Scoville Powerhouse

Scoville Powerhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Twin Lakes and Taconic Rds., Salisbury, Connecticut
Coordinates	42°1′52″N 73°24′39″W
Area	2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built	1900 (1900)
NRHP reference No.	84001087
Added to NRHP	February 16, 1984

The Scoville Powerhouse is a historic former power generation facility at Twin Lakes and Taconic Roads in the Taconic neighborhood of Salisbury, Connecticut. Built about 1899, it provided power to the surrounding estate of the Scoville family, owners of local iron mining and processing operations. It was converted into a privated residence in the 1950s, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its distinctive architecture.

Description and history

The former Scoville Powerhouse is located in a rural-residential cluster in northeastern Salisbury, at the northwest corner of Twin Lakes Road and Beaver Dam Road. It is set on the south bank of Schenob Brook, near the outlet of the Twin Lakes. It is 1+1⁄2 stories in height, built out of stone, brick, and concrete and covered by a steeply pitched hip roof. The front facade faces east toward Taconic Road, and is dominated by two steep gables, each rising above now-glassed openings that resemble the openings for carriages in carriage houses. The gable edges are decorated with Gothic style bargeboard. The building has rustic stone corner quoins. The water that powered the building's turbine (still in situ but now bypassed and not operation) was provided via a penstock that runs under Taconic Road just south of the dam (which the road crosses over).

This site on Schenob Brook was first used for power generation in the 18th century, powering a forge and gristmill c. 1748. Land in this area was acquired by Herbert and Robert Scoville in 1899. The Scovilles were by then important political and business leaders in the community, owning one of the local iron works. The developed this area as a country estate, building a large stone country manor (destroyed by fire), a carriage house (across Schenob Brook, also converted to a residence), and the powerhouse, which provided electricity to the estate. Family records are unclear on how long the power station operated, but the estate was sold off in portions in the mid-20th century. The power station was sold in the 1950s and converted into a residence.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut