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Smith Creek Area - 1 Cherokee National Forest, Polk Co., TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
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Smith Creek Area - 1 Cherokee National Forest, Polk Co., TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| The powerhouse for TVA's Apalachia Hydroelectric Project was constructed near Smith Creek, as was a large surge tank and the western end of the 18 foot wide tunnel. The tunnel work at this point was accessed via the Smith Creek Adit. All this construction necessitated housing for many workers, in a remote area with little available lodging. The Smith Creek Village furnished housing for these workers from 1942 to 1946, after which time it was dismantled. It consisted of 20 housing units and a community building. The community building contained a food market, school, post office, recreation room, toilets and an office. Water was supplied by an elevated 50,000 gallon tank, with water treatment and pumps in a powerhouse. |
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| Foundation walls of the Smith Creek Village community building. |
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| The building was built on multiple levels. |
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| Not sure what this was... Not a well, as water was supplied from a tank. |
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| It's hard to see with the leaves, but on the left are steps going down to the lower level. |
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| A long section of brick wall |
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| I was surprised to see all the nice brick work here. Seems they would have used concrete for a temporary building. |
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| More of the interior... |
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| The corners on the exterior walls were angled out at the base, almost like an old fort. |
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| Angled exterior wall |
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| A rounded brick "balcony" was built into the hillside above the community building. I don't know what its purpose was... |
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| "Balcony" (for lack of a better description) |
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| Looking down on the community center from above the "balcony" |
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| Pumphouse & water treatment plant |
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| Pumphouse & water treatment plant. |
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| Pumphouse interior |
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| A pair of large, obelisk shaped footings |
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| I believe that the (now removed) 50,000 gallon water tank at the top of the hill was supported by the two stand-alone footings, as well as the ends on the concrete water pump building. |
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| One of the obelisk support footings |
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| Smith Creek Adit Not quite as intriguing as the McFarland Adit, since it has no associated waterfall... |
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| Footings from the Blower building operation |
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| More Blower building footings |
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| Compressor building footings. |
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| More compressor building footers |
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| More compressor footings... |