Philpott Dam
Encyclopedia
Smith River (Virginia)
The Smith River is a river in the U.S. states of Virginia and North Carolina. It is a tributary of the Dan River, which it joins at Eden, North Carolina...
in Franklin
Franklin County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,286 people, 18,963 households, and 13,918 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 22,717 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
and Henry
Henry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile . There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It impounds Philpott Lake
Philpott Lake
Philpott Lake is a reservoir in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is impounded by Philpott Dam.The lake is at an elevation of 974 feet msl covers an area of 2,880 acres and has a shoreline length of 110 miles at elevation 985 feet , msl...
.
Philpott Dam is located about 44 river miles (71 km) above the mouth of the Smith River. It is about 7 miles (11 km) upstream from Bassett, Virginia
Bassett, Virginia
Bassett is a census-designated place in Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town was founded along a rail line by the same family that later started Bassett Furniture. Bassett...
.
The Dam and Philpott Lake were created control flooding along the Smith River, to generate hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
, and to provide recreational activities at Fairy Stone State Park
Fairy Stone State Park
Fairy Stone State Park, located in Patrick County, Virginia, is the largest of the original six state parks that opened on June 15, 1936, and is home to the mysterious "fairy stones", or Staurolite. The park's cross-shaped, namesake stone is prevalent in the region, which also features beautiful...
. Construction on Philpott Dam began in 1948 and was completed in 1952. The Philpott Dam Powerhouse was completed and started generating electricity in 1953. The Philpott project is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, Wilmington District.
The dam includes a spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
, a powerhouse, and switchyard. The top elevation of Philpott Dam is 1016 feet (310 m) msl and has an overall length of 920 feet (280 m). The maximum height above the streambed is 220 feet (67 m). The spillway has a crest elevation of 985 feet, msl and a total length of 120 feet (37 m).
The power house has two vertical shaft Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s rated at 6700 kW each and a smaller unit rated at 600 kW.
The dam is also a noted tourist and recreational area, and a place of great beauty. Over the years, a number of artists and photographers have used the dam site for their compositions. Jessamine Shumate
Jessamine Shumate
Ada Jessamine Shumate was born on March 31, 1902 as Ada Jessamine White in Horsepasture, Virginia and is an American Artist winner of the "Award of Distinction" in 1955 from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was a noted artist, historian and cartographer in Henry County...
, a local artist, did an early watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
of the Philpott Dam in Henry County, and a second, unfinished painting. These two paintings were done during the construction phase of the dam, and both paintings show the temporary cement factory that was constructed to produce the cement locally. The cement mill was then taken down and removed after the dam was constructed. Her paintings are the only representations from this phase of construction, since most other photographic work concentrated on the construction of the dam itself, and not in the engineering aspects of the construction site. These paintings have recently (2010) been donated to the Philpott Dam. "Relatives of the late artist Ada Jessamine Shumate, who contributed two of her paintings of the construction of Philpott Dam to the dam’s visitor’s center. Jessamine Shumate was a native of Henry County, Virginia
Henry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile . There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, who painted the construction during the 1950s. Sharing the paintings with the public is a fitting tribute to her work and a good way for people to get a sense of what went into creating the dam."