Dotterer Horizontal Steam Engine, circa 1835

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Artifact Overview

This horizontal steam engine powered the Fairfield Rice Mill on the Allston Plantation located on the banks of the Waccamaw River in South Carolina. The steam engine operated from about 1835 to 1908, replacing the tidewater wheel that furnished power to the mill since 1800. Thomas Dotterer and his company--manufacturers of several locomotives used on South Carolina rail lines--built this early engine.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Steam engine (Engine)

Date Made

circa 1835

Location

On Loan - Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park (McCalla, AL)

Object ID

35.83.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cast Iron
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Diameter: 7.5 in (Bore)
Horsepower: 12 hp (8.95 kW)
Length: 30 in (Stroke)
Speed: 50 rpm (0.83 Hz)

Dotterer Horizontal Steam Engine, circa 1835