Long abandoned, this substation was also built in 1915 to serve as the transformer house and substation for the generating station. Power is now routed to another substation 1/4 mile to the southeast of this site.
The first hydro generating station was built on the south side of the Colville River just south of Kettle Falls in 1903 and upgraded in 1910. In 1915 a second powerhouse was constructed across the river from the first. Though the National Parks report states that the older powerhouse is abandoned, it has since been refurbished and placed back in operation to supplement the newer one. Combined, the two produce almost 60 MW of electricity.
The abandoned substation is a contributing element in the
Meyers Falls Power Plant Historic District
Abandoned Concrete Substation
The poured concrete substation (now abandoned) was erected in conjunction with the present powerhouse (constructed 1915-1916). Originally called the "Transformer House," the 12 ft. x 14 ft. x 14 ft. structure once served as the relay point for electrical power generated from the powerhouse (WWP 1932:5). The flat-roofed structure is accessed from its primary east facade by double wood-batten, sliding utility doors. Portal openings near the top of the structure's primary and side facades once conveyed electrical transmission wires from the powerhouse to the equipment inside the substation.
Original equipment included three transformers, one lightning arrester, six disconnecting switches, twelve pin insulators, and two strain insulators (WWP 1932:4). At present, all electrical transmission wires are routed from the powerhouse to the Greenwood Substation located approximately .25 mi. southeast of the powerhouse. Although all original mechanisms have long since been removed, the substation admirably conveys a sense of its original function and its role in the evolution of hydroelectric development at Meyers Falls. The abandoned substation is a contributing element in the District.
From US National Parks Section 7 Page 8