About this property
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park is a historical site preserving an 1895 alternating current (AC) hydroelectric power station—one of the first in the United States. Before the Folsom powerhouse was built nearly all electric power houses were using direct current (DC) generators powered by steam engines located within a very few miles of where the power was needed. The use of rushing water to generate hydroelectric power and then transmitting it long distances to where it could be used was not initially economically feasible as long as the electricity generated was low-voltage direct current. Once it was invented, AC power made it feasible to convert the electrical power to high voltage by using the newly invented transformers and to then economically transmit the power long distances to where it was needed. Lower voltage electrical power, which is much easier and safer to use, could be easily gotten by using transformers to convert the high voltage power to lower voltages near where it was being used. DC power cannot use a transformer to change its voltage. The Folsom Powerhouse, using part of the American River's rushing water to power its turbines connected to newly invented AC generators, generated three phase 60 cycle AC electricity (the same that's used today in the United States) that was boosted by newly invented transformers from 800 volts as generated to 11,000 volts and transmitted to Sacramento over a 22 mi (35 km)-long distribution line, one of the longest electrical distribution lines in the United States at the time.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Folsom Powerhouse
This page lists Folsom Powerhouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Folsom Powerhouse listed on the National Register?
Folsom Powerhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1973.
What type of historic resource is Folsom Powerhouse?
Folsom Powerhouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Folsom Powerhouse a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Folsom Powerhouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Folsom Powerhouse?
The period of significance for Folsom Powerhouse is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1895.
Can I research the history near Folsom Powerhouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Folsom Powerhouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Sacramento County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Sacramento County.
Explore SacramentoCounty ›More historic places in California
Browse all historic places in California.
View Californiahistoric sites ›California history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Californiahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Folsom Powerhouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.