Skip to content

Historic Dam Site

Historic Dam Site from directly overhead

Historic Dam Site is a historic site in North Carolina, at a modelled elevation of 941 m. Rich Mountain stands 1,633 m to the north-northwest, 8.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Watauga Recreation Complex, a park 0.6 miles away. US 421 Scenic Byway passes 0.9 miles off.

The stone ruins visible here are the remains of a hydroelectric generation station that produced the first electricity in Boone from 1915 to 1924. It served Appalachian Training School, now Appalachian State University, and 6 houses in Boone. The site sit

What the record says

Inscription
Electricity Comes to Boone: Site of the original Dam and Power House for the New River Light and Power Company, 1915-1924

What to expect

Access
Yes

How to reach it

Coordinates36.20901, -81.64608

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Watauga Recreation Complex: 0.6 mi
  • Watauga Recreation Complex: 0.6 mi
  • Optimist Club of Boone: 0.7 mi
  • Strawberry Hill Arboretum: 1.3 mi
  • Jaycee Park: 1.4 mi
Peaks
  • Rocky Knob: 1.5 mi
  • Yarnall Knob: 1.5 mi
  • Turkey Knob: 2.1 mi
  • Howard Knob: 2.3 mi
  • Chestnut Mountain: 2.4 mi
Waterfalls
  • Blue Hole Falls: 5.9 mi
  • New Year's Creek Cascades: 6.1 mi
  • Hebron Colony Falls: 6.2 mi
  • Glen Burney Falls: 6.3 mi
  • Upper Glen Marie Falls: 6.4 mi
Artworks: 32
Attractions: 25
  • Foggy Mountain Gem Mine: 1.2 mi
  • Tweetsie Twister: 2.5 mi
  • F-80 Jet Planes: 2.5 mi
  • Round-Up: 2.6 mi
  • Turnpike Cruisers: 2.6 mi
Museums: 16
Historic sites: 11
Gardens: 10
Cliffs: 10
Picnic sites: 10
Rest areas: 2
Springs: 2
  • Bear Wallow Spring: 10.8 mi
  • Shanty Springs: 11.7 mi
Beaches: 1
Ghost towns: 1

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 8.1 miles of Historic Dam Site. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Rich MountainNNW 331°1,633 m8.1 mi
Harmon KnobNNW 328°1,466 m6.4 mi
Rittle KnobN 355°1,463 m7.8 mi
Rich MountainWNW 299°1,455 m3.8 mi
Sugarloaf MountainNW 325°1,407 m5.2 mi
Grassy KnobNW 306°1,403 m5.5 mi
Snakeden MountainWNW 299°1,367 m4.9 mi
Flat Top MountainSSW 209°1,362 m3.7 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:3119:0519:39
June solstice06:1020:1020:48
September equinox07:1518:5119:25
December solstice07:3516:3617:16

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F323441495865686761514135
Precip in4.43.64.85.55.55.65.15.65.74.74.44.2

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Boone 1 SE, under a mile away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element node/8426338790

More historic sites in North Carolina

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Historic Dam Site.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens