National Register of Historic Places

Power Plant and Dam No. 4

Sheperdstown, Berkeley County, West Virginia
Listed
December 10, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80004437

About this property

Power Plant and Dam No. 4 is a historic hydroelectric power generation station on the Potomac River, located near Shepherdstown on the county line between Berkeley and Jefferson County, West Virginia. The power plant is a tall one-story, limestone building on a high stone foundation. It is five bays long and has a gable roof. Dam 4 uses horizontal shaft turbines connected by rope drives to horizontal shaft generators. This plant is probably the last commercially operated rope-driven hydroelectric plant in the United States. The building is built into a hillside, so the main floor is the top floor. The power plant was originally built by the Martinsburg Electric Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 2013, the power plant was sold by FirstEnergy to Harbor Hydro Holdings LLC. The power plant has a rated capacity of 1.9 megawatts.

Location

Sheperdstown, Berkeley County, West Virginia
39.49515, -77.82573

Categories

INDUSTRYECONOMICSENGINEERING
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 Power Plant and Dam No. 4

This page lists Power Plant and Dam No. 4. 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 Power Plant and Dam No. 4 report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Jones Mill Run Historic District
Industrial
0.5 mi
Scrabble Historic District
Civil War
0.6 mi
Hollida, George Washington, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Boidstones Place
Colonial
2 mi
Marshall, James, House
Industrial
2.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Hoke's Run
1861Civil War
2 mi
Antietam — Confederate River Crossing September 18-19
1862Civil War
3.8 mi
Battle of Antietam — Dunker Church
1862Civil War
3.9 mi
Antietam — Dunker Church — Jackson's Final Defense (September 17, 1862)
1862Civil War
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Power Plant and Dam No. 4 listed on the National Register?

Power Plant and Dam No. 4 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Power Plant and Dam No. 4?

Power Plant and Dam No. 4 is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Power Plant and Dam No. 4?

The period of significance for Power Plant and Dam No. 4 is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Power Plant and Dam No. 4?

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 Power Plant and Dam No. 4 will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Berkeley County

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

Explore BerkeleyCounty ›

More historic places in West Virginia

Browse all historic places in West Virginia.

View West Virginiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

West Virginia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

West Virginiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Power Plant and Dam No. 4 will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report