SOUTH PITTSBURG HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC

S PITTSBURG, TN

Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Credit: w_lemay

The South Pittsburg Historical Preservation Society Inc. (SPHPS) is a non-profit organization located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of the city and surrounding areas. The SPHPS was founded in 1983 by local citizens who wanted to preserve the heritage of South Pittsburg. The SPHPS works to protect and restore the city's historic sites, encouraging local citizens to become involved in the preservation of the city's heritage.

The SPHPS also offers educational programs and activities for the entire community. The SPHPS regularly hosts lectures, workshops, and field trips that focus on the history of South Pittsburg. Through these programs, the SPHPS strives to make the community more aware of their city’s history and encourage citizens to take part in preservation efforts.

The SPHPS also owns and operates a museum. The South Pittsburg Museum is located in the historic South Pittsburg City Hall building, which was built in 1914. The museum features over 500 artifacts that tell the story of the city’s past and is open to the public on Saturdays.

The SPHPS also publishes a quarterly newsletter, which is available online or by mail. The organization also maintains a website, which provides information about the SPHPS and its events. Additionally, the SPHPS maintains a Facebook page to keep community members informed.

The SPHPS is committed to preserving South Pittsburg’s history and educating the community about its past. Through its programs, events, and publications, the SPHPS strives to make South Pittsburg’s history relevant to today’s citizens.

SOUTH PITTSBURG HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in S PITTSBURG TN. US MID #8404700531

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Southeastern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia). Total revenue from most recent IRS 990 Form: $ 12,225 from tax period 201212 (YYYYMM).

Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.
Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, Hales Bar Road, Haletown, TN Built in 1905-1913 as part of the Hales Bar Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant and designed by John Bogart, this Classical Revival and Modern building housed the turbine hall of the power station, and was the first impoundment to be built along the Tennessee River. Built near the mouth of the Tennessee River Gorge about 32 miles downriver of Chattanooga, the dam was constructed for the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, and stood 113 feet (34 meters) tall and was 2,315 feet (706 meters) long, and eventually reached a generating capacity of 99,700 kilowatts. The dam developed some significant issues from the start due to its location on porous bedrock, leading to the William J. Oliver and Company facing significant hurdles during construction. The dam almost immediately developed a significant leak through the bedrock beneath the structure, which was addressed in 1919 by pumping hot asphalt into the bedrock and foundation, sealing the rock and stopping the leakage for some time. However, this was not the end of the dam’s woes, and more leaks appeared, being once again noticeable by 1931. Upon the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933, the agency began to attempt to acquire the dam and powerhouse, which were owned at the time by the Tennessee Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the result of the merger of the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company with other electric utilities. TEPCO resisted the TVA’s attempts to acquire the dam, leading to the supreme court case Tennessee Electric Power Company vs. TVA, which upheld the 1933 TVA Act. Later that same year, TEPCO was forced to sell its assets to the Tennessee Valley Authority, including the Hales Bar Dam. Upon acquiring the dam in 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority undertook several significant improvements, including repairing the dam’s foundation to once again halt the leakage of water, which was completed in 1943. In 1949, the dam’s powerhouse received a modern addition, adding four additional turbines, and radial spill gates were added to the dam, deepening the reservoir and extending the length of the navigable channel to the base of the Chickamauga Dam upstream of Chattanooga. However, by the late 1950s, signs of leakage under the dam once again appeared. In the early 1960s, the increase in shipping traffic on the river led to a feasibility study of expanding the lock at Hales Bar Dam, which dated back to the 1910s, but the study found the prospect of improving the lock, alongside necessary repairs to the dam’s foundation, to be infeasibly expensive. In 1963, it was decided by the TVA to replace the dam, the oldest in the TVA system, with a new dam built on more solid bedrock 6 miles downstream. Between 1963 and 1967, the 81 foot (25 meter) tall and 3,767 foot (1,148 meter) long Nickajack Dam was constructed across the Tennessee River, replacing the Hales Bar Dam. Upon the new dam’s inauguration in 1967, operations ceased at Hales Bar, and the old powerhouse was stripped of all modern equipment, leaving behind only the structure and equipment that dated to the period before TVA ownership of the dam. By the fall of 1968, most of Hales Bar Dam was demolished to create an unobstructed river channel on the new Nickajack Lake, which provided a navigation channel upriver through Chattanooga to Chickamauga Dam. The filling of the Nickajack Reservoir led to the inundation of the lower levels of the Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, which remain submerged today, still holding parts of the power station’s old turbines and equipment. The Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The old powerhouse, after being abandoned in 1967, was sold into private ownership, eventually becoming surrounded by a marina built on the new Nickajack Lake. The powerhouse has been repurposed as a private event space with guided tours and annual haunted house events. The old Hales Bar Dam Lock still stands on the opposite side of the lake, now partially inundated, serving as a visual indicator of the former location of the dam. The former powerhouse is a monument to one of the earliest attempts to turn the Tennessee River into a source of hydroelectric power, as well as a shipping channel, which, under the guidance of the Tennessee Valley Authority later in the 20th Century, led the region to grow from an underdeveloped agrarian economic backwater into a developed industrial powerhouse.

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SOUTH PITTSBURG HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC
PO BOX 175
S PITTSBURG
TN
37380-1231

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SOUTH PITTSBURG HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC Information

MID # 8404700531
Name SOUTH PITTSBURG HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC
Alternate Name
Classification Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Southeastern
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 621868087
NTEECC A80
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM) 201212
INCOME 12,225
REVENUE 12,225
LAT/LONG 35.023042, -85.707145
CODES FIPS State Code: 47
FIPS County Code: 115
US Census Tract: 050301
US Census Block: 3010