What child wouldn’t be inspired by a huge, round, red-brick building with a cupola tilted crazily by a hurricane? Tons of human ingenuity went into designing, carpentry, quarrying, metalworking, and mechanical systems to build the 1888 gasholder, all by ordinary hard-working people. Turned into a city park and living history site, a revitalized Concord gasholder could be the perfect antidote for all the children and hardworking families who have lost so much this year.
Imagine kids running around the outside of the building like carousel horses, learning about Concord’s innovative industrial history and dreaming up inventions to power future economic development. Imagine food trucks and a bike rental place on site, equipping visitors for a downtown adventure or a ride on the Merrimack River Greenway Trail.
Demolition by neglect is still demolition. Let’s tell Liberty Utilities that we want them to invest in saving the gasholder before it’s too late. And ask Concord City Council to make preserving this irreplaceable landmark a priority. It’s a big gift that will have a lasting and inspiring impact.
ALTHEA BARTON
Concord