Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant
|
Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant
|
|
Powerhouse of Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant in 1898.
|
|
 
|
|
| Nearest city | Mechanicville, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°52′41″N 73°40′47″W / 42.87806°N 73.67972°WCoordinates: 42°52′41″N 73°40′47″W / 42.87806°N 73.67972°W |
| Area | 18.3 acres (7.4 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | Rice, A.C.; Stillwell-Bierce & Smith-Vaile |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP Reference # | 89001942 |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1989 |
Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant is a 18.3-acre (7.4 ha) national historic district located at Mechanicville in Saratoga County, New York. The listing included one contributing building and three contributing structures. The district dates to 1897 and includes notable Queen Anne architecture.
The district includes the powerhouse, an earth embankment, a concrete non-overflow dam, and a 700-foot-long concrete gravity overflow dam. They were built in 1897–1898 by the Hudson River Power Transmission Company and span the western channel of the Hudson River between the Saratoga County shore and Bluff Island.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The station was designed to produce 5000 kilowatts from seven hydraulic turbine-generator units. Extensive renovations starting in 2003 have turned the plant into a working museum.
Robert Newton King (1846–1943), president of the Stillwell-Bierce & Smith-Vaile Company of Ohio, selected the site for its hydro potential and proximity to industrial areas of Albany, Troy and Schenectady. Hudson River Power Transmission was the company formed to develop the project. The Hudson River watershed runs to the Adirondack Mountains and covers 4,600 square miles (12,000 km2). Construction started July 1897 but was delayed by a major storm in November; the first generator was tested in May 1898 and power delivered to the General Electric plant in July 1898. The original five turbines were completed by August 1898.
The initial design of the plant used seven horizontal Francis-type turbines manufactured by King's SB&SV company, each equipped with four runners 41 inches (104 cm) in diameter, producing 1000 HP. These turbines drove a 750 kW generator at 114 rpm. The generators produced 12,000 volts three-phase power at 38 Hz. Two exciter turbine/generators were initially installed to provide 125 V and 250 kW of DC excitation power for the main generators, but DC power has been provided by a static system for more than 50 years. Generators and controls were designed by Charles Proteus Steinmetz.
...
Wikipedia