A fresh perspective
Children learn how the Concord Gasholder’s interior mechanisms functioned using a working tabletop model, guided by Jac Nahman, N.H. Preservation Alliance Field Services and Operations Associate.
"It's my favorite building in all of Concord!"
"Last one in the country? That's amazing."
"We live around the block. It's the coolest building in the world!"
These are some of the many excited comments made by people at the Preservation Alliance’s booth highlighting the last-of-its-kind Concord Gasholder at the annual National Night Out event in Concord. The event gives families for whom the Gasholder is a neighborhood landmark a chance to learn about the Gasholder’s history.
Using a handmade working tabletop model, Field Services and Operations Associate Jac Nahman and Special Projects consultant Althea Barton demonstrated how the Gasholder’s interior mechanisms stored gas for use around the city. As people operate the model and understand the building’s original purpose, they share their appreciation and hopes for the building’s future.
Originally from South Carolina, Jac came to New Hampshire when she joined the Preservation Alliance in early 2026. She first learned about the Gasholder from the Save Our Gasholder website, postcards, comic books and “Save Our Gasholder” signs at the Preservation Alliance office.
“It seems like most people who live in Concord know the Gasholder from seeing it as they go by,” Jac reflected after her evening at the Gasholder booth. “It’s that large, round building with the tilted cupola. How could you miss it?
“The first time I drove past the Gasholder I was able to immediately identify it even though I had never really seen anything like it,” she says. “At National Night Out, it was so much fun learning about how it works and then teaching members of the community. It was so great seeing the looks of excitement on kids' faces when they were working the model, and have interested people come up to hear about the building whether they were familiar with it or not. The amount of "I love the Gasholder!" and comments of "whoa!" I heard that night gave me a lot of hope for the Gasholder and other historic buildings in the state.”
In late 2025, the Concord Gasholder project team investigated the underground portions of the Gasholder to develop next-phase preparatory work. The team averted demolition and collapse of the building, completing emergency stabilization with a carefully engineered system of steel shoring towers inside the brick house. The long-term goal is to straighten and repair the roof and remove the shoring towers, so the building stands on its own again, and the interior space is wide open and unobstructed as it was originally.
The campaign to save and repurpose the 1888 Concord, NH Gasholder has made tremendous progress toward protecting this last-of-its-kind landmark for public benefit. Property owner Liberty, the City of Concord, and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance have collaborated to put the Gasholder project on the road to success, with broad support from the community. With the structure stabilized, the project partners are moving forward with a new phase of complex restoration work. The project has been thoroughly documented, including in this video celebrating the history and relevance of the Concord Gasholder and extensive news coverage. Learn more on the FAQ page.
National Night Out is hosted by the Concord (NH) Police Department’s Community Resources Division.
The N.H. Preservation Alliance helps strengthen communities and local economies by supporting and encouraging the revitalization and protection of historic buildings and places through leadership, education, and advocacy. The Preservation Alliance invites comments and questions about the history and future of the Gasholder and the Save Our Gasholder campaign.
The Concord Gasholder team invites your comments and suggestions. Contact the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance at (603) 224-2281 or email admin@nhpreservation.org.