Philpott Dam is a concrete,

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...

on the Smith River in

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It impounds

Philpott Lake Philpott Lake is a reservoir in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is impounded by Philpott Dam. The lake is at an elevation of , covers an area of , and has a shoreline length of . Philpott Lake extends into Franklin County, Virginia, Franklin, Henry ...

. Philpott Dam is located about above the mouth of the Smith River. It is about upstream from

Bassett, Virginia Bassett is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,100 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town was founded along a rail line by the sam ...

. The Dam and Philpott Lake were created to control flooding along the Smith River, to generate

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

, and to provide recreational activities in a series of parks around the lake: Philpott Park, Bowens Creek Park, Goose Point Park, Ryans Park, Jamison Mill Park, Horseshoe Point Park, Twin Ridge Park, Salthouse Branch Park, and Tailrace Park (listed clockwise around the lake beginning at the south end of the dam).F A Q
/ref> Construction on Philpott Dam began in 1948 and was completed in 1952.
/ref> The Philpott Dam Powerhouse was completed and started generating electricity in 1953. The Philpott project is operated by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, Wilmington District. The dam includes a

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

, a powerhouse, and switchyard. The top elevation of Philpott Dam is 1016 feet (310 m) msl and has an overall length of 920 feet (280 m). The maximum height above the streambed is 220 feet (67 m). The spillway has a crest elevation of 985 feet, msl and a total length of 120 feet (37 m) The power house has two vertical shaft

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The proces ...

s rated at 6700 kW each and a smaller unit rated at 600 kW. The dam is also a noted tourist and recreational area, and a place of great beauty. Over the years, a number of artists and photographers have used the dam site for their compositions.

Jessamine Shumate Ada Jessamine Shumate (born on March 31, 1902, as Ada Jessamine White in Horsepasture, Virginia – died on December 16, 1990, in Greenville, North Carolina) was an American artist, historian and cartographer, winner of the "Award of Distinction" ...

, a local artist, did an early

watercolor painting Watercolor (American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the U ...

of the Philpott Dam in Henry County, and a second, unfinished painting. These two paintings were done during the construction phase of the dam, and both paintings show the temporary cement factory that was constructed to produce the cement locally. The cement mill was then taken down and removed after the dam was constructed. Her paintings are the only representations from this phase of construction, since most other photographic work concentrated on the construction of the dam itself, and not in the engineering aspects of the construction site. These paintings have recently (2010) been donated to the Philpott Dam. "Relatives of the late artist Ada Jessamine Shumate, who contributed two of her paintings of the construction of Philpott Dam to the dam’s visitor’s center. Jessamine Shumate was a native of

Henry County, Virginia Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,948. The county seat is usually identified as Martinsville; however, the administration building (where county offices are located an ...

, who painted the construction during the 1950s. Sharing the paintings with the public is a fitting tribute to her work and a good way for people to get a sense of what went into creating the dam.""Hats Off To..." 2010. Martinsville Bulletin. September 26, 2010. Page 4.
/ref>

References

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External links

{{stack, {{Portal, Virginia, Water, Renewable energy

Dams in Virginia Hydroelectric power plants in Virginia Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Virginia Buildings and structures in Henry County, Virginia United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Dams completed in 1952 Energy infrastructure completed in 1952