Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album, Ms2019-028, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album was purchased by Special Collections in 2019.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album was completed in June 2019.

Historical Note

The construction and naming of the Byllesby Dam was completed between 1912 and 1913. The dam is named after H.M. Byllesby and Company–a Chicago-based investment firm that assisted in the creation of the Appalachian Power Company. The dam has a surface area of 242 acres and is a source of hydroelectric power for the surrounding area. During the construction of the Byllesby Dam, the Appalachian Power Company also built another dam at Buck–three miles downstream from the Byllesby Dam.

Scope and Content

The Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album contains 110 silver gelatin prints in a black photograph album that documents the step-by-step construction of the Byllesby dam and associated power generating structures on the in Carroll County, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It includes the installation of turbines, images of workers on site, and living quarters. There are also a few images of people in the landscape, dancing, and playing cards, along with related newspaper clippings and ephemera. The dam, built by the predecessor to the Appalachian Power Company, was one of the first to provide electricity to the region. The album likely belonged to Clifford Erickson, a draftsman on the dam project.

Related Material

See the Byllesby Dam, Carroll County, Virginia, Photographs, Ms2009-095 , also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Byllesby Dam (Va.)
• Carroll County (Va.)
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Photographs
• Science and Technology

Rights Statements for Archival Description

The guide to the Byllesby, Virginia, Dam Construction Photograph Album by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).