Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, Railroad Avenue, early 1900s
Description:
"The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department has operated from the North Avenue (formerly Railroad Avenue) plant, overlooking Lake Quannapowitt, since the town purchased the Citizens Gas and Light Company for $180,000 in 1894. The purchase included the land and buildings, as well as the equipment. The buildings also included a house for the Superintendent, as well as the barn. The site has undergone physical changes over the years, including repairs and additions to the building, the addition - and later the dismantling - of a gas holder, and the complete replacement of the original buildings on the site in 1951. The WMGLD expects to consolidate all operations at the North Avenue site in the next few years." Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2011 Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Historical Society.