Milburnie Dam

Milburnie Dam. . Just upstream from this location, a dam has slowed the waters of the Neuse River for more than 150 years. The greenway bridge is a great place to see the dam., Mid-1800s , Paper Mill , In the mid-1800s, the original Miburnie Dam was only eight feet tall and made of wood. Water flowing over this dam powered a paper mill, reportedly destroyed during Union occupation in April 1865., Early-1900s , Hydroelectric Plant , Around 1900, the dam was rebuilt with rock and masonry and a hydroelectric plant was added. Electricity from this plant powered Raleigh's streetcars via a 6,600 volt line that ran six miles into Raleigh. The plant was in use several years before it was dismantled., Mid-1930s , Gristmill , In the mid-1930s, water flowing over the dam powered a gristmill where farmers could bring corn to be ground into meal or flour. The mill stopped operation in the 1940s and later the building burned., 1980s , Hydroelectric Plant , Another hydroelectric plant was built on the Milburnie Dam in the early 1980s. It was operational for several years before shutting down. (pictured on right), Today , Wildlife Habitat , Although the dam is no longer used to grind corn or make electricity, the impounded waters behind the dam have created wildlife habitat. Areas of deep, slow-moving water and the adjacent wetlands are home to to fish, beavers, water snakes, hawks, herons, turtles and more., The Future , When old dams no longer serve their original purpose, they are sometimes removed to restore rivers to their original channels. This could be the fate of Milburnie Dam which would bring both hydrologic and wildlife habitat changes to this area of the Neuse River., (captions) , Map of Milburnie Dam and Neuse River Trail. Notice the large wetlands on the east side of the river behind the dam., Raleigh Street Car from the early 1900s., Downstream of Milburnie Dam – Old powerhouse structure from 1980s is on the left.