I couldn’t help myself yesterday to go find the Pump House for the steam plant. I was driving down East Marginal Way on my way between Estate Sales and took this small detour in the rain. 8th Avenue South was not as easy to find as I thought. It angles off of East Marginal and now I know why I couldn’t find it using Google Maps.
Here is the view back to the West side of the river and the park commemorating the old 8th Street bridge. The post with details can be found at Bridge & Steam Plant History.
Want more on Georgetown Steam Plant? Georgetown Steam Plant Directory
The pump house is not in the best repair with paint of different shades on it covering up graffiti and tags. Not surprised when you look at the sad state of this little river access park. I searched to see who the park belongs to on both Seattle and Port of Seattle web sites. Neither mention it but it must belong to someone. There is a sign holder, a bench and art. The sign holder is not plain either. It has two fish in the design.
To see more of my Duwamish Adventure I have a directory post that links all of the pieces together. You can find that post here – My Duwamish Adventure Directory
The park is owned by the City of Seattle, Seattle Parks Department. City Light transferred ownership of the pump house to the Parks Department several years ago.
The pump house itself houses two centrifugal pumps, each powered by a four hundred horsepower motor using two-phase power at 2400 volts. The transformers powering the pumps are long gone.
Leave it to Seattle to neglect one of it’s park areas. This could be such a sweet little water side park. And it has a touch of history to it.
So, if they have removed the transformers how does the power plant get water now? Or does it still function? I thought it did.
The last time the main generators ran was in in either October or November of 1973. I was there. Some of the boilers were fired a few years later to heat the fuel oil in the underground tanks so it could be pumped out and the tanks removed.
In the last few years the cooling water discharge flume was filled in and the storm sewers that had run to the flume were re-routed to city storm sewers.
Wow – I thought the plant was still functioning. Sounds like it has been a long time since she was alive and now is a showcase for the machines only.
Thank you so much for all this info. This will help keep the story alive of this wonderful place. History has a way of disappearing and you just helped insure that we keep going.