Fountain Green Hydroelectric Plant Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Fountain Green Hydroelectric Plant Historic District
|
|
Powerhouse in 2019
|
|
 Location in Utah
|
|
| Nearest city | Fountain Green, Utah |
|---|---|
| Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| MPS | Electric Power Plants of Utah MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000277 |
| Added to NRHP | April 20, 1989 |
The Fountain Green Hydroelectric Plant Historic District is a special historical site in Utah. It is located northwest of Fountain Green, Utah. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it is recognized as an important place in history.
Contents
The Fountain Green Hydroelectric Plant
The Fountain Green Power Plant was built a long time ago, between 1922 and 1923. It sits on flat land near the San Pitch Mountains. This plant was unique because it didn't use water from mountain streams. Instead, it got its water from a place called Big Springs.
How the Plant Worked
Water from Big Springs was collected behind a special earthen dam. From there, a large pipe carried the water to the power plant's main building. This building is called the powerhouse. Inside, there were two big machines called turbine units. These turbines used the force of the water to create electricity.
The powerhouse itself is not very big. It has a simple but cool design, with some features of the Art Moderne style. Near the powerhouse, there were two smaller brick buildings. In the past, one was used as a garage and to store batteries. The other was used for general storage.
Location and History
The power plant is located where Big Spring Road meets the driveway to the Fountain Green Fish Hatchery. It's on the northwest side of Fountain Green. The plant stopped making electricity in 2014.
The historic area listed was about 1.6 acres. It was split into two parts. One part was the earthen dam at Big Springs. This dam was removed in 2017 to help improve the fish hatchery. The other part, where the power plant buildings are, is still there. The long pipe that carried water from the dam to the plant was not included in the historic listing.
Big Springs Electric Company
The Fountain Green Fish Hatchery uses water that flows out of the powerhouse. A road from Fountain Green helps people get to both the power plant and the fish hatchery.
The Fountain Green plant was special because it used water from Big Springs. This was a major water source about one and a half miles west of Fountain Green. Water would flow from a canyon wall and be collected by a small dam. Then, it went into a steel pipe that carried it to the powerhouse.
The plant wasn't built at the mouth of a canyon. It was in an open field, far from the mountains. There was a small yard around the plant, but not many trees. About a quarter mile away, you can find the old foundation of an even older power plant. This first plant was built in 1902 by the Big Springs Electric Company. It also used water from Big Springs. The dam might have been used by that first plant too, but it was likely rebuilt in 1922 for the Fountain Green facility.
