__NOTOC__ The following is a list of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) since it began the program in 1971. The designation is granted to existing artifacts or systems representing significant mechanical engineering technology. Mechanical Engineering Heritage Sites are particular locales at which some event or development occurred or which some machine, building, or complex of significance occupied. Also, Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collections refers to a museum or collection that includes related objects of special significance to, but not necessarily a major evolutionary step in, the historical development of mechanical engineering.
Clicking the landmark number in the first column will take you to the ASME page on the site where you will also find the downloadable brochure from the dedication.
There are over 275 landmarks on the list.
Ref# Year added Name Image Date Location Region/state Country Notes 1 1973 Ferries & Cliffhouse Cable Railway Power House One of the most complicated cable-car systems to run from a single station. 1887 San Francisco California United States Part of the modern San Francisco cable car system; ASME brochure 2 1973 Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine Unusual triple-expansion, three-crank "rocker" engine, driving high-capacity, high-speed pumps. 1894 Boston Massachusetts United States ASME brochure 3 1974 A.B. Wood Screw Pump The most advanced low-lift drainage pump in use in the early 20th century, later used worldwide. 1914 New Orleans Louisiana United StatesASME brochure 4 1975 Portsmouth-Kittery Naval Shipbuilding Activity First US naval shipyard, achieving notable firsts in technology and producing many well-known US naval vessels. 1774 Kittery Maine United StatesASME brochure 5 1975 Boyden Hydraulic Turbines Two of the oldest surviving water turbines, probably the largest and nearly the most powerful ever built in the United States for mechanical drive. Located at Harmony Mills. 1871 Cohoes New York United StatesASME brochure 6 1975 Curtis 5000-kW Vertical Turbine The most powerful steam turbine-generator in the world at the time of its construction. 1903 Schenectady New York United StatesASME brochure 7 1975 Saugus Ironworks Reconstruction of the first successful commercial ironworks in North America. 1647 Saugus Massachusetts United StatesASME brochure 8 1975 Pioneer Oil Refinery California Star Oil Works A replica of the first successful commercial oil refinery in the US West. 1876 Newhall California United StatesASME brochure 9 1975 Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Scoop Wheel & Engines 19th-century steam pumps at the (former) summit of the ship canal. 1852 Chesapeake City Maryland United StatesASME brochure 10 1975 USS Texas' Reciprocating Steam Engines Last reciprocating steam engines installed in a naval ship. 1914 La Porte Texas United StatesASME brochure 11 1975 Paige Compositor First US typography machine to set, justify, and distribute foundry type from a common case using one operator. 1877 Hartford Connecticut United States No ASME brochure available. 12 1976 Reynolds-Corliss Pumping Engine Early 20th-century water pump driven by a Corliss steam engine. 1917 Jacksonville Florida United StatesASME brochure 13 1976 Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project Early 20th-century hydroelectric plant incorporating innovative technologies. 1909 Phoenix Arizona United StatesASME brochure 14 1976 Hanford B Reactor First US plutonium production reactor placed in commercial operation. 1944 Richland Washington United StatesASME brochure 15 1976 Magma Copper Mine Air Conditioning System First air-conditioned mine in North America. 1937 Superior Arizona United StatesASME brochure 16 1976 Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway Highest railway in the US and highest rack railway in the world. 1891 Pikes Peak Colorado United StatesASME brochure 17 1976 Edgar Station, Edison Electric Illuminating Co. Power-generation station with one of the world's only high-pressure topping turbines, which set new records in the late 1920s. 1925 Weymouth Massachusetts United StatesASME brochure 18 1976 Mount Washington Cog Railway World's first mountain cog railway. 1869 Mount Washington New Hampshire United StatesASME brochure 19 1976 Folsom Power House #1 One of the first successful uses of hydroelectric power in the world, including the first successful long-distance transmission of power. 1895 Folsom California United StatesASME brochure 20 1977 Crawler Transporters of Launch Complex 39 Two of the largest ground vehicles ever built, including automatic load-leveling systems. 1965 Cape Canaveral Florida United StatesASME brochure 21 1977 Fairmount Water Works First large-scale application of steam pumping, later water power, to public water supply. 1815 Philadelphia Pennsylvania United StatesASME brochure 22 1977 USS Olympia, Vertical Reciprocating Steam Engines Two of the first vertical triple-expansion marine engines. 1892 Philadelphia Pennsylvania United StatesASME brochure 23 1977 Pit-Cast Jib Crane Last US pit-cast jib crane to operate in the casting of iron pipe. 1905 Birmingham Alabama United StatesASME brochure 24 1977 State Line Generating Unit 1 World's largest electric-power generator for nearly 25 years, achieving many design firsts. 1929 Hammond Indiana United StatesASME brochure 25 1977 Pratt Institute Power Plant The oldest steam-generating plant of its kind in the Northeastern United States. 1887 Brooklyn New York United StatesASME brochure 26 1977 Monongahela Incline First US passenger incline. 1870 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania United StatesASME brochure 27 1977 Duquesne Incline Second US passenger incline. 1877 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania United StatesASME brochure 28 1977 Great Falls Raceway and Power System First major US water power system and basis for integrating urban planning with industrial development. 1792 Paterson New Jersey United StatesASME brochure 29 1977 Vulcan Street Power Plant First Edison hydroelectric central station. Coperating landmark by ASME IEEE and ASCE. 1882 Appleton Wisconsin United StatesASME brochure 30 1977 Wilkinson Mill Early 19th-century textile mill and machine shop. 1810 Pawtucket Rhode Island United StatesASME brochure 31 1978 Interborough Rapid Transit System (Original Line) The first fully electrically signaled railroad in the United States and the first practical subway in New York City. 1904 New York New York United States No ASME brochure available. 32 1978 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Old Main Line First US railroad in public service. 1828 Maryland Maryland United StatesASME brochure 33 1978 Ringwood Manor Iron Complex Surviving 18th-century iron manufacturing center. 1740 Ringwood New Jersey United StatesASME brochure 34 1978 Joshua Hendy Iron Works Early 20th-century ironworks demonstrating the adaptability required for industrial survival. 1906 Sunnyvale California United StatesASME brochure 35 1979 Hacienda Azucarera la Esperanza Sugar Mill Steam Engine Typical beam steam engine of the mid-19th century, directly connected to sugar crushing rolls. 1861 Manatí Puerto Rico United States ASME brochure 36 1979 RL-10 Rocket Engine First rocket engine to use high-energy liquid hydrogen as fuel. 1958 West Palm Beach Florida United StatesASME brochure 37 1979 A. O. Smith Automatic Frame Plant Prototype of the automated factory; dubbed the 'Mechanical Marvel.' 1920 Milwaukee Wisconsin United States No longer exists. ASME brochure 38 1979 Morris Canal (Reaction) Turbine Early reaction, or Scotch, turbine, a type that later found widespread application. 1850 Port Warren New Jersey United States Scotch Turbine displayed at Hopatcong State Park. ASME brochure 39 1979 Experimental Breeder Reactor I World's first nuclear power plant to demonstrate the breeder concept. 1951 Arco Idaho United StatesASME brochure 40 1979 Drake Oil Well First practical oil recovery system using salt-well drilling techniques and modern pipe-driving methods, marks beginning of US petroleum industry. 1859 Titusville Pennsylvania United StatesASME brochure 41 1980 Springfield Armory First US armory noted for machinery for mass production of small arms, including the Blanchard lathe. 1794 Springfield Massachusetts United StatesASME brochure 42 1980 East Wells (Onieda) Street Power Plant Pilot plant for US development of pulverized-coal firing in power-plant boilers. 1918 Milwaukee Wisconsin United States ASME brochure 43 1980 Watkins Woolen Mill The best preserved 19th-century woolen mill in North America. 1868 Lawson Missouri United StatesASME brochure 44 1980 Fusion-welded Test Boiler Drum First fusion-welded boiler drum, tests on which led to widespread acceptance in industry. 1930 Windsor Connecticut United States ASME brochure 45 1980 Georgetown Steam Plant Steam plant with early Curtis turbines, marking the beginning of the end of the reciprocating steam engine as the central station prime mover. 1906 Seattle Washington United States ASME brochure 46 1980 Commonwealth Building Heat Pump First large commercial building in the United States to pioneer the use of heat pumps for heating and cooling. 1948 Portland Oregon United States ASME brochure 47 1980 Shippingport Nuclear Power Station First US commercial central electric-generating station to use nuclear energy. 1958 Shippingport Pennsylvania United States ASME brochure 48 1980 Edison 'Jumbo' Engine-driver Dynamo One of six dynamos from Edison's Pearl Street Station, the prototype for US central-station power generation. 1882 Dearborn Michigan United States ASME brochure 49 1980 Marine-type Triple-expansion, Engine-driven Dynamo Sole surviving engine-generator set marking the beginning of large-scale electric power generation in the United States. 1891 Dearborn Michigan United States No ASME brochure available. 50 1980 Cooperative Fuel Research Engine Pioneer variable-compression laboratory engine for testing fuels. 1928 Waukesha Wisconsin United States ASME brochure 51 1980 Port Washington Power Plant The world's most thermally efficient steam plant for many years. 1935 Port Washington Wisconsin United StatesASME brochure 52 1980 Saturn V Rocket (Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center) Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980. 1967 Houston Texas United StatesASME brochure 53 1980 Saturn V Rocket (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980. 1967 Cape Canaveral Florida United StatesASME brochure 54 1980 Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle (U.S. Space & Rocket Center) Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980. 1966 Huntsville Alabama United StatesASME brochure 55 1980 Blood Heat Exchanger The first commercial human-blood heat exchanger for controlling hyperthermic temperatures during open-heart surgery. 1957 Amherst New York United StatesASME brochure 56 1980 Rocky River Pumped-storage Hydroelectric Plant Early example of the pumped-storage principle, at a power plant. 1929 New Milford Connecticut United StatesASME brochure 57 1980 Kaplan Turbine at York Haven Dam One of the first three Kaplan-type hydraulic turbines in the United States. 1929 York County Pennsylvania United States ASME brochure 58 1980 Pioneer Zephyr First US diesel-powered, stainless-steel streamlined train. 1934 Chicago Illinois United States ASME brochure 59 1981 Chestnut Street Pumping Engine Typical US municipal steam water-pumping engine of the late 19th century and early 20th century. 1913 Erie Pennsylvania United States No ASME brochure available 60 1981 Holt Caterpillar Tractor Earliest track-type gasoline-powered tractor, influencing designs worldwide. 1918 Stockton California United States No ASME brochure available 61 1981 Michigan-Lake Superior Power Hydroelectric Plant