Quincy Electric Light and Power Company Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Quincy Electric Light and Power Company Station
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 76 Field St., Quincy, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Shephard & Stearns |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Quincy MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001332 |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1989 |
The Quincy Electric Light and Power Company Station is a really old building in Quincy, Massachusetts. It's located at 76 Field Street. This building was made in 1902. It's a great example of an old factory building built in the Colonial Revival style, using bricks.
This station used to be a power station that burned coal to make electricity. It worked that way until 1920. Today, it's still used to help deliver electricity to the area. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 because it's an important historical site.
Contents
What Does the Power Station Look Like?
The power station is a big brick building. It sits on the north side of Field Street. This area is mostly for factories and businesses. It's also close to the Town River, which is a part of the Weymouth Fore River near Quincy's coast.
Inside the Building
Inside, the building has three levels of work space. The front of the building, facing south, has three cool-looking round-arch windows. These windows are above brick panels that are set back a bit.
Building Style and Features
The roof of the building is flat. It has a decorative edge called a modillioned cornice. This edge is held up by brick pilasters, which are like flat columns, at the corners of the building. There's also a two-story part added to the east side. This newer part looks very similar to the original building.
History of the Quincy Electric Light and Power Company
The Quincy Electric Light and Power Company was started in 1888. Local business people created it to bring electricity to the community. Back then, electricity was a new and exciting thing!
Growing Bigger and Building the Station
By 1901, the company had grown a lot. It had more customers than any other electric company in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Because they needed more power, they built this new station in 1902. They chose this spot by the water so it would be easy to bring in coal for the power plant.
Switching to a New Power Source
The station used coal to make electricity until November 1920. After that, the company started buying electricity from another big company called Boston Edison. Even though it doesn't burn coal anymore, the building is still used today. It helps distribute electricity as a power substation.
