Georgetown Steam Plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | Seattle, Washington |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1906 |
| Architect: | Stone & Webster Engineering; Frank B. Gilbreth |
| Architectural style(s): | Classical Revival |
| Designated as NHL: | July 5, 1984[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 1, 1978[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78002755 |
| Governing body: | Local |
The Georgetown Steam Plant, now the Georgetown PowerPlant Museum, located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, constructed 1906 for the Seattle Electric Company, provided power for Seattle, notably for streetcars. The plant was originally located along an oxbow of the Duwamish River to provide cooling water, but was left inland after the original river channel was straightened in 1917. Retired after nearly 75 years of operation, it remains "surprisingly complete and operable". The plant has three Curtis turbines, manufactured by the General Electric Company between 1906 and 1917.[3]
Puget Sound Traction and Lighting Company (now Puget Power) bought the Seattle Electric Company in 1912; the Georgetown Steam Plant powered the Seattle-to-Tacoma Interurban and Seattle streetcars; it also provided residential and industrial power to Georgetown. Originally an oil-fired plant, it converted to a coal in 1917.[3]
The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1984.[1] At the time of its landmarking, it contained the "last operating examples of the world's first large scale steam turbine".[4] The building itself, "built by a fast-track construction process, was designed and supervised by Frank W. Gilbreth, later a nationally famous proponent of efficiency engineering."[4] The building is also a Seattle City Landmark.[5]
Paul Carosino and Lilly Tellefson founded the Georgetown PowerPlant Museum in April 1995 to restore, maintain and operate the plant.[3]
The plant was the site of the last performance of the rock band Big Black.[6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service (2007-09-17). Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
- ^ WASHINGTON - King County. National Register of Historic Places. nationalregisterofhistoricalplaces.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
- ^ a b c ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks #45, accessed online 25 August 2007.
- ^ a b Thomas & Allan 1984, p. 24
- ^ Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for G, Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed 28 December 2007.
- ^ Big Black: The Last Blast, New York Times / All Music Guide review. Accessed online 19 January 2008.
[edit] References
- Thomas, Jacob & Allan, T. (1984-01-27), National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination: Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant, National Park Service, pp. 57, <http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/78002755.pdf>. Retrieved on 28 December 2007. PDF: 425 KiB.
- Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant--Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, undatedPDF (654 KiB), National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination, National Park Service, 1984. Accessed 28 December 2007.
[edit] External links
- HistoryLink: History Museums -- Georgetown Power Plant Museum
- ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks #45
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