Nomination for Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OCT 2 0 1998 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM NAT REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. other names/site number The Gasholder House and The Round House NA not for publication N/Ê vicinity code OH _ county 3. State/Federal Agency Certification request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places the National Register Criteria.I recommend that this propertybe considered significant nationally statewide -locally. ( See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Ohio Historic Preservation Office -- OH SHPO State or Federal agency and bureau Signature of commenting or other official 4.

National Park Service Certification I, hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the removed from the National Register 44074 Date 1. Name of Property state Ohio As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet Oberlin city or town 2.

Location This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts.See instructions in How to Complete the National Register other (explain): National Register Signature of certifying official In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.( See continuation sheet for additional comments.) of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, historic name Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House street & number 291 S. Main Street Lorain - 093 RECEIVED zip code Lorain County, Ohio Property Name 5.

Classification (Do not include previously listed resources in the X private - building(s) - public-local - public-State - public-Federal Total 6. Function or Use INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION/energy facility 7.

Description LATE VICTORIAN/industrial Slate shingles Foundation Noncontributing object district other roof site brick Current Functions Architectural Classification Narrative Description walls Materials count) INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION/industrial storage Historic Functions Category of Property Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House Number of contributing resources previously listed in County and State the National Register Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) Number of Resources within Property (Enter categories from instructions) Name of related multiple property listing (Check only one box) Structures l (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO 7. Narrative Description The Gasholder House is located on the south side of Oberlin, to the south of the former site of the New Street (Route58) and Pleasant Street, just south of Edison Street. New commercial developments are construction storage yard (see photo #2). The area across the street to the north and east of the site is National Register, 1979), which is on its original site and now serves as a Head Start classroom. The Gasholder House is a round, two-story brick structure with a conical wood-framed roof clad with slate These resemble window openings but are boarded in now, and probably originally. Double courses of brick pilasters.

There is brick dentil-like corbelling at the eaves and a brick belt course above the brick of the slate roof which may have served as a ventilation device. There is no evidence of there ever having more dramatic space given the roof structure(see photos #8,9,10 & 11). Wood ladder-type stairs lead to the upper of iron. A second rafter overlaps the lower one and rises to the terminal compression ring at the has worked in the building for many years. (continued) point of ventilation at the top.Drop cables from the lower ring help support three horizontal beams that The first floor of the building is a vast open space which seems dark and cavernous since there are no Section number _ - Page 1 located to its west (McDonalds Restaurant) and south (small strip shopping center called "Station Square"; see photos #1 & 3).

The land directly north and east of the building is undeveloped and has served as a residential. It is across State Route 58/Main Street from Oberlin's former passenger railroad depot (1866; Each of its two stories measures approximately 2,688 square feet. circle. Within each bay is a tall, narrow, segmental-arched opening with a locally quarried sandstone sill. header bricks form the segmental arches over the window and door openings.The baysare divided by pilasters. The slate roof is in very poor condition. It includes the date "1889" in darker slate tiles on the been a cupola on the building. The wood rafter tails have carved ends. builders. From a doubled sill plate, long rafters spring upward to two circular rings, the lower of wood and cross below the upper floor at the quarter points.

The beams receive floor joists and are covered by a York Central railroad tracks (approximate location of the Oberlin Bike Path today), between South Main the peak of the roof. The roof structure is unusual and dramatically demonstrates the capability of the NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE 7. Narrative Description - continued LORAIN CO., OHIO The building housed a metal gasholder which was a bottomless cylinder that rode up or down in a 50' possible to unload coal at the site. enter this space to prepare a description of it due to hazardous conditions). Access to the basement is via concrete floor slab (at grade) was poured where there once was a wooden floor that rose and fell depending upon the buildup of the gas product.

An overhead garage door was inserted into the wall along the southwest side of the building in one of the bays (see photo #4). Another window bay has become a small gabled roof wood enclosed entrance was added (see photo #5). Portions of the gutter system have been removed. There is some graffiti on the east side of the building. The building has been electrified the south half. smokestack (razed circa 1991) and a freight railway depot that stood north and west of the Gasholder building.It was moved here within the past five years. It is outside the boundaries of the site being proposed for designation. removed. remaining in the tank. Coal was gasified in an adjacent retort (razed) and piped underground to the Integrity: Section number7 Page - diameter tank of water.

Water prevented gas leaks and provided a method to measure the amount of gas concrete, although it is submerged by a high ground water level/partial flooding. (It was not possible to door, and two others were modified to become entrances to the second floor and to the basement where a are missing and as a result, some water damage has occurred to the interior of the building, particularly in The Gasholder House was originally part of a complex that included a retort building with a tall brick There is a small corrugated metal shed sitting on blocks approximately 45 feet to the northwest of the The interior walls are of brick. The first floor brick has been coated with paint. The second floor brick walls There is an old hand water pump in this area which is embedded in the concrete floor. addition.

The slate roof sustained major damage in a wind storm three years ago; some of the shingles with a few simple fixtures and hanging bulbs.A small bathroom on the first floor appears to be an early Lorain Co., Ohio 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) industry, architecture significant contribution to the broad patterns of our significant in our past. - C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period,or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and 1889 to 1918 distinguishable entity whose components lack Property has yielded, or is likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. (Mark "X" in all the boxes that apply.) Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) - B removed from its original location. - D a cemetery. - E a reconstructed building, object,or structure. - F a commemorative property. - G less than50years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years.

Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS) N/A - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) - previously listed in the National Register 1889 purposes. history. unknown Architect/Builder Criteria Considerations Property is: individual distinction. Significant Dates County and State Applicable National Register Criteria National Register listing) has been requested. B Property is associated with the lives of persons Bibliography Period of Significance Cultural Affiliation Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House A owned by a religious institution or used for religious Property Name Ca birthplace ora grave.

A Property is associated with events that have made a (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for Lorain County, Ohio Property Name - previously determined eligible by the National Register - Other State agency - Federal agency - Local government - University Primary location of additional data Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization - State Historic Preservation Office 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property_less than one acre (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1 17 398185 4570830 - See continuation sheet. (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title_Patricia Murphy. Executive Director organization_Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization date_7/18/1998 street & number_P.O. Box 0455, 73 1/2 S.

Professor St._telephone 440-774-1700 _ state OH_ zip code44074-0455 Submit the following items with the completed form: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Representative black and white photographs of the property.

(Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Clark Improvement Corporation name Other Maps Photographs Zone Easting Northing Additional items Additional Documentation Continuation Sheets recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey County and State (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) Verbal Boundary Description UTM References Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House designated a National Historic Landmark Property Owner Boundary Justification recorded by Historic American Engineering Record Name of repository: city or town Oberlin street & number P.O. Box 299 (271 S. Pleasant Street) _telephone_440-775-373 NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO Narrative Statement of Significance manufactured coal gas provided lighting and heating in nearly all late 19th century American cities. The building demonstrates how fast advances in technology occurred in late 19th and early 20th century County. In 1990 Jeff Brown of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office described Oberlin's Gasholder House -Sprague, built circa 1874 -Brooklyn, Connecticut, built 1875 -Biddeford, Maine, built c.

1891 -North Attleborough, Massachusetts; built in 1875 -Lisbon, Maine, 1876 (plans called for converting it to a museum) Warehouses or storage facilities: -North Attleborough, Massachusetts.built in 1865, used as a garage and warehouse Rehabilitated commercial, mixed use and office space: -Roxbury, Massachusetts (built in 1870), used as a machine shop. -Northampton, Massachusetts (built in 1856). -Pittsfield, Massachusetts (built in 1873). -St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire (built in 1880), used as a school post office. follows: Vacant: ventilating cupola for leaking gas to escape. Section number Page Oberlin's Gasholder Houseis being nominated to the National Register for its significance according to critera "A in the category of industry and criteria" C in the category of architecture. Oberlin's Gasholder structure remaining west of the Appalachian mountains.

It is a rare survivor from the era when America. It is one of few known industrial structures of its era remaining in central and southern Lorain as "unique in Ohio" (Plain Dealer, 5/20/1990). A 1989 article (Mary E. Pyne) identified 13 remaining gasholder houses in New England, plus this one and one in Troy, New York as the only known remaining such brick structures in the country. She stated that The thirteen remaining gasholder houses in New England at the time of Pyne's article (1989) were used as -Brookline, Mass. built on a private estate in 1855, used as an exercise room. -Woonsocket, Rhode Island (built in 1865), used as a carpenter's shop. NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO Narrative Statement of Significance - continued Another one which was also located in Concord, New Hampshire, built in 1888, remained intact as a The Troy, New York gasholder house was built in 1873 (see Diana S. Waite article in bibliography). The technology of manufacturing coal gas was invented in Europe in the early 18th century. It was in use in New England textile mills by the War of 1812. Gaslight made it possible to keep the mills in operation cities, and gradually was used in many homes. Some New England cities manufactured coal gas until the from the elements and to make them look more presentable and less industrial. As Pyne noted, buildings. Oberlin's gas company was established in 1858 by Samuel Plumb.

Oberlin was one of the first towns in work, the other might! The Gasholder House building was constructed in 1889 for Albert H. Johnson, president of the Oberlin according to an 1889 newspaper account. The gas was used first for lighting and heating and soon which have been tried in other places have decided that the coal gas properly made is the best, so that the demand is sufficient to warrant it." factory. The company proposed to stand ready to furnish electric lighting for the town whenever the better quality will be secured...Superintendent H. L. Hurlburt will occupy the residence near the new gasholder house (for additional information, please see Taylor article in bibliography). fifteen remaining gasholder house buildings in the country in 1990, as reported in Preservation magazine.

early 1950s, when it was replaced by more efficient natural gas brought in via pipelines from the South and many homeowners had both electric and gas lights installed even as late as 1910 so that if one did not same kind of gas will be made as before except that with new and improved facilities it is probable that a after dark, and thereby increase production. Gaslight was soon in use for street lighting in most American Southwest. Only a small portion ofthe gasholders built were sheltered by houses built to protect them Gas Lighting Company, to store locally manufactured coal gas. The builders were from Cincinnati, thereafter for gas-powered cook stoves, which Johnson sold to his customers at cost. An 1889 newspaper account stated that"The proprietors having investigated the new fangled methods of manufacturing gas NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO Narrative Statement of Significance - continued As stated in one local newspaper article (News-Tribune, 2/6/1990), the building became obsolete long before it became old. Johnson converted his company to the Oberlin Gas and Electric Company, and the the Lorain County Electric Company; Oberlin's present power plant on South Professor Street went into operation in July 1934. The building was part of a lumber yard which was in operation in the 1930s. Clark Brothers Construction Company has owned the Gasholder House since the 1960s. The first floor of the business. The second floor has been unused for decades. student dormitory).

Johnson was a cashier in his father's bank and then the owner of the Oberlin College from 1884 until his death in a train wreck in Colorado on December 4, 1899. The only known historic photograph of the building is a reproduction of an old photograph that was published in a 1976 publication entitled Pictorial Memories of Oberlin. In this photograph the building looks since 1990. The building is truly a survivor, one which needs a creative new use and merits careful Please note that many people within the community refer to the building as "The Round House" although it was not a railroad structure. preservation. gasworks.He later became president of the Arkansas Midland Railroad. He was a trustee of Oberlin Section number_ Page used for heating until natural gas became available in 1911.

It appears that the gasholder facility remained in use until 1918 when the Oberlin Gas and Electric Company began to purchase power from building is presently leased for use as a storage and sorting garage for a recycling and scrap metal The building has been the subject of protracted public preservation debates that have ebbed and flowed NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO Major Bibliographical References Becher, Bernd & Hilla. Gas Tanks. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1993. Blodgett, Geoffrey. Oberlin Architecture: College and Town. Oberlin, Ohio: Oberlin College, 1985. Conversations with owners James Clark and Arthur Clark and tenant Mearl Klein, April 1998. McQuillin, Steve. Ohio Historic Inventory Form, 4-1991. Box 4 & 5. Oberlin Rotary Club.

Pictorial Memories of Oberlin. 1976; reprinted in 1989, p. 93. Preservation (National Trust for Historic Preservation), July/August 1990 (included a photo of the Pyne, Mary E. "New England's Gasholder Houses," in The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology, vol. 15 (1), 1989. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for Oberlin, 1933. Taylor, William L. "The Concord (New Hampshire) Gasholder: Last Intact Survivor from the Gas-Making Era." IA: The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology, 10, 1 (1984): 1. Report of the Mohawk-Hudson Area Survey, Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, no. 26 (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1973), p. 47. OMB No. 1024-0018 Oberlin College Archives, City of Oberlin Record Group/Historic Preservation Commission.1998/009 31/5, and Improvement Organization. Gaede Serne Architects, Inc.

"The Oberlin Gasholder House, South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio: A Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization files on Gasholder House. Page 6 Preservation Plan with Emphasis on a Holding Action Plan" (1992); copy on file at the Oberlin Historical Section number 9 NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES GASHOLDER HOUSE Section number 10 LORAIN CO., OHIO The building is located in the southwest corner of a 2.83 acre piece of property known as Parcel number 0900096 1030 040 ("roundhouse") which is located at south and west of the intersection of Edison and South Pleasant Streets in the City of Oberlin, Russia Township, Lorain County, Ohio. See map. The boundary includes the gasholder house building and all land extending ten feet from the base of the Page staff.

Geographical Data CONTINUATION SHEET Verbal Boundary Description: Boundary Justification: nomination. This boundary was determined in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office surrounding the building has been disturbed extensively over the years and is thus excluded from the building.Thus, the designated site is approximately 78 1/2' in diameter.The remainder of the land NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES GASHOLDER HOUSE LORAIN CO., OHIO All photographs are of The Gasholder House, City of Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio. All photographs were taken by Richard Hallock, May, 1998. All negatives are located at the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization, 73 1/2 S. Professor Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074.

Looking east at the Gasholder House from Main Street, showing its relationship to McDonalds (to Looking south on S. Pleasant Street, with Gasholder House to southwest/right in photo, and Edison Looking south from directly northwest of the Gasholder House toward Station Square shopping 4. Looking east/northeast at building. 5. Looking south at building. 7. Looking south at slate roof. 8. Looking up and west into conical roof structure from second floor. 9. Looking up and northwest in second floor. 10. Looking north on second floor. 11. Looking west/northwest on second floor (fisheye lens). 12. First floor interior, looking south (fisheye lens). 13. First floor interior, looking north. Page center development. (Rev. 10-90) CONTINUATION SHEET Street to west/right.

United States Department of the Interior Photo List Section number Additional Documentation the left in photo) and Station Square shopping center (to the right in photo). Metal conical ventilator - compression ring Face brick, Half Elevation Half Section are approximate. [Source: 1992 study by Gaede Serne Architects, Inc.] Coroeiling Gas holder House . Oberlin, Ohio, LoRAn CouNTy Mote- strscturad notations and dimensions lron Beam Mai Slate roofing Wood sash Bsmt:F Construction of Oberlin's first gas works (for artificial gas) began in 1858 holder tank (which still stands) of the Oberlin Gas and Electric Company. Efforts to obtain natural gas at one-fifth the price of manufactured gas failed in 1902-03 and the fiasco resulted in the appearance of some new faces in village couftcil a few years later. Photo from Pictorial Memories of Oberlin and streets were lighted by gas in 1866.

This photo, taken in 1889, shows the then-new BPH (RAILROAD) OBERLIN ELEVATOR CO. CARL HOPPER WARE HO. FEED & SALT WOOD CONSTRUCTION CO NO WATCHMAN.- HERT STOVE IN OFF. &.IN.WOOD SHOP.-POWER: ELEC.- BBLS. 8. PRILS.- 4 "W. PIPE SCALE 100 FT. TO ONE. INCH 200u Copyrighi 1933 by the Sanborn Map Co. 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the Site 100 GRINDER FREIGHT EDISON STATION LINE The Gasholder Building is the round structure. R.270 POLE LUMBER COAL YARD CONC. PASSENGER STATION W.Ho HIXON PETERÓN LUMBER CO. CHRIST TEMPLE HERT: HOT AIR DUCTS 6'W. PIPE BUILDER LERSAN SUPPLIES BINS 275 46.2 E. College: S. Main ---(approx. 2,046 ft.) - S. Professor $ Round House Downtown District Vine Round House Location City Hall S. Pleasant TOP OF HALF ELEVATION/HALF SECTION CUPOLA : HALF ELEVATION/ Figure 4. Elevation and section drawings of 1888 gasholder house. HAER, drawing by Brian Lombard, 1982.

PLATE SCALE Industrial Archeology RING COMPRESSION RING HALF SECTION THRUST THRUST RING DETAIL WATER TANK NOTE GASHOLDER TANK IS NOT SECTIONED IN VIEW ABOVE S SHINGLE: RAFTER PRIMARY PURLIN TOGETHER EVERY BRICK IA: The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology, v. 10 Figure 2. View of 1888 gasholder house looking northwest, cl920. Corner of purifier house on left. house looking northwest. Photo by Gary Samson, 1982. Concord Gasholder Copy photo by Gary Samson Natural Gas Corp. from print in files of Concord (1989) article by William L.Taylor (see Section 9). house which is similar in age and design to Oberlin's gasholder house.

These are from: This page and the next are illustrations of the 1888 Concord, New Hampshire Gasholder NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET NAME : DATE OF 16TH DAY: 11-19.98 DATE NOMINATOR: STATE N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N COMMENT WAIVER: N ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: TELEPHONE RETURN REJECT 10/20/98 DISCIPLINE DATE MULTIPLE REVIEWER 12/04/98 RECOM./CRITERIA OTHER: DATE RECEIVED: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Entered in the DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: National Register DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N DATE OF 45TH DAY: APPEAL: N N SLR DRAFT: N STATE & COUNTY: OHIO, Lorain PROPERTY ACCEPT NATIONAL: SAMPLE: Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder House REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: GASHOLDER LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO LORAIN COUNTY, DHID LORAIN COUNTY ,DHID GASHOLDER GAS HOLDER LDRAIN COUNTY, OHIO RDONOADUSE LDRAIN COUNTY, OHIO ROUNDHOUSE Gasholder LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO Gasholder Gasholder RBUNOAOUSE RDOND HOUSE LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO GAsHolder OHIO-LORAIN CO.

75 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) LORAIN COONITY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OBERLIN QUADRANGLE OBERLIN, OHIO STATE OF OHIO ELYRIA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ROAD CLASSIFICATION GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Mapped. edited, and published by the Geological Survey FEB. 1 8 1998 CLARK BROS. INC. PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS OBERLIN, OHIO 44074 (216) 775-3373 FAX(216) 775-1124 February 16, 1998 Oberlin, Ohio 44074-455 I would like to indicate that as owners, Clark Improvement Corp., We have always been in support of a positive method to preserve the building. Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization Clark Improvement Corp. Dear Ms. Murphy: of the Gashouse or Roundhouse as we always have called the build- 73 1/2 South Professor St. 271 SOUTH PLEASANT STREET P.O. BOX 299 REC'D BY OHPO JUL2 O 1998 National Register. Thank, you, James A.

Clark the July 7, 1998 85 South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 (216) 775-1531 Pat Murphy, Executive Director Ohio Historical & Improvement Organization 73 1/2 S. Professor Street P.O. Box 455 Oberlin, OH 44074 This letter is in support of your nomination of the Gasholder building for the National Register. This building, as has been stated, is the only remaining example of a gasholder building west of the Appalachians. It is worthy of this I am pleased to say that I was part of a group in 1990-91 that advocated saving this building. I now look forward to the day when preservation measures can be undertaken and the building once more can become an asset to our community. Fran Baumann, Chair Sincerely, Oberlin Oberlin City Council nomination. Dear Pat, - OHIO Magazine "Ohio's Best College Toon' HISTORIC SITES OBERLIN HISTORICAL Monroe House Museum/O.H.I.O.

Office (1866) 73 South Professor Street AND IMPROVEMENT Little Red Schoolhouse Museum (1836) Jewett House Museum (1884) P.O. Box 455 Oberlin, OH 44074-0455 (216) 774-1700 315 East College Street July 17, 1998 Dear State Review Members: I am writing this letter on behalf of the Oberlin Historical and Improvement community that deserves preservation. Patricia Holsworth, President ORGANIZATION Sincerely, Burrell-King House (1852) Board of Trustees nomination of the Gasholder House to the National Register of Historic OHIO Organization Board of Trustees to say that we wholeheartedly support the This building is an important and beloved landmark of the Places. 85 South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION July 17, 1998 Ohio Preservation Office Appalachian Mountains today. The National Historic Preservation Jane Blodgett, Chair Oberlin city's technological history.

gasholder houses in the United States." Sincerely yours, Oberlin Historic Preservation Commission building deserves a place on the National Historic Register. There are no similar structures remaining west of the Gasholder Building on the National Register of Historic Places. century industry which brought gaslights to the streets of Historic Preservation Commission for the inclusion of our l889 The Oberlin Preservation Commission believes this unique the storage of that gas in this building was central to the State Review Board Dear Board Members, I am writing to express the support of the City of oberlin This round brick building isa handsome reminder of the l9th Oberlin in the late l880's.The manufacture of coal gas and Magazine wrote in its July/August issue of l990 that,"The Historic American Engeering Record reports only fifteen surviving