Commercial Power Plant - Lock and Dam No. 19 Historic District - Keokuk, IA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 40° 23.773 W 091° 22.502
15T E 637904 N 4473002
"The four pointed towers on the roof are static towers which help
ground the current. All 16 of these towers are attached
ancillary structures to the power plant. They have been on the roof since
the plant began producing power." ~ NRHP NOM.FORM
Waymark Code: WMVQDX
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 05/18/2017
Views: 1
County of station: Lee County
Location of station: Water St. & Mississippi River, Keokuk
Photo 2 on nomination form
"The main room on the inside of the commercial power plant is on the east side
of the building over the thrust deck and contains 15 generators, each about 25 feet
wide. The generator rotors are connected to the turbine runners at the center of the
spiral scroll chamber below the thrust deck by 25-inch-diameter vertical shafts.
Offices, the operations center, and utility rooms are located on the top two floors
of the building. The commercial power house is in excellent condition. Although in
continuous use since 1913, and equipment within it has been replaced and updated as
necessary to keep it in good operating condition, this building has integrity of
location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Construction began in 1910 and when completed in 1913 it was the largest capacity, single powerhouse electricity generating plant in the world. The Power House and spillways are owned and operated by Ameren Missouri and has a 134 MW capacity.[3] The powerhouse contains 15 generators, originally designed to produce 25 Hz instead of the 60 Hz alternating current used today. In the 1930s, Union Electric Company purchased this 25 Hz power for Streetcars in St. Louis, Missouri. This 25 Hz power configuration is still used for Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system in the Northeast Corridor.[2] Lock and Dam No. 1, Lock and Dam No. 2 and the upper St. Anthony Falls dam also produce electricity." ~ Wikipedia
"In 1905 the U.S. Congress passed a bill granting the Keokuk and Hamilton Water Power Company the right to dam the river and construct a hydro-electric plant at the foot of the rapids and to build a new lock and dry dock to replace the canal which had become too small to handle the newer boats of the day. Construction on Lock and Dam No. 19 was started in 1910 and completed in 1913 with the cost being borne by the power company. The Keokuk Power House was the largest capacity, single powerhouse electricity generating plant in the world. The power house provided electricity for Keokuk and cities as far away as St. Louis. The power house also attracted a lot of industry to the Keokuk area.
"In 1957, the lock was replaced and upgraded to measure 1,200 feet by 110 feet at a cost of 13.5 million dollars. The lock and dam obliterated the Des Moines Rapids and created Lake Cooper, named after Hugh L. Cooper, the designer of the Keokuk Dam. Lake Cooper is the largest pool in the series of dams with 240 miles of shoreline. With a 38 feet (11.6 m) difference between the normal pool above and below the dam, the lock has the highest "step" in the stairway of the Rock Island District locks and dams. Lock and Dam #19 is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The power house is owned and operated by AmerenUE, a privately owned utility company. The facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004." ~ The Great River Road