Photo: www.gooienvechthistorisch.nl (SAGV032.5)

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Municipal Gasfactory
1885

Kleine Drift

After the construction of the Eastern Railway in 1874, the area east of this railway developed. It was mainly industries and associated functions that settled on the narrow grounds between the radial roads.

The Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg Maatschappij built houses there for its staff. Workers’ houses and management houses were also built near the industrial buildings. The first industries included an iron and metal foundry, a margarine factory, a steam paint factory, the E.M. Jaarsma and a carpet factory. Bakker Van Dongen had a street with rental houses built behind his bakery. He was given permission to call the street Bakkerstraat. After 1900, other functions for the benefit of the residents also found a place, such as shops, schools and a bathhouse. The development, which started as a private initiative, was later continued with the construction of more extensive public housing complexes by housing associations and the municipality.

The Municipal Gas Factory was founded in 1885 on the lowest stretch of drifting sand area on the heath in the old district ‘over the railway’. The gas produced was intended for (cheaper) street lighting as well as for sale to private individuals. The gas found its way into factories, hotels, public buildings, the station and many villas. The coal was delivered over a railway line that ran from the station into the district. In addition to guest, the residuals were also sold as by-products: coke, coal tar, ammonia and spent iron earth. The coin gas meter was introduced in 1897. The factory was expanded a number of times and was the image-defining element in the district. The factory was eventually located in the middle of residential areas.

A compressor station was built at the factory in 1941 to the design of W.M. dudok. The municipal vehicles were converted so that they could run on methane gas instead of the scarce petrol. In the compressor station, methane gas and light gas were compressed so that it could be stored in gas tanks on cars. The roof of the station was installed at a great height to give space to the full gas tank on the cars. When the gas tank emptied, the wooden scaffolding collapsed. The factory was closed in 1962 when the municipality, as one of the first in the Netherlands, switched from coal gas to natural gas.

Source: Annette Koenders, Hilversum. Architectuur en Stedenbouw 1850-1940, Zwolle (2001).