Monday the U-S Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the designations of 19 new National Historic Landmarks, reflecting the importance of the sites in sharing America’s diverse history. One of those designations was given to the Reeve REA Power Generating Plant along 110th Street southwest of Hampton.
Some of the significance behind the designation includes that the plant has the exceptional ability to convey the pivotal role of the Rural Electrification Administration, or REA, in electrifying rural homes. Between 1935-1950, the percentage of rural households with electricity rose from 11 to 78 percent, thanks in large part to the REA and the rural electric cooperatives it supported.
In addition, the period of national significance for the Reeve REA Power Generating Plant was from 1938, when it came on-line to produce energy for six surrounding counties, and extended to 1948, when it moved to stand-by status for a larger power plant run by a larger cooperative serving the same area. The plant is owned by the Franklin County Historical Society, which operates the facility as a museum.
