Hardy Hydroelectric Plant, Intake Tower, 6928 East Thirty-sixth Street, Newaygo, Newaygo County, MI

Significance: The tower is part of the Hardy Hydroelectric Plant, built in the early 1930s as a link in Consumers Power Company's system of electric power generation. In designing and building Hardy, the company found a way to erect a stable, relatively high dam on Michigan's notoriously gravelly foundations, continuing its tradition of developing solutions to the problems presented by Michigan's geography and geology. The design process for the dam also appears to reflect a tendency in American civil engineering to favor regional practices of technology developed elsewhere. The architectural treatment of the Intake Tower and other structures at the plant reflect the company's pride in its accomplishments.
Survey number: HAER MI-100-D