Cos Cob Power Station
Encyclopedia
Cos Cob Power Station is a historic district
roughly bounded by Metro North
Railroad tracks, the Mianus River
and Sound Shore Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut
.
The Spanish Revival style station was built in 1907.
It is significant for its role in the first mainline railroad electrification in the United States. It was the largest component in an enormous scale experiment to implement AC power in railroad power. It was part of complying with a 1903 New York State law prohibiting steam locomotives in New York City. Projections indicated that electrification all the way up to New Haven would be necessary to avoid massive congestion in switching power sources at the New York City limits or at Stamford. Direct current (DC) was used in New York City subway systems and in electrification of a Hudson River railroad line, but involved massive losses in transmission over greater distances.
It was designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark in 1982 by the ASME
and the IEEE.
The power station was decommissioned in 1986. The 1989 listing includes two contributing buildings and four other contributing structures: two water tanks, a dock, and a coal conveyor.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
It is located on Long Island Sound
. It had a coal-fired steam turbine. The plant was built by Westinghouse
in 1907 with Mission Style
styling.
Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and local and national debate, the plant was decommissioned in 1987 and demolished in 2001.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
roughly bounded by Metro North
Metro north
Metro North can refer to either of* Metro-North Railroad, a commuter railroad serving parts of New York and Connecticut in the United States* Dublin Metro#Metro North, a branch of the proposed Dublin Metro, in Dublin, Ireland...
Railroad tracks, the Mianus River
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York in a series of ponds at about altitude...
and Sound Shore Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
.
It is significant for its role in the first mainline railroad electrification in the United States. It was the largest component in an enormous scale experiment to implement AC power in railroad power. It was part of complying with a 1903 New York State law prohibiting steam locomotives in New York City. Projections indicated that electrification all the way up to New Haven would be necessary to avoid massive congestion in switching power sources at the New York City limits or at Stamford. Direct current (DC) was used in New York City subway systems and in electrification of a Hudson River railroad line, but involved massive losses in transmission over greater distances.
It was designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark in 1982 by the ASME
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
and the IEEE.
The power station was decommissioned in 1986. The 1989 listing includes two contributing buildings and four other contributing structures: two water tanks, a dock, and a coal conveyor.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
It is located on Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. It had a coal-fired steam turbine. The plant was built by Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
in 1907 with Mission Style
Mission Style
-Architecture:* Mission Revival Style architecture* Architecture of the California Missions* Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture* The architecture of the Prairie School, including Frank Lloyd Wright's* American Craftsman* Craftsman Furniture-Furniture:...
styling.
Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and local and national debate, the plant was decommissioned in 1987 and demolished in 2001.