Georgetown Steam Plant, King County Airport, Seattle, King County, WA

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Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

8 drawings
37 b&w photos
50 data pages
4 photo caption pages
5 color transparencies

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TITLE:
Georgetown Steam Plant, King County Airport, Seattle, King County, WA

CALL NUMBER:
HAER WASH,17-SEAT,2-

REPRODUCTION NUMBER:
[See Call Number]

MEDIUM:
Measured Drawing(s): 8 (24 x 36 in.)
Photo(s): 37 (4 x 5 in.)
Data Page(s): 49 plus cover page
Photo Caption Page(s): 4
Color Transparencies: 5

DATE:
Documentation compiled after 1968.

CREATOR:
Historic American Engineering Record, creator

NOTE:
Survey number HAER WA-1

Building/structure dates: 1906 initial construction

Building/structure dates: 1917 subsequent work

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 78002755

Significance: The Georgetown Steam Plant is an early reinforced concrete structure housing America's last operable examples of the "first generation" of large scale, vertical steam turbine electric generators. It is also significant as an early example of "fast track" construction advocated by Frank B. Gilbreath. / The Georgetown Steam Plant is a steam-driven electrical generating station. Designed by Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., the plant was built by the Seattle Electric Company in 1906. The structure contains sixteen, 500 horsepower stirling boilers which supply steam to two vertical turbines. The smaller 1906 unit generates 3000 kilowatts and a larger 1907 unit generates 8000 kilowatts. In 1917 Seattle Electric installed a 10000 kilowatt horizontal turbine generator unit manufactured by the General Electric Company. The Georgetown Steam Plant was used primarily as a standby and peaking facility. It provided alternating current for general use and direct current for the Seattle streetcar system. It is the last operative example of vertical curtis turbines in the United States.

SUBJECTS:
WASHINGTON--King County--Seattle
T-plan buildings
plants

COLLECTION:
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

REPOSITORY:
Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

DIGID:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wa0169

CONTENTS:
Photograph caption(s):
1. VIEW LOOKING EAST, GENERAL ELEVATION OF ENTRANCE FACADE
2. VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST, 3/4 ELEVATION
3. VIEW LOOKING WEST, GENERAL ELEVATION
4. VIEW LOOKING NORTH, ELEVATION OF SOUTH FACADE. UPPER OPENING USED FOR COAL CONVEYOR
5. INTERIOR VIEW LOOKING EAST, TURBINE #2 WITH BAROMETRIC CONDENSER BEHIND
6. INTERIOR VIEW LOOKING WEST, SHOWING TURBINES #1 AND #2 (#2 IN FOREGROUND), VACUUM AIR PUMP IS BELOW
7. INTERIOR VIEW OF TURBINE FLOOR LOOKING EAST, TURBINE #1 IS TO RIGHT
8. INTERIOR VIEW, VACUUM AIR PUMP IN FOREGROUND WITH TURBINE #2 BEHIND
9. DETAIL VIEW, CRANK AND WEB FOR VACUUM AIR PUMP #2
10. DETAIL VIEW, FLYBALL GOVERNOR ON VACUUM AIR PUMP #1
11. DETAIL VIEW, TOP OF TURBINE #1. GOVERNOR IS IN CENTER, CONDENSER IS IN BACKGROUND
12. DETAIL VIEW, PRIMARY NOZZLE BLOCK ON TURBINE #2, ELECTRICAL LEADS ON LEFT
13. DETAIL VIEW OF TURBINE #2. MAIN STEAM PIPE AT TOP, OIL SUPPLY AT RIGHT, RETURN AT LEFT
14. GENERAL VIEW OF TURBINE #3
15. VIEW OF NOZZLE BLOCK END OF TURBINE #3
16. DETAIL VIEW, STEAM PIPING, LUBE OIL PUMPS AND CONTROLS FOR TURBINE #3
17. INTERIOR VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT ELECTRICAL BAYS. OPERATORS SWITCHBOARD ONE LEVEL UP, TURBINE #1 TO LEFT, TURBINE #2 TO RIGHT
18. DETAIL VIEW OF VACUUM AIR PUMP #2
19. DETAIL VIEW OF OPERATORS SWITCHBOARD
20. GENERAL VIEW OF MOTOR GENERATOR USED FOR EXCITATION. ORIGINALLY PROVIDED DC POWER TO INTER-URBAN LINES
21. GENERAL VIEW OF MOTOR GENERATOR WITH SMALLER GENERATOR IN FOREGROUND TO PROVIDE EXCITATION FOR LARGER DC UNIT
22. GENERAL VIEW OF #3 CONDENSER UNIT. LARGE PIPING LINE TO LEFT IS WATER SUPPLY TO VACUUM CONDENSER
23. GENERAL VIEW LOOKING WEST OF ASH FLOOR. HOPPERS OPEN FROM CEILING, CARS ON TRACKS BELOW
24. ELEVATION OF BOILER. EIGHT INSPECTION DOORS, THREE BURNERS, HEAT SHIELD AT FLOOR, CENTER PRESSURE GAUGE
25. GENERAL VIEW OF LUBE OIL PUMPS FOR TURBINES #1 AND #2. THE TANK IN BACKGROUND HOLDS OIL FOR STEP BEARINGS
26. VIEW LOOKING SOUTH AT STEP PUMPS FOR MAIN STEP BEARING
27. VIEW LOOKING EAST, SHOWING FEED PIPE TO WATER HEATER. SOURCE OF HEAT PRODUCED BY EXHAUST STEAM
28. GENERAL VIEW LOOKING SOUTH, SHOWING BOILER ROOM
29. VIEW LOOKING NORTH, SHOWING AIR VACUUM PUMP #3
30. VIEW LOOKING WEST INTO BUILDING EXTENSION. UNIT #3 WAS HOUSED IN THIS ADDITION, WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR FURTHER EXPANSION
31. DETAIL VIEW, TRANSFORMERS ON MAIN FLOOR IN TURBINE ROOM
32. VIEW LOOKING WEST SHOWING UNIT #3. VACUUM PUMP ON LEFT, CONDENSER TURBINE ON RIGHT, JET CONDENSER IN CENTER REAR
33. VIEW LOOKING SOUTH OF OIL ROOM. DELAVAL FEED PUMP ON LEFT, GE FEED PUMP ON RIGHT
34. VIEW LOOKING NORTH NEAR UNIT #2. MOTOR GENERATOR ON RIGHT AND STEAM EXCITER GENERATOR ON LEFT
35. VIEW LOOKING EAST IN PUMP ROOM. AIR COMPRESSOR ON LEFT, FUEL OIL PUMP BEHIND ON LEFT, FUEL OIL HEATERS AND PUMPS IN BACKGROUND WITH DRAIN SYSTEM
36. VIEW LOOKING WEST, #1 BOILER
37. DETAIL VIEW OF JACKING GEAR FOR TURBINE #21, WITH STEP BEARING IMMEDIATELY ABOVE
VIEW LOOKING NORTH, ELEVATION OF SOUTH FACADE. UPPER OPENING USED FOR COAL CONVEYOR
INTERIOR VIEW, 10,000KW GENERATOR
DETAIL VIEW, TOP OF TURBINE #1. GOVERNOR IS IN CENTER, CONDENSER IS IN BACKGROUND
INTERIOR VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT ELECTRICAL BAYS. OPERATORS SWITCHBOARD ONE LEVEL UP, TURBINE #1 TO LEFT, TURBINE #2 TO RIGHT
INTERIOR VIEW, DETAIL OF REGULATOR VALVE.

CONTROL #:
WA0169

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