WHAT:
Building Lit by Gas
WHERE:
Cross Street, Redruth, Cornwall, UK, TR15 2BU
LOCATION:
WHEN:
First Tested in 1792
WHO:
William Murdoch
DETAILS:
William Murdoch was an engineering pioneer, best known for his groundbreaking work in steam power and gas lighting during the Industrial Revolution. While contributing to the development of steam engines that powered Cornish mining, Murdoch also explored alternative lighting methods.
Murdoch began experimenting with piped gas as early as 1792 and by 1794, he had set up a large retort behind his house on Cross Street in Redruth, where he distilled coal gas and piped it into his living room. This made his home the first in the world to be lit by piped gas. Murdoch didn’t stop there, as he went on to scale his innovation to illuminate entire factories, extending working hours and contributing significantly to the momentum of the Industrial Revolution. His pioneering efforts laid the foundation for the modern gas industry, and his invention of practical gas illumination quickly spread from Redruth to the rest of the world.
LINKS:
THIS SITE IN THE NEWS
Murdoch House, Redruth, Cornwall – 7th June 2025
Murdoch House in Redruth was accredited as a World Origin Site on the 7th of June as the Word’s First Building Lit by Gas in 1792. Murdoch may well have known of the Dutch academic Jean-Pierre Minckeler’s work on the extraction of gas from coal which he used to light a lecture theatre at Leuven University around 1785. Murdoch produced his own coal gas and used this to light his house. Murdoch’s leap was to scale this up to light an entire factory which prolonged working hours, accelerating the Industrial Revolution. His pioneering work is seen as the origin of gas illumination that spread from Redruth to light the world.
