Abbeville Hydroelectric Power Plant, State Highway 284 & County Road 72, Rocky River (historical), Abbeville County, SC

Significance: J. Roy Pennell acquired property and began construction of the multiple arch reinforced concrete dam in 1933. Pennell abandoned the project in 1935 and it was completed by the City of Abbeville with Public Works Administration funds in 1940. The two original S. Morgan Smith hydro turbines are still in operation. In 1946 the plant was enlarged and a Bush Sulzer diesel engine acquired to provide auxiliary power. The facility remains in operation today.

Survey number: HAER SC-5

Building/structure dates: 1933-1940 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1946 Subsequent Work

hydroelectric power plants brick buildings hydraulic engineering water power floods public works civil engineering power industry dams lakes intakes generators transformers spillways abbeville county abbeville power plant highway state highway county road rocky rocky river south carolina energy generation abbeville power company incorporated abbeville water and electric plant company bethlehem steel company john b britton bush sulzer brothers company brian cary dm rickenbacker construction company historic american engineering record mark brothers james roy pennell s morgan smith company c p townsend westinghouse corporation w h white wideman and singleton woodward governor company photo abbeville hydroelectric power plant ultra high resolution high resolution power plants hydro plant library of congress electric power

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html