Schoellkopf Power Station

Schoellkopf Power Station No. 3 Site
Schoellkopf Power Station No. 3 Site
LocationEast Bank of Niagara River, 1,600 feet downriver from Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls, New York
Coordinates43°5′35.44″N 79°3′46.29″W / 43.0931778°N 79.0628583°W / 43.0931778; -79.0628583
NRHP reference No.13000029
Added to NRHPFebruary 20, 2013

The Schoellkopf Power Station was a series of power generation facilities built on the American shore of the Niagara River below Niagara Falls between 1853 and 1924, and in operation in its final phase until 1956. The first used water falling from the upper river height before the falls to the lower after them to drive water turbines to power belts and driveshafts in nearby mills; it was in operation until 1904. The second station was built in 1898 and superseded the first, producing hydroelectricity and operating until 1921. The third station, also hydroelectric, was built in three phases, with the first completed in 1914 and the last in 1924, which operated until a catastrophic failure in 1956.

Only ruins are left in the 2020s, which form a part of a fully accessible tourist attraction associated with Niagara Falls State Park and connected with its Niagara Gorge hiking trail system.