Built 1882 Architectural style Other Opened 1882 Added to NRHP 1 August 1996 | Architect unknown NRHP Reference # 96000848 Area 1,619 m² | |
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Location North Attleborough, Massachusetts | ||
The Attleborough Falls Gasholder Building is a historic industrial building at 380 Elm Street in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. It is a rare surviving example (of which not more than three were identified in the state in 1987) of a mid-19th century natural gas storage building. The brick structure originally housed a tank in which gas was stored. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Description and history
The gasholder building is located at the northwest corner of Elm and Mount Hope Streets, in central eastern North Attleborough. It is a round building about 35 feet (11 m) in diameter and 32 feet (9.8 m) in height, including its conical slate roof and cupola-like top. A hip-roofed entry section projects from the structure facing the intersection. The structure is built out of brick laid in common bond, with finely detailed corbelling and pilasters. The structure originally housed a tank in which gas created by a coal gasification process was stored.
The North Attleborough Gas Company was established in 1855. Its Attleboro Falls plant was expanded in 1874, and this structure was built in 1882 as the third in town to store gas in order to meet increased demand. Adjacent to it was a coal-processing facility at which the fuel was produced. After a series of acquisitions, the assets of the company became part of the Vermont Light Company in 1940. Roy Underhill, a gas company employee, purchased the building in that year, and was responsible for saving it from destruction by developers. It remains in private hands, with preservation restrictions.