Crystal Falls Dam and Power Plant

Crystal Falls Dam and Power Plant
Location Paint River off Powerplant Road, Crystal Falls, Michigan
Coordinates 46°6′22″N 88°20′5″W / 46.10611°N 88.33472°W / 46.10611; -88.33472Coordinates: 46°6′22″N 88°20′5″W / 46.10611°N 88.33472°W / 46.10611; -88.33472
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1891
MPS Iron County MRA
NRHP Reference # 83003678[1]
Added to NRHP December 22, 1983

The Crystal Falls Dam and Power Plant is a utility located on the Paint River off Powerplant Road, on the north side of Crystal Falls, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]

History

The section of the Paint River where the dam is now located was once a series of falls and rapids that gave Crystal Falls its name.[2] However, in 1891, the village of Crystal Falls constructed the Crystal Falls dam and power plant, effectively submerging the rapids.[2][3] They were leased to C.T. Roberts from 1891 to 1896, after which the village took over management of the plant.[3] In 1902-1903, a new power plant was constructed.[4] The plant was expanded in 1907, and new generators were installed in 1914 and 1924.[4] The plant was expanded several times; however, the output could not keep up with demand, and starting in 1929, Crystal Falls purchased supplemental power from the Wisconsin Energy Corporation.[3]

After 1929, the power plant and dam were upgraded multiple times, including a 1931 installation of a new concrete dam installed containing the rollway and tainter gates and a 1996 resurfacing of the spillway.[4] The Crystal Falls Power Plant is still operational, and is likely the oldest hydro-electric plant still in operation in the Upper Peninsula.[3] It provides roughly 1/3 of the power demanded by the residents of Crystal Falls.[2]

Description

The Crystal Falls Power Plant is a two-story structure measuring approximately thirty feet by sixty feet with a hipped roof.[3] The power plant is constructed of yellow brick with sandstone trim and sits on a concrete foundation.[3] The adjacent concrete dam spanning the Paint River measures approximately seventy-five feet long and fifteen feet high, and has four spillway sections.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Falls". Crystal Falls Electric Department. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Crystal Falls Dam and Power Plant". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Power Plant History". Crystal Falls Electric Department. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
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