We explore the ruins of an abandoned factory – formerly the Rowe Manufacturing Company – in rural Newaygo, Michigan.
The internal power plant’s structure still exists over a century later. The ruins have two, still flowing, water races. They used to provide power to a large manufacturing plant which produced a variety of wood products.
The video outlines the exploration. Below, you will find documents from the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center. These documents include an oral history interview from a worker who helped clear the building after it was abandoned, excepts from the Newaygo Republican Newspaper and some pictures.
If you have any connection with this former plant, please let us know in the comments below.
3 thoughts on “Abandoned Powerhouse”
My grandpa worked there for about a year when he was 18…about 1925 or so. He then went to consumers power.
Hey Jennifer,
Did he talk about working here with you?
I worked there 1967-68 while in high school. I was in the west building when it caught fire. I exited by the catwalk to the east building and sounded the alarm. I remember a lot of how the plant functioned, how the waterwheel power system worked (for example, on the third floor of the west building there was a larger generator which was powered by the wheel system and powered the plant during power failures. The two water towers were primarily there to supply the fire suppression system, also for the boiler in the powerhouse. Ground floor of the west building had a large colony of bats.