Union Water Works, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Water Works
Alger
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| Union Water Works | |
 Water Works
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Lebanon County |
Union Water Works, often called Water Works, is a small community in North Annville Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's an "unincorporated community," which means it's a place with a name but doesn't have its own local government like a town or city.
Contents
The Story of Water Works
This area was first known as Alger. It was located right where the Swatara Creek flowed. In the early 1800s, something big happened that changed its name and made it famous: the building of the Union Canal.
Building the Union Canal
The Union Canal was a huge project. It was designed to connect two major rivers in Pennsylvania: the Schuylkill River and the Susquehanna River. This canal allowed boats to carry goods and materials much faster and easier across the state.
At Water Works, the canal company built a special pumping station. This station was called the "water works." Its job was to lift water from the Swatara Creek and pump it into the canal. This was a very important job because the canal needed a constant supply of water to stay full and allow boats to travel.
Because this pumping station was such an amazing piece of engineering for its time, the village quickly became known as Union Water Works. The canal started working in 1827.
The Pine Grove Branch
Between 1828 and 1830, another part of the canal was built. This was a branch canal that went north to Pine Grove. This branch helped transport coal from the mines in the Southern Schuylkill Anthracite Coal Region. This branch canal connected to the main canal at the Water Works Dam.
Life Around the Canal
The canal company had many important operations at Water Works. They had the pumping station, a place to weigh boats, and a toll house where people paid to use the canal. There were also several locks nearby, which helped boats move up and down different water levels. In winter, they even had an ice dam.
Local people also set up businesses to support the canal traffic and workers. There was a hotel, a general store, a grain mill, and a lumber yard. A community park and the Union Water Works Church were also built, making it a lively place.
Water Works Today
The Union Canal stopped working in 1885. Over time, much of the canal has disappeared. A big flood from Hurricane Agnes in 1972 destroyed the dam, and the reservoir emptied into the Swatara Creek.
Today, you can still find some stone parts of the old weigh station, the towpath (where mules pulled boats), and some canal locks. However, these are on private land and are hard to spot.
The old Mount Union Hotel, which later became the Peiffer Hotel, is still standing. It's now an apartment building where people live. The church continues to be used by its members and is now called the Water Works United Methodist Church. The Union Water Works Fire Company, a group of volunteer firefighters, is one of the last remaining links to the "Union" Canal days.
