Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant

….. Lots and lots of folks visit Toccoa Falls  but very very few ever step around the corner to see the Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant. Built in 1899, the power plant was used to power the city of Toccoa and surrounding area. A log dam was built on top of the mountain to create a headwater that flowed down the mountain in a large pipe to spend the generator. The building was built with handmade brick which were hauled in by wagon, which was a 2 day trip. The sw...irls of the paddle can still be seen in the brick. GA Power purchased the plant in 1927, then gave it to the college in 1933 which was then used for its sole power until 1957. In 1972, the Toccoa Falls College and Georgia Power renovated it and now maintain it as a historical site. As a side note, the original log dam was later replaced with an earthen dam. It was that dam which failed in 1977 killing 39 people at the college. This pic was taken in 2011. I was there this past summer and the grass is well maintained and all the brush has been cut back from the little falls area.
Eddie Harwell