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The City of Appleton Historic Preservation Commission will commemorate the Vulcan Street Plant Replica Building with a historical marker at a dedication ceremony on Friday May 29.

The Vulcan Street Plant Replica Building is perhaps one of the earliest examples of a hydroelectric plant that sold electricity commercially and provided incandescent lighting service to the public.

The building, located at 530 Vulcan Street, will open at 5:00 p.m. with the dedication ceremony

starting at 5:30 p.m. Funding for the State Historic Marker was obtained from the City of Appleton and from federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The text reads:

“Vulcan Street Plant Replica Building”

On November 25, 1882, the Vulcan Street Hydroelectric Central Station began operation. The Vulcan Street Plant featured a direct-current Edison "K" - type dynamo and lit the homes of A.L. and H.D. Smith, five or six mills, a blast furnace, and other nearby homes with the Edison bulbs. The Vulcan Street Plant represents an early use of hydro-power to generate electricity and perhaps one of the earliest examples of a hydroelectric plant that sold electricity commercially and provided incandescent lighting service to the public. In 1932, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original plant opening, this replica was constructed by the Wisconsin-Michigan Power Company. Like the original, it houses an Edison “K” dynamo. In 1987, the building was moved here from (now Olde) South Oneida Street.

Erected 2014 Wisconsin Historical Society City of Appleton

Historical markers commemorate significant Wisconsin individuals, places, sites, and events in communities throughout Wisconsin. They promote, preserve, and present their history for the education and enjoyment of residents and tourists of all ages.