphoto.comLaclede Gas Company Gasometers – Shrewsbury x 2 (?-2009): St. Louis, MO
Laclede Gas Company Gasometer- Chouteau Ave. (1940-2013): St. Louis, MO
Los Angeles Area – Ducommon & Center and Long Beach listed by heigh above, plus Formosa & Romaine (LA Gas & Electric) ?-1973; Aliso Street (LAG&E); Ramona & San Bernardino Freeways x 3; and LA Gas & Electric Hollywood Gasometer (1936-mid-1970s).
Minneagasco Gasometer – Gasworks Bluff: Minneapolis, MN
New York City Area: See Brooklyn and Queens gasometers with heights listed above. Also, Stuyvestant Town/Manhattan; E. 61st Street/Manhattan (2); Nassau Avenue/Queens (2); Nostrand Avenue/Brooklyn (2); Bridge Street/Brooklyn; Astoria/Queens (2); Linden Place/Queens; First Ave.-East Harlem/Manhattan; Great North Side-Tremont/Bronx (2); and Riverside Drive/Manhattan
NIPSCO Gasometers – Miami Avenue @ Pennsylvania (1949-1972), tall one plus a smaller one: South Bend, IN
North Shore Gas – North Plant Gasometer (1927-1965): Waukegan, IL
NSP Gasometer – Oxford & Fuller: St. Paul, MN
PG&E 50th Street Gasometer (1927-1990): Oakland, CA
Source: Facebook.comPGSE North Park Street Gasometer (1900-?): East Orange, NJ = /1.148 million cubic feet
East Orange, NJ – Source: Facebook.comPhiladelphia Area: United Gas Improvement Gasometers – Castor Avenue/Port Richmond (?-1966): Philadelphia, PA. Also multiple near Passyunk Ave Bridge; Long Lane & Marshall – Upper Darby (?-1968); x 2 – Germantown (Belford Ave); Bristol
Bristol, PA – Source: bristolmgp.com Germantown, PA Gasometers – Source: Facebook.com PGW Gasometer in Passyunk/Philadelphia – Source: schuylkillcorps.orgSouth Gas Works – two gas holders (left) and two gasometers (right) at the Wealthy Ave. Bridge – Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids – Source: historygranrapids.orgMore locations (not comprehensive):
Bangor, ME
Battle Creek, MI
Boston (Dorchester), MA and Boston (North End), MA – nicknamed “Old Gassy”
Bridgeport, CT along Pine Street
Cambridge, MA – Cambridge Gas Light Co.
Camden, NJ
Camden, NJ – Source: urbanomnibus.netChampaign-Urbana, IL – Hill & Fifth Streets
Decatur, IL x 2
Edison, NJ
Erie, PA
Fargo, ND
Hammond-Whiting, IN x 2
Indiana Gas & Chemical Gasometer- Terre Haute, IN – between Hulman & 13th
Lewiston Gas Light Co – Lewiston, ME x 2
Lima, OH off Elm Street = 1 million cubic feet
Lima – Source: Facebook.comLouisville, KY – near Tenth & Ormsby
Lowell, MA
Lynchburg, VA = 1 or 2
Lynn, MA- Lynn Gas & Electric Co.
Miami, FL x 3
Milwaukee Gas Co. gasometers x 4 (1904-1950s): West Side Gas Works: Milwaukee, WI
Modesto, CA
Muskegon, MI x 2
New Brunswick, NJ x 2
New Haven Gas Works x 4 – East & Chapel Streets near Belle Dockyards
New Haven – Source: Flickr.comNew London, CT
New Orleans, LA x 2
New Rochelle-Pelham, NY x 3 (3m, 1m, and 350k)
Norfolk, VA – VEPCO Gas Storage Tanks x 3
Pasadena, CA x 2
Pasadena – Source: Facebook.comPetersburg, VA = 42 feet
Portland, ME x 2
Quincy, IL
Quincy-Braintree, MA = /750k cubic feet
Source: Facebook.comRacine, WI x 2 near the lakefront, east of Lake Avenue
Rockford Gas, Light & Coke, IL
St. Petersburg, FL x 2 (?-1980s)
St. Petersburg, FL – Source: Facebook.comSeattle Gas Works, WA (?-1971)
Sioux City, IA – Court Street
Stockton, CA x 2 or 3
Stockton – Source; Facebook.comToledo, OH
Trenton, NJ x 2 PGSE
Trenton, NJ – Source: Facebook.comUtica, NY x 2
Washington, DC – Foggy Bottom x 2
Worcester, MA
York, PA – York Gas Works x 2 = 2 million cubic feet in larger gas holder
York, PA – Source: yorkblog.comSOURCES:
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