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]