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Location DB > United States > Oregon > Portland > Portland Gasworks
 Name
Portland Gasworks
 Viewing Options
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 Database Info
created by rogerneon on 9/26/2004 11:20 PM
last modified by Deuterium on 11/19/2015 6:46 PM
 Viewability
Publically Viewable Publically Viewable
This location has been labeled as Demolished, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
 Overview
 Description
At first glance, this building with its windows, fire escape, and clock tower appears to be an abandoned school with a gymnasium wing attached. However, it is in fact an abandoned gasworks. The clock faces in the tower (note the round holes with wooden covers) were only recently removed.

Be aware that it's near a heavily traveled highway and an access road leading next door has a 24 hour guard. The 24/7 security shack was added in 2006. To the west is a US Army Corps of Engineering warehouse, which seems quiet at night.
 Basic Information
Type: Building
Status: Demolished
Accessibility: Difficult
Recommendation: forget it
 Physical Information
Address
7900 NW St.Helens Rd
Portland, Oregon
United States
Owner: Northwest Natural (Gas Company)
  • See a map of this location
  •  Hazards
  • rust
  • air quality
  • Toxic waste, guano
  •  Interesting Features

     Security Measures
  • fences
  • barbed wire
  • razor wire
  • 24 hour guard
  • locked gates
  • wooden boarding
  •  Historical Dates
    Built: 1913
    Closed: 1956
     Required Equipment
     Recommended Equipment

     History
    Before the use of natural gas became widespread, virtually every city had at least one gasworks where gas was "manufactured," usually out of coal, but sometimes oil. Initially, gas was made from coal in Portland, but with the construction of this facility (Gasco Building) in 1913, oil was used at the raw material.

    The manufacturing process produced a considerable amount of waste, usually generically called "coal tars." Even in the 19th century, it could not be simply discarded, and chemists went to work trying to find uses for coal tar. Paint, insecticide, antiseptics, early plastics, and paving materials were just a few of the products extracted from coal tars.

    When this plant began operation, one of its waste products was "lamp black," which is what accumulates on the inside of an oil lamp's glass chimney when the wick is turned up too high. The gas company chose to dispose of it by dumping it in the nearby Willamette River.

    In a landmark case, the Army Corps of Engineers sued the gas company under the provisions of the Inland Waterways Act to stop this practice. The Corps won the case, and the gas company was forced to find another means of disposal. This was done by drying and compressing the lamp black into briquettes which were then sold as fuel. It's hard to see how the gas company actually lost, in view of the fact that what had been waste became a revenue-creating product.

    The following is a quote from the company's web site describing byproducts of the gas manufacturing process: "Briquets, the principal by-product, were delivered to homes and businesses. Other by-products included electrode pitch, naphthalene and Gasco motor fuel, which was a mixture of gasoline and the by-product benzol. In 1955, gross revenues from by-products totaled $5,180,746 - slightly more than one-third of the year's entire gross revenues."

    Operations at this site were apparently closed down in 1956 when Portland connected to a transcontinental natural gas pipeline.

    The site is currently part of a superfund cleanup effort. A considerable amount of tar and other contaminants are still leaking into the river.

    Demolished November 2015
     Media Coverage
    Covering demolition
    http://www.oregonl...asco_building.html

    Covering the history and use of the Gasworks building.
    http://www.portlan....php?story_id=6622

    Covering the ecological issues surrounding the property.
    http://www.portlan...php?story_id=23197
     Future Plans
    Unknown. The presence of toxic waste may be a reason why this site has not been redeveloped. The site is currently part of a superfund cleanup effort.
     Stories
    clamoring's run
    Mon, Oct 4th, 2004
    posted by Honey Ryder
    Clamoring's Run: The Day After
    Sun, Oct 3rd, 2004
    posted by damneatoa
    Getting The Pics
    Mon, Sep 27th, 2004
    posted by rogerneon


    Add your own story
     Photo Galleries
    Click to view gallery
    Gasworks
    Sun, Sep 26th, 2004
    posted by rogerneon
    3 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    External shots, the day after
    Sun, Oct 3rd, 2004
    posted by damneatoa
    18 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    inside
    Mon, Oct 4th, 2004
    posted by Honey Ryder
    33 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    We were there
    Sun, Jul 8th, 2007
    posted by Deuterium
    3 pictures


    Add your own photos

    Mark all galleries as Seen
     Web Links
    http://www.nwnatur...ompany_history.asp

    http://yosemite.ep...EANUP.NSF/ph/gasco
     Contribute

    Edit this Location
     Moderator Rating
    The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.

    Category Rating
    Photography 3 / 10
    Coolness 6 / 10
    Content Quality 7 / 10
     Validation
    This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Explorer Zero on 11/27/2015 8:09 PM.

     Latest Changes
  • on Nov 27 15 at 20:09, Explorer Zero validated this location
  • on Nov 19 15 at 18:46, Deuterium changed the following: History, Interesting Features, Media Coverage
  • on Nov 19 15 at 18:12, Deuterium changed the following: Status, Interesting Features, Recommendation, Security Measures, Required Equipment, Recommended Equipment, Media Coverage
  • on Nov 1 09 at 2:20, Opheliaism validated this location
  • on Nov 1 09 at 1:06, aaronni changed the following: Media Coverage
  • on Jul 21 08 at 23:51, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Jul 19 08 at 21:44, Deuterium updated gallery picture The backside of it
  • on Jul 19 08 at 21:40, Deuterium updated gallery picture Rear access
  • on Jul 19 08 at 21:38, Deuterium updated gallery picture The backside of it
  • on Jul 19 08 at 21:37, Deuterium added some pictures to a gallery
  •  Forum Threads about this Location
    New Thread
     SubjectStarted ByRepliesViewsLast Post
    You must log in for this feature to work.Concrete constructionrogerneon169110/26/2005 3:49 PM by Agent Skelly
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