Mill Race Bridge. Hagley Museum.
by Chris Kusik
Title
Mill Race Bridge. Hagley Museum.
Artist
Chris Kusik
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
In 1802 a young French immigrant, Eleuthre lrne du Pont, chose
a forested site on the Brandywine River near Wilmington, Delaware,
as the ideal location on which to build a high-technology manufactory
to produce explosive black powder. The power to drive these operations came from the waters of the Brandywine. Along the length of its riverside property, DuPont constructed four dams across the stream. All were originally constructed
of timber and stone, but one was rebuilt using granite and concrete.
Stone-lined raceways directed water to drive machinery in a group of
mill buildings, from which the water returned to the river. Sluice gates
in the raceways controlled the flow to each mill. Originally wooden water wheels powered the mills. By the 184Os, more efficient iron water
turbines began replacing the wooden wheels. Examples of both
technologies are visible at the site today, including a reconstructed 16-
foot breast wheel at the Birkenhead Mills. The large waterwheels and
the comparatively small turbines, developing upwards of 40
horsepower, turned shafts that powered gear trains to operate the
machinery.
Uploaded
July 30th, 2013
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