National Register of Historic Places

Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
Listed
April 19, 1989
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89000283

About this property

The Granite Hydroelectric Power Station was built in 1896–1897 at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, about 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States(in what is now eastern Cottonwood Heights. The plant comprises the powerhouse, transformer house, a wooden conduit, penstocks, and a small dam. Like the Stairs Station upstream, it represents an intact high-head generating plant from the late 19th century. The powerhouse is a rectangular brick building on a concrete foundation, with extensive corbeling. The interior is a single room with two Pelton wheels flanking a generator, which replaced two older turbine-generator units. A work area in the station was powered by a 16 inches (41 cm) Pelton wheel driving a belt, an unusual feature. The ceiling is a peaked assembly of steel beams with an arched brick infill. Water is supplied through a steel conduit and penstock system with a 450-foot (140 m) head from the Stairs Station upstream. The dam, built in 1945, is part of neither historic district. The transformer house is a plainer version of the power house. The operator's residence is nearby, built using the same sand-colored brick with extensive corbeling and a hipped roof. Two other residences of wood frame construction stand nearby, added in the 1920s. The present operator's residence is outside the historic district. The Granite Power Station was built beginning in 1896 by the Utah Power Company, owned by the Salt Lake City Railroad Company to provide power to the company's streetcar system. The station did not live up to expectations and was frequently out of service. After several changes of ownership, the plant passed into the hands of Utah Power and Light in 1912. PacifiCorp later took ownership in 1989 operating the site under its own name as well as the name Rocky Mountain Power. The Granite Power Station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 20, 1989. National Register of Historic Places listings in Salt Lake County, Utah Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District HAER No. UT-4, "Utah Power Company, Granite Hydroelectric Plant, Holladay, Salt Lake County, UT", 9 photos, 1 photo caption page

Location

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
40.62162, -111.77905

Categories

INDUSTRYENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
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 Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District

This page lists Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District. 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 Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Granite Paper Mill
Industrial
1.2 mi
Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District
Industrial
1.7 mi
Green, Alvin and Annie, House
Industrial
2 mi
Walker, George and Lida, House
Industrial
2.9 mi
Cheesman, Morton A., House
Industrial
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District listed on the National Register?

Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District?

Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District?

The period of significance for Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District?

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 Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Salt Lake County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Salt Lake County.

Explore Salt LakeCounty ›

More historic places in Utah

Browse all historic places in Utah.

View Utahhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Utah history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Utahhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Granite Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report