Scobey Power Plant and Dam
Why it's listed
Scobey Power Plant and Dam is a small hydroelectric facility on Cattaraugus Creek, just outside Springville in Erie County, New York. The present plant dates to 1925 and replaced earlier works from 1899 and 1924; the 1924 timber dam was destroyed by flash floods only days after opening. The utilitarian light-frame powerhouse is clad in glazed terra cotta shingles and holds two Leffel turbines in the basement and two General Electric 250-kilowatt generators on the ground floor. Beside it is a concrete ogee gravity dam with a 24-foot head, drainage gates, and wooden flash boards that adjust the water level by season to prevent ice from clogging the intakes. Remains of the 1899 plant and the wooden cribbing of the failed dam survive. The complex is valued as a rare, largely unaltered example of its type in a region with few suitable streams, and it still generates power for the village. Its builder was Brass Brothers of Niagara Falls.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is an intact, rare example of an early twentieth-century small hydroelectric plant in Western New York, where few streams had enough flow for water power. It is still in use and retains its original turbines and generators. It also helped bring electricity to rural Springville and spur local growth.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000296, listed September 20, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Scobey Hill Rd. and Cattaraugus Cr., Springville |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | September 20, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899 - 1925 |
| Architect / builder | Original architect unknown; builder Brass Brothers, Niagara Falls, New York |
| Architectural style | Other: Power Plant and Dam |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a power house with its historic machinery; it supplies about five percent of the village's electricity at full capacity. |
| Acreage | 27 |
| Coordinates | 42.47895, -78.69887 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7434230
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.