Former Gas Factory Building Complex

In 1907, a gas factory was completed and began operating on the outskirts of Šilutė, in the Verdainė district. The factory had two furnaces, each equipped with one retort. An above-ground gas tank with a capacity of 800–1000 m³ was installed on-site. Coal, brought by train to Šilutė, was delivered to the factory by horse-drawn carts. The factory produced gas from coal, which was then distributed via pipelines to institutions, businesses, and homes in Šilokarčema, Žibai, and Verdainė. Gas was also used for street lighting.
After the Soviet army occupied Šilutė in 1945, an attempt was made to restart the factory, but the equipment was outdated and worn out, so gas supply was not restored. In 1950, the buildings and grounds of the factory were transferred to the newly established Šilutė Machinery and Land Reclamation Station. The factory’s buildings were later reconstructed, the equipment dismantled, and the space converted into workshops and warehouses.
Today, one of the former factory buildings houses the guesthouse Villa Verdainė.