Alton Gas & Electric Power House

Alton Gas & Electric Power House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	700 W. Broadway, Alton, Illinois
Coordinates	38°53′39″N90°11′47″W / 38.89417°N 90.19639°W / 38.89417; -90.19639
Built	1913-14
NRHP reference No.	100004309 [1]
Added to NRHP	August 28, 2019

The Alton Gas & Electric Power House is a former hydroelectric power plant at 700 W. Broadway in Alton, Illinois.

History

Built in 1913–14, the plant was a substation for the hydroelectric power system which had recently been built in Keokuk, Iowa. Alton relied on coal power for its electricity, and the hydroelectric plant helped lower energy costs in the city. The plant went online in 1915 and served as the city's primary power plant until 1928, when a series of mergers and reorganizations resulted in the Union Electric Company, which had also bought the Keokuk hydroelectric plant, purchasing the plant from Alton Gas & Electric. After 1928, the station only served as an emergency backup for Union Electric's other substations, and it closed for good in 1937.

The building has since been used for machining operations and briefly served as an automobile dealership. The plant Abbott Machine Company has owned it since 1950. ^{[2] [3]}

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2019. ^[1]

References

1. "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/12/2019 Through 8/29/2019" (PDF). National Park Service . Retrieved September 27, 2020.
2. Keenoy, Ruth (April 17, 2019). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Alton Gas & Electric Power House" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Division . Retrieved September 27, 2020.
3. "History made: Abbott Machine Co., formerly Alton Gas and Electric powerhouse, makes National Register of Historic Places". Alton Telegraph. February 10, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2023.