At the turn of the 20^th century, there was a growing need for electricity, Niagara Falls had considerable potential to produce power, and so Jacob Schoellkopf purchased land near the falls in 1877 for a hydraulic canal. Schoellkopf owned the first hydroelectric company that generated power from Niagara Falls, named Schoellkopf's Hydraulic Power Company. Three power plants were built to form the Schoellkopf Power Station that lit the streets of Niagara Falls, New York. At this time, electricity was only used for the telephone, as power was still considered a new concept. Schoellkopf realized that the water flowing over the Niagara Gorge was the future for connecting power with the commercial production of electricity, and in using this method to power his turbines, the first hydroelectric generating station was established. A small powerhouse was built in 1882, which produced power from the hydraulic canal, and the second power plant was built directly in front of the original plant in 1904 to boost power output. Both of these stations were shut down and made way for the construction of Station 3, in which included Stations 3 A, B and C. Station 3A was built in 1905, 3B and C in 1918, and completed in 1924.

Starting in 1881, this power plant also provided power to illuminate the Niagara Falls, which indicated a breakthrough in the history of the illumination of Niagara Falls. The power plant had collapsed from a rockslide in 1956 and was later replaced with the Robert Moses Generating Station, located in Lewiston, New York.

In 1956, Schoellkopf Power Station was involved in destructive collapse. Water began seeping through the back of the plant and had caused the wall to crack and Stations 3B and C flooded and collapsed into the Niagara River. This rockslide destroyed two thirds of the power plant and left Station 3A damaged but remained in operation at a reduced level. The day after the collapse, the canal was drained and never used again. The land was then transferred over to the city, in which was used as a landfill and was considered a safety hazard. In 1962, Station 3A was demolished and the Robert Moses Generating Station was built in Lewiston, New York to replace the original Schoellkopf stations.

Today, the only lasting part of the Schoellkopf Site is the stone wall, known as Power Station 3, that was built in 1908 and listed as a National Historic Place in 2013.

The power station is a fully accessible tourist attraction that is associated with Niagara Falls State Park. As well, the Maid of the Mist boats use the platform for docking purposes.

In 1918, Schoellkopf's Hydraulic Power Company merged with the Niagara Falls Power Company and works in association with Niagara Falls State Park in order to keep the site maintained as a tourist attraction.

This site is fully accessible for anyone regarding mobility issues.

Mitchell, M. (2008). Schoellkopf Power Station Disaster. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from http://www.niagarafrontier.com/schoellkopf.html.

Niagara Falls Info. (2018). Schoellkopf Power Plant. Retrieved on October 12, 2018, from https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-his...