This former gas extraction plant strategically located near the Haarlemmer began operations in 1885 and closed permanently in 1967 when natural gas was discovered in the north of the country. Nowadays the Wastergasfabriek is a culture park and an important art hub in the city. Thirteen of the original buildings were still standing when the Westerpark district council took over the redevelopment and declared national monuments in the 1980s.