National Register of Historic Places

Great Falls Hydroelectric Station

Rock Island, White County, Tennessee
Listed
July 4, 1990
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
90001004

About this property

Great Falls Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Caney Fork, straddling the county line between White County and Warren County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the only dam outside the Tennessee River watershed owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam impounds the 1,830-acre (740 ha) Great Falls Lake, and its tailwaters feed into Center Hill Lake. The completion of Great Falls Dam in late 1916 was an engineering triumph, marking the first successful attempt to impound the volatile and flood-prone Caney Fork. The dam is also notable for its design, utilizing a mostly underground conduit to carry water from the reservoir via a tributary to the Power House 0.75 miles (1.21 km) downstream from the dam. Great Falls Dam is named for the rapids and waterfalls on the Caney Fork downstream from the dam. The section of river below the powerhouse is world-renowned for whitewater kayaking. The dam and its tailwaters are surrounded by Rock Island State Park.

Location

Rock Island, White County, Tennessee
35.80514, -85.63016

Categories

COMMERCECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTENGINEERING
Sources

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Great Falls Hydroelectric Station

This page lists Great Falls Hydroelectric Station. 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:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Great Falls Hydroelectric Station report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Great Falls Cotton Mill
Industrial
0.3 mi
Webb Hotel
Industrial
1 mi
Martin-Miller Farm
Listed
5 mi
Crain Hill School and Church
Civil War
6.5 mi
Faulkner, Clay, House
Industrial
9.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Wheeler's Tennessee Raid 1863
1863Civil War
9.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Great Falls Hydroelectric Station listed on the National Register?

Great Falls Hydroelectric Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 4, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Great Falls Hydroelectric Station?

Great Falls Hydroelectric Station is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Great Falls Hydroelectric Station?

The period of significance for Great Falls Hydroelectric Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Great Falls Hydroelectric Station?

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 Great Falls Hydroelectric Station will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in White County

Historic places, battles, and census history across White County.

Explore WhiteCounty ›

More historic places in Tennessee

Browse all historic places in Tennessee.

View Tennesseehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Tennessee history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Tennesseehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Great Falls Hydroelectric Station will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report