York Haven Dam on the Susquehanna River

As part of my ongoing project 52 Ways to Look at the River, last week I traveled to the York Haven Dam, near the Conewago Falls on the Susquehanna.

The hydroelectric plant, completed in 1904, was an engineering marvel in its time, and is listed as a  National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

It’s been an exceptionally mild December here in PA, with record breaking temperatures.  Last winter when I was there gathering inspiration for Ice Jam, the river was clogged with ice.

Ice Jam

On this day the river was blanketed with a gentle fog that enhanced the natural beauty and made for some great photos.  I had a hard time picking which one to use for my weekly fiber panel.

See that walkway along the side of the building?  That’s where we are headed.  It was closed last time due to the ice, but this trip it was  open to give access to fishermen.

It’s safe enough, but doesn’t feel that way!  The plumes in the background are the steam from the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant a bit further upriver.

Below the walkway you can see the turbulent water being discharged.

The entire complex is incredible photogenic.  Check out this algae covered wall, above, and the row of stored  buoys, below. 

The architecture is functional, but the design is strong and appealing.

There are cool looking and once functional objects all around the grounds.

This is casually parked on the path used for boat portage around the dam.

The water was very still, which made for great reflections.

52 Ways to Look at the River, week 24 Inspiration Photo

Here’s the image I chose for this week’s panel.  Some of the others are still calling out to me, and may need to be transformed into fiberart as well.

52 Ways to Look at the River, week 24 Panel

Here’s the panel I made from the inspiration image.  It’s 6” x 12”, wool and silk, needlefelted and stitched.

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Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on 52 Ways to Look at the River and the first 24 panels.


As always, thanks for reading and commenting!