Mentor in Lake County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Gasholder Building
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
1. Gasholder Building Marker
In 1885, workers discovered an abundant supply of natural gas at Lawnfield and built a stone-and-brick gasholder building. A few years later, workers drilled a new 800-foot-deep gas well and, in 1893, reduced the gasholder building by one-half when building the Carriage House. With this system, Lucretia Garfield owned her own gas works for her household lighting, heating, and cooking fixtures.
Inside, a five-foot-deep metal storage tank held the natural gas until it was piped into the main house. The circular tank, about 20 feet in diameter, rose and fell with the amount of gas it held. Eventually, public utilities supplied natural gas and, by 1944, the gaslight fixtures had been converted to electric lighting.
[Inset caption reads] Inside this building are the remnants of the natural gas storage and distribution system that Lucretia Garfield used to light and heat Lawnfield.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.
Location. 41° 39.894′ N, 81° 21.045′ W. Marker is in Mentor, Ohio, in Lake County. It can be reached from Mentor Avenue. Marker is on the grounds of James A. Garfield National Historic Site. Touch for map
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland, on the Lake Erie Shore, and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: James A. Garfield's "Lawnfield" (within shouting distance of this marker); Carriage House (within shouting distance of this marker); Lawnfield (within shouting distance of this marker); James A. Garfield and the Civil War (within shouting distance of this marker); James A. Garfield Home Lawnfield (within shouting distance of this marker); Windmill (within shouting distance of this marker); Campaign Office (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Garfield's Farm (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mentor.
Also see . . . James A. Garfield National Historic Site. (Submitted on November 4, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 15, 2025
2. Gasholder Building Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
3. Gasholder Building and Marker
Photographed by National Park Service, undated
4. Gasholder Building Diagram on Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 9, 2011
5. Gasholder Building Diagram on Marker
Photographed by National Park Service, undated
6. Photo of Gasholder Building on Marker
Library of Congress
7. Mrs. James A. Garfield
© 1881 by the Calvert Litho, Co., Detroit.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 674 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 4, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 2. submitted on July 27, 2025, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 4, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 7. submitted on December 13, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
