Marseilles Hydro Plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Marseilles Hydro Plant
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The hydro plant, still operational, in 1986
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| Location | Commercial St., Marseilles, Illinois |
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| Area | 7.6 acres (3.1 ha) |
| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | C.W. Humphrey |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000343 |
| Added to NRHP | May 9, 1989 |
The Marseilles Hydro Plant is a historic building in Marseilles, Illinois. It is a special kind of power station that uses the power of moving water to create electricity. This type of power is called hydroelectric power. The plant is located along the Illinois River in the USA.
Contents
History of the Power Plant
Building and Starting Up
Work on the Marseilles Hydro Plant began in 1906. It was finished and ready to go in 1911. Inside the main building, there were seven large machines called generators. These generators made electricity. They were powered by big water wheels called turbines. Each turbine was very heavy, weighing about 24 tons!
The plant was built by a company called Northern Illinois Light and Traction Company. In 1913, engineers tested the plant to make sure it worked perfectly. The plant was designed to take water from the Illinois River. This water flowed into a special channel and then into a pool called a forebay. From there, the water went into a basement-like room where it spun the water wheels. The plant kept making electricity until 1989.
Water Rights and Agreements
The power company used water from the Marseilles Land and Water Company. They had an agreement to use this water for 90 years. Later, in 1933, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built a new dam. They made a promise not to do anything that would stop the hydro plant from making its usual amount of power.
Years after the plant stopped working, new companies bought it. They also took over the old agreements about the water. This led to some disagreements and legal discussions about who owned the rights to the water and the plant's future.
Plans to Reopen
Between 2003 and 2006, there were several tries to get the hydro plant working again. However, these plans were stopped because of the ongoing legal issues. In 2008, the city of Marseilles tried to work with the plant owners to reopen it. But the government agency that gives licenses for power plants, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), decided to cancel the plant's license. They said that construction to restart the plant had not begun on time.
Building Design
The main building of the Marseilles Hydro Plant is built in a style called Classical Revival. This style often uses elements from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The plant was designed by an engineer named C.W. Humphrey.
The generator building is a long, rectangular shape. It is right next to the Illinois River. It is about 229 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 26 feet tall.
Other Buildings on Site
Besides the main generator building, there are other structures on the 7.6-acre site.
- The forebay is a deep pool of water, about 18 feet deep, with concrete walls.
- A building called the "Barn" was built around 1913. It was used as a storehouse.
- The "Oil Shed" is a small building without windows, used for oil storage.
- There are also the old foundations of a coal-fired steam plant. This plant used coal to make power, but its exact dates of use are unknown.
- Two other structures, a substation shed and some electrical equipment, were added in 1956.
Why the Plant is Important
The Marseilles Hydro Power Station was very important for modernizing the Illinois River Valley. It helped provide electricity for the state's first electric trains. Also, the old coal-fired steam plant site could teach us more about how power was made in the past.
The Marseilles Hydro Plant was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1989. This means it is recognized as a special historic site. Most of the buildings on the site, except for the ones built in 1956, were included in this important listing.
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IL-93, "Illinois Power Company, Marseilles Hydro-electric Plant"
