Gas Retort House facts for kids
The Gas Retort House is a special old building in Birmingham, England. It's the very last part of Birmingham's first-ever factory that made gas! This factory used to create gas for street lights a long, long time ago.
People found this building again in 1992. They noticed its cool roof, made with strong iron parts. Today, this historic building is used as a church, called St Luke's Gas Street.
History
Making Gas for the City
Back in 1816, city officials in Birmingham wanted to light up their streets with gas. They asked companies to bid for the job. A man named John Gosling from London got the contract. He started the Birmingham Gas Light and Coke Company.
His first gas factory was built on Gas Street in 1817-1818. A clever engineer named Samuel Clegg set up the gas-making equipment. Clegg had learned a lot from William Murdoch at the famous Boulton and Watt Company. He was also the first engineer at another big gas company in London.
The Retort House is Built
The Gas Retort House itself was built in 1822. It replaced Clegg's original setup. This building was where "town gas" was made. Workers would heat coal inside without any air. This process created the gas.
The building was placed right next to the canal. This made it easy to bring in coal. A new gas holder (a big tank for storing gas) and a coal storage area were also built then. Alexander Smith designed the new buildings.
Changes Over Time
The gas factory stopped making gas in 1850. However, its four large gas storage tanks stayed open. Other factories would send gas to these tanks. The whole site finally closed in 1879. This happened after Joseph Chamberlain, a city leader, made the city take over Birmingham's gas companies in 1875. This was called "municipalisation."
The building was fixed up in 1998-1999. It was planned to be an office or workshop. It is now a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building. The land next door, where the gas tanks used to be, was turned into fancy apartments.
A New Purpose
In 2010, the building was put on an "at risk" list by English Heritage. This meant it was in danger of falling apart. But it was fixed up again in 2011 and taken off the list.
In December 2014, the Church of England bought the Gas Retort House. It became a second place of worship for the Parish of St Luke's. Today, it's the main place for a "Resourcing Church." This type of church helps start new churches. It works with Holy Trinity Brompton and the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham. The church aims to connect with students and young adults in Birmingham.
