Scoville Powerhouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Scoville Powerhouse
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Twin Lakes and Taconic Rds., Salisbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001087 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1984 |
The Scoville Powerhouse is a historic building located in Salisbury, Connecticut. It was built around 1899 and used to generate electricity for the large estate of the Scoville family. This family was important in the area because they owned local iron mines. In the 1950s, the powerhouse was changed into a private home. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 because of its unique design.
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What is the Scoville Powerhouse?
The old Scoville Powerhouse is found in a quiet, country part of Salisbury. It sits on the south side of Schenob Brook, which flows out of the Twin Lakes. The building is about one and a half stories tall. It is made from stone, brick, and concrete, and has a roof that slopes steeply.
Unique Design Features
The front of the building faces east. It has two tall, pointed sections called gables. These gables are above openings that once looked like big doors for carriages. The edges of the gables have fancy wooden decorations called Gothic style bargeboard. The corners of the building have rough stone blocks, which are called quoins.
How it Made Power
The building used to get water from Schenob Brook to power a machine called a turbine. This turbine would then create electricity. The water flowed through a special pipe called a penstock. This pipe runs under Taconic Road, just south of a small dam. The turbine is still inside the building, but it no longer works.
A Look Back in Time
The area where the Scoville Powerhouse stands has been used to create power for a very long time. As far back as the 1700s, around 1748, there was a forge (a place to work with metal) and a gristmill (a mill for grinding grain) here.
The Scoville Family Estate
In 1899, Herbert and Robert Scoville bought the land. The Scoville family were important leaders in the community. They owned one of the local iron works, which was a big business. The family built a large country estate on this land. An estate is a big property with a main house and other buildings.
- They built a large stone manor house, which later burned down.
- They built a carriage house, which is now also a home.
- They built the powerhouse to provide electricity for their entire estate.
It's not clear exactly how long the power station was used. In the middle of the 1900s, the Scoville family started selling parts of their estate. The powerhouse itself was sold in the 1950s and changed into a private house, which it remains today.
