The Powerhouse Center contains abundant examples of how the conveniences we enjoy today were made possible through the evolution of past technologies, but it also tells a story of how our modern conveniences were rooted in the self sufficiency of previous generations.
After all, the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project was born in a world still permeating with self reliance and capable craftsmanship. Just because workers were able to assemble all the cranes, turbines, and other machines on site didn’t mean problems wouldn’t come up, so architects and builders wanted to be sure they could tackle whatever came their way.
Imagine if a particular tool was needed or a machine required the replacement of some massive mechanical part. How could the acquisition of tools and timely repair of machines be achievable goals on such remote property? The answer came in the form of a Foundry, a Blacksmith Shop and a Machine Shop – all constructed on site.
While the structural remains of the Foundry are no longer visible, match plates for casting machine parts are currently on display in the Archives Room. These 3D forms were handcrafted from wood with the intention of being packed into sand to create the negative space for a mold. Iron would then be heated to a molten state, poured into the negative space in the sand and left to cool. Once cool, the casting would be removed from the sand so the replacement could be cut from the mold and ground smooth, ready to install.
Regarding the self sufficient nature of the Blacksmith Shop, work produced at the forge fit day-to-day needs of construction like tools, hardware, and custom straps for holding machines in place. While the massive anvil is no longer with us, the anvil stand sure is. This stand was made from a sturdy length of timber reinforced with steel straps. Its resistance to varying degrees of force suggest the beam was embedded some feet deep in the concrete floor and has no plans to move anytime soon.
The coal forge was molded out of concrete just like our buildings. Connected to it are two containers that were also poured to shape. The left-most bin was outfitted with a water line to act as a quench tub for cooling hot metal while the adjacent bin was responsible for holding coal to feed the fire.
The Blacksmith Shop was positioned in one corner of the Machine Shop – its entire back wall lined with bins containing bolts, screws, and other hardware of reasonable size. But how would workers replace an oversized bolt or screw of exact dimensions when it was impossible to store replacement parts for every machine that might break on site?
The answer to this question was formed in the lathes, shaper, band saws and drill press that could produce oversized hardware when operated by a skilled engineer. These machines ran off an inline belt drive that still stretches the length of the ceiling today. This overhead drive connected to a portable steam gin, so when the gin started pumping the inline shaft would spin too.
Turning a machine on required it connect to this inline drive through its very own belt system. When the overhead drive was spinning and a machine’s belt was engaged, that machine would swing into action. Once the powerhouse started generating electricity, the portable gin was removed and the overhead drive was wired to spin at the push of a button. And all those machines – still running on belts today – came to rely on electricity too.
For all the reasons the machines were brought to the powerhouse, they don’t show a century’s worth of work on their surfaces because they were rarely used. After all, it’s been said the powerhouse was “built right the first time” and only one of the four turbines was ever taken offline for major repair during the 96 years electricity was generated on site.
Another reason for the excellent condition of our machines is that – thanks to the combined efforts of trains, telegraphs and telephones, plus the presence of an electrical grid to plug into – it became more efficient and economical to just order tools and parts from a catalog to than to make them by hand.
As such, hydroelectric projects like the Bull Run Powerhouse generated more than just electricity. They generated a cultural shift towards modern convenience that would eventually spread throughout urban and rural America. Which is how – today – the Powerhouse Center acts as a massive time capsule where historic connections between technological ages are both treasured and preserved.
