Georgetown Steam Plant

The Georgetown Steam Plant at 6605 13th Ave S in Georgetown, Seattle, Washington, is a preserved power station that illustrates the early history of electricity in the Pacific Northwest. It was built in 1906 by the Seattle Electric Company to power the region's streetcar network, and it began generating power in 1907. The plant is a concrete and steel building on the edge of the Duwamish River industrial area, designed in a utilitarian style with large windows and a tall, plain hall. Inside, two Curtis vertical steam turbine generators from the early twentieth century stand in the turbine room, along with the controls, a switchboard and smaller equipment, representing a transition from reciprocating engines to turbines. Seattle City Light acquired the plant in the 1950s and kept it as a standby source to meet peak demand, and used it during a regional power shortage in the 1970s, until the late 1970s, after which it was closed. Preservation efforts began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the plant was designated a National Historic Landmark. The building is now operated as the Georgetown Power Plant Museum by a volunteer preservation group working with Seattle City Light, which offers guided tours on select days and periodic open houses. The tours explain the technology, the lives of the workers and the way in which cheap hydroelectricity from the Skagit and Cedar rivers later replaced steam. The approach is immersive and industrial rather than curated, with large machinery in place and limited interpretive panels, and some areas contain asbestos and stair hazards. Visitors will find the building in Georgetown, a neighborhood of breweries, galleries and industrial buildings south of downtown, which adds to the experience. The plant is of interest to engineers, historians and photographers, and because opening days are limited, visitors should confirm schedules before going.