UIHistories Project: A History of the University of Illinois by Kalev Leetaru
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Old Power Plant / Central Heat and Power Plant / New Power Plant

Built in three phases, the Central Heat and Power Plant was born in 1897 at a cost of $20,000. It was later rebuilt in 1902 and expanded in 1910 for $46,780. [1] [2] Connected to the Old Mechanical Engineering Building in 1914, [3] it served both as the primary power and heat production facility for campus, and a living laboratory. It's generating facilities were impressive, including "a 250-kilowatt Allis-Chalmers direct connected steam engine and dynamo, a 125-kilowatt direct connected Westinghouse engine and generator, and a 100-kilowatt Curtiss turbo-generator". By 1920, the campus electrical grid was comprised of 48,850 feet of "single cell telephone and electric conduit", while heating came by "6,213 feet of [brick and concrete] tunnels and 9,876 feet of [clay tile and concrete] conduit". [4]

The Central Heat and Power Plant was replaced in 1941 by the Abbott Power Plant. [5]




[1] Sixteen Years at the UI / p79
[2] Sixteen Years at the UI lists on p79 both an "Old Power Plant" built in 1897 and added to in 1902, and a "New Power Plant", built in 1910. However, on p.88, it lists just "Power Plant" and states that it was built in 1902 with an addition in 1910. No other mention of power plants is made. Therefore it is assumed that the old plant was rebuilt in 1902 and added to in 1910 and this new wing was considered the "new" plant in that it took over the main operations from the old section of the building.
[3] "Building an International Leader" M&IE Alumni News 2001
[4] Sixteen Years at the UI / p88
[5] <
http://starfire.ne.uiuc.edu/~ne201/1995/baranko/abbott.html>
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