Construction on the Bull Run Powerhouse began in 1909 and was completed in 1912.
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Construction on the Bull Run Powerhouse began in 1909 and was completed in 1912.
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At its peak, the powerhouse generated 30 MW of electricity, enough to power 12,000 homes in the nearby town of Bull Run.
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At its peak, the powerhouse generated 30 MW of electricity, enough to power 12,000 homes in the nearby town of Bull Run.
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After the Marmot Dam was removed and Lake Rosyln was drained in 2008, the powerhouse at Bull Run was marked for historical preservation.
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After the Marmot Dam was removed and Lake Rosyln was drained in 2008, the powerhouse at Bull Run was marked for historical preservation.
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Historic preservationist Jeff Joslin partnered with local investors to purchase the building along with the drained Lake Rosyln from PGE for $615,000.
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Historic preservationist Jeff Joslin partnered with local investors to purchase the building along with the drained Lake Rosyln from PGE for $615,000.
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Today, abandoned buildings like this are the only remaining evidence that powerhouse once served a thriving community.
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Today, abandoned buildings like this are the only remaining evidence that powerhouse once served a thriving community.
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Old generators stand silent in the powerhouse.
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Old generators stand silent in the powerhouse.
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Joslin and his partners hope to convert the site into an interpretive site to help visitors understand Portland’s tightly intertwined natural and industrial histories.
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Joslin and his partners hope to convert the site into an interpretive site to help visitors understand Portland’s tightly intertwined natural and industrial histories.
FOR ALMOST A CENTURY, the Bull Run Powerhouse hummed on the Little Sandy River, not far from Portland’s watershed reserve. The power plant, completed in 1912 along the Bull Run tributary, generated up to 30 megawatts, enough to juice about 12,000 homes. But on a recent stroll among concrete walls more than 60 feet…
