New York, NY: 1900-2005 163mw and steam Waterside (39th Street) Power Station, first AC in NYC

(Satellite, it is still brownland.)

The building on the left was the 1900 Station I, the first AC power plant in NYC. And the one on the right was the 1905 Station II.

TudorCityConfidential

TudorCityConfidential, 1926
Coal was replaced with natural gas in 1958.

Michael Bara posted nine images with the comment: "Waterside Power Station I & II 1910 New York City"

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

MichaelMinn, this webpage has several demolition photos
"The Waterside Generating Plant was a majestic Beaux-Arts industrial structure designed by C. Wellesley Smith and built between 1896 and 1900. It was the first generating facility in New York City to produce alternating current. In 2001 it produced 2.4 million pounds of steam and 163 megawatts of electricity. Up through the middle of the 20th century, this portion of the East Side waterfront was devoted to industrial concerns, but the deindustrialization of the city after WWII coupled with the arrival of the United Nations and the work of numerous developers transformed the area into an upscale residential neighborhood."

The demolition of the site was completed in 2008. [trccompanies]

The 2008 Great Recession must have scrapped the redevelopment plans because the site is still vacant. Too bad the demolition wasn't delayed for some reason until after the recession. The buildings would have made a terrific event space and/or museum.

Satellite

Google Earth, Sep 2005

ltvsquad, this webpage has a lot of interior "urban explorer" photos

"Completed in 1900, the Waterside Generating Station produced both electricity and steam. Steam was, and continues to be, a vital energy source within NYC’s older buildings. Grand Central Terminal, for example, is heated with Steam provided by Con Ed, and also cooled by this steam via a chemical reaction between the steam and lithium bromide within a conversion plant located under the main floor of the terminal.

"During a typical year, the Waterside Generating Station could produce over 2.4 million pounds of steam and 160 megawatts of electricity."

It had to get its coal from barges because the east side did not have a railroad.

1956/58 Brooklyn @ 24,000

The United Nations Buildings make it easy to identify the location.

Feb 18, 1954 @ 20,000; AR1VBV000110135