Archived SNEC Events

Members are encouraged to submit digital photos and comments regarding previous SNEC SIA event to the site webmaster.

2007 Events

April 28, 2007: Tour of Rockville, CT
November 17, 2007: Historical Collections at Harvard Business School's Baker Library.

2006 Events

August 19, 2006:
Antique Marine Engines at Mystic Seaport.

We took advantage of a special event, an antique marine engines steam-up, to make a collective visit to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. Highlights included the steam-up, a behind-the-scenes look at stored engines, and a group discount on the entry fee for what turned out to be an exceptionally beautiful day.

SNEC members follow a tour guide into the heart of Mystic Seaport.

More antique marine engines stored at Mystic Seaport. Photos by Dave Laun.
May 6, 2006:
Restored "Ice House" hydroelectric facility in Ayer, MA. See pages 9 & 10 in this PDF.

The current home of Grady Research, the Ice House hydro project has a long history of use, abuse and – in its current incarnation – re-use and reclamation. Initially dammed in the 1790’s, the site provided power for a succession of mills. In 1900 or so, the Fitchburg and Leominster Street Railway purchased the facility and in 1907, installed three vertical turbines to operate their trolley cars from Ayer to Leominster.

The trolley business died in the 1920’s and in 1930 (or thereabouts) a new group purchased the facility to install ice-making machinery, an enterprise that ran through the mid-1950’s before falling into subsequent decay.

Under the leadership of John Grady, the dam, powerhouse and other facilities have been rebuilt or restored, including the installation of two new generators.

Photo at right: SNEC members listen attentively as John Grady, president of Grady Research, explains the functions of the old turbine and gate mechanisms, part of the 1906 elements found when John and his team excavated the site in preparation for the new hydro-electric facilities. The building in the background, which serves as the headquarters for Grady Research, is not an original site structure; John built it recently, modeling the design on the Watertown Arsenal in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Photo: The hydroelectric plant itself, facing the intake gates. Inside, two synchronous generators are capable of 330 KW of power. Instead of controlling the turbine speed (to maintain the necessary 60 Hz) by regulating water flow, the constant is maintained by monitoring and adjusting the electric load.

See more photos of the Ice House hydro site here.

February 18, 2006: 19th Annual Conference on New England Industrial Archeology, hosted by the Northern New England Chapter (NNEC) held at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

2005 Events

October 22, 2005: Collings Foundation tour of restored classic aircraft and historic automobiles
September 24, 2005: Tour of New London, Connecticut, including the Hopsin-Chapin Factory Building, the railroad swing bridge, the 1833 Custom House, miscellaneous sites on Bank Street, Union Station (designed by H.H. Richardson) and Fort Trumbull.
May 14, 2005: Old New-Gate Prison and Noble & Cooley Drum Company tour in East Granby, Connecticut and Granville, Massachusetts, respectively.
April 15, 2005: Chelsea, Massachusetts tour of Chelsea Clock, the Tobin Bridge and the Old Naval Hospital Grounds (with an emphasis on the architecture of Alexander Parris).
February 19, 2005: 18th Annual Symposium on Industrial Archeology in the New England Area, hosted by SNEC SIA and held at the Higgins Armory in Worcester, Massachusetts.