The Best Tva project in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Historic Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse, located at 1265 Hales Bar Road in Guild, Tennessee, holds the distinction of being the first main-river, multipurpose dam built on the Tennessee River. Originally constructed by the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company in 1905, the dam was intended to improve navigation on the Upper Tennessee and provide electricity to the city of Chattanooga. The construction of the dam and powerhouse was a massive undertaking, employing over five thousand workers and requiring the creation of a small village to support them. Despite delays caused by flooding and foundation issues, the project was finally completed in 1913. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired Hales Bar Dam in 1939, but due to ongoing problems with the foundation and leakage, the dam was demolished in 1968 and replaced with Nickajack Dam downstream.