Ellsworth Power House and Dam | |
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| Location | Union River, Ellsworth, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°32′39″N 68°25′50″W / 44.54417°N 68.43056°W |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Engineer | James L. Leonard |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Ambursen type |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001262 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1985 |
The Ellsworth Power House and Dam is a hydroelectric power generation facility on the Union River in Ellsworth, Maine. [2] The dam, located just north of downtown Ellsworth, is also known as the Union River Dam, [3] and impounds the river to create Leonard Lake, [4] named for project's engineer, James Leonard.[ citation needed] The powerhouse is a Renaissance Revival building located at the western end of the dam.[ citation needed] The power plant, built in 1907, [3] was one of the first peaking power plants built in the state, and the hollow concrete dam is one of the highest hollow (or Ambursen-type) buttress dams ever built, having been described as "the highest power dam in New England" in 1928. [2] [5] The facility was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, [2] where it is currently listed. [3]
Description
The Ellsworth Dam is located between two bluffs which flank Maine's Union River, and rise to a height of more than 100 feet (30 m). [2] The dam consists of a series of buttresses, each set on a schist bedrock ledge, three feet thick, and spaced about 15 feet (4.6 m) apart, which provide support for two large slabs of steel-reinforced concrete that span the river between the bluffs. [2] [5] The dam is 71 feet (22 m) in height, with a spillway 60 feet (18 m) long. [2] The schist ledge ensures the longevity of the dam.[ clarification needed] [5]
The power station is located at the base of the dam on the west bank of the river. [2] It is a 1+1⁄2-story structure built out of concrete blocks, with a red tile gabled roof. [2] The Renaissance Revival[ citation needed][ clarification needed] structure has round-arch windows which are connected by a stone belt course, and there are Palladian windows in the gable ends. [2] An addition on the building's rear was built with similar styling. [2]
The Ellsworth Dam produces 29,907 megawatt-hours per year as of 2012, [4] and is licensed to supply about 30,000 megawatt-hours per year, which is 1% of Maine's hydropower. [3] It is one of the 118 power-generating dams in Maine as of 2016. [3] The flow of water at the Ellsworth Dam is controlled by the Graham Lake Dam, which created Graham Lake. [4]
History
The power station was built in 1907 by the Bar Harbor and Union River Power Company, to designs by its engineer, James Leonard. [2] The company was merged in 1925 into the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, [2] now part of Emera.[ citation needed] Later, the plant was sold to Penobscot Hydro[ clarification needed], and then to PPL in 1999[ clarification needed]. [4] The plant was acquired by Black Bear Hydro in 2009 from PPL, [4] and sold to Brookfield Partners in 2014.[ citation needed]
The dam was in the process of being relicensed as of 2012; its most recent permit, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1987, was due to expire in 2017. [4] However, public concern about fish passage and water quality, caused the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay issuing a new permit.[ citation needed] The new expiration date is April 2020.[ citation needed]
(The dam is no longer hollow. During the 1990s. the FERC required installation of post-tensioned anchors deep into ledge and the filling of the hollow dam with concrete, in order to increase dam safety.)[ citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#85001262)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "NRHP nomination for Ellsworth Power House and Dam". National Park Service. May 22, 1985. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "The Union River Dam". The Ellsworth American. December 9, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Company begins five-year effort to relicense Ellsworth hydroelectric dam". Bangor Daily News. August 29, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Ellsworth". Maine: An Encyclopedia. November 21, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
| Topics | |
|---|---|
| Lists by state |
|
| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
- Renaissance Revival architecture in Maine
- Buildings and structures in Hancock County, Maine
- Hydroelectric power plants in Maine
- Dams completed in 1907
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1907
- 1907 establishments in Maine
- Buttress dams
- Dams in Maine
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
- National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine
- Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
- Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Ellsworth Power House and Dam | |
|
| |
| |
| Location | Union River, Ellsworth, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°32′39″N 68°25′50″W / 44.54417°N 68.43056°W |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Engineer | James L. Leonard |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Ambursen type |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001262 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1985 |
The Ellsworth Power House and Dam is a hydroelectric power generation facility on the Union River in Ellsworth, Maine. [2] The dam, located just north of downtown Ellsworth, is also known as the Union River Dam, [3] and impounds the river to create Leonard Lake, [4] named for project's engineer, James Leonard.[ citation needed] The powerhouse is a Renaissance Revival building located at the western end of the dam.[ citation needed] The power plant, built in 1907, [3] was one of the first peaking power plants built in the state, and the hollow concrete dam is one of the highest hollow (or Ambursen-type) buttress dams ever built, having been described as "the highest power dam in New England" in 1928. [2] [5] The facility was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, [2] where it is currently listed. [3]
Description
The Ellsworth Dam is located between two bluffs which flank Maine's Union River, and rise to a height of more than 100 feet (30 m). [2] The dam consists of a series of buttresses, each set on a schist bedrock ledge, three feet thick, and spaced about 15 feet (4.6 m) apart, which provide support for two large slabs of steel-reinforced concrete that span the river between the bluffs. [2] [5] The dam is 71 feet (22 m) in height, with a spillway 60 feet (18 m) long. [2] The schist ledge ensures the longevity of the dam.[ clarification needed] [5]
The power station is located at the base of the dam on the west bank of the river. [2] It is a 1+1⁄2-story structure built out of concrete blocks, with a red tile gabled roof. [2] The Renaissance Revival[ citation needed][ clarification needed] structure has round-arch windows which are connected by a stone belt course, and there are Palladian windows in the gable ends. [2] An addition on the building's rear was built with similar styling. [2]
The Ellsworth Dam produces 29,907 megawatt-hours per year as of 2012, [4] and is licensed to supply about 30,000 megawatt-hours per year, which is 1% of Maine's hydropower. [3] It is one of the 118 power-generating dams in Maine as of 2016. [3] The flow of water at the Ellsworth Dam is controlled by the Graham Lake Dam, which created Graham Lake. [4]
History
The power station was built in 1907 by the Bar Harbor and Union River Power Company, to designs by its engineer, James Leonard. [2] The company was merged in 1925 into the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, [2] now part of Emera.[ citation needed] Later, the plant was sold to Penobscot Hydro[ clarification needed], and then to PPL in 1999[ clarification needed]. [4] The plant was acquired by Black Bear Hydro in 2009 from PPL, [4] and sold to Brookfield Partners in 2014.[ citation needed]
The dam was in the process of being relicensed as of 2012; its most recent permit, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1987, was due to expire in 2017. [4] However, public concern about fish passage and water quality, caused the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay issuing a new permit.[ citation needed] The new expiration date is April 2020.[ citation needed]
(The dam is no longer hollow. During the 1990s. the FERC required installation of post-tensioned anchors deep into ledge and the filling of the hollow dam with concrete, in order to increase dam safety.)[ citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#85001262)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "NRHP nomination for Ellsworth Power House and Dam". National Park Service. May 22, 1985. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "The Union River Dam". The Ellsworth American. December 9, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Company begins five-year effort to relicense Ellsworth hydroelectric dam". Bangor Daily News. August 29, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Ellsworth". Maine: An Encyclopedia. November 21, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
| Topics | |
|---|---|
| Lists by state |
|
| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
- Renaissance Revival architecture in Maine
- Buildings and structures in Hancock County, Maine
- Hydroelectric power plants in Maine
- Dams completed in 1907
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1907
- 1907 establishments in Maine
- Buttress dams
- Dams in Maine
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
- National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine
- Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
- Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine