Municipal Power Plant

After attempts by Yoakum officials to purchase existing electric power facilities failed, the city voted in 1930, at a commission meeting attended by about 300 local residents, to build its own municipal power plant. This building was designed by the firm of Montgomery and Ward engineers of Wichita Falls and built by F. O. Crawford of Yoakum in 1932 on land purchased from the Spencer-Sauer Lumber Company. The building housed Yoakum's sole electric power plant until 1938 and continued in use as an auxiliary electric plant until the early 1960s. From 1964 to 1989 the building served as a municipal machine shop. In 1988 city officials offered the "Friends of the Library," a local organization organized in 1978 to promote the city library, an opportunity to utilize the building. The organization made use of state funds and generous donations by local citizens to convert the building into a public library. The project has earned recognition as a fine example of restoration and adaptive use of a historic building. The building is an excellent example of an industrial facility. It features a 3-bay primary facade, large metal sash windows, a 5-part parapet with incised name block, and gable roof with protruding clerestory windows. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1993

Municipal Power Plant is a historical marker in Yoakum, DeWitt County, dedicated in 1993. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in DeWitt County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 166 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.2857, -97.1510 near Yoakum. The nearest cataloged historic site is Yoakum City Colored Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.9 miles away. Others within a short drive include Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Allen Cemetery, and Von Hugo - Von Clausewitz Family Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5123003535. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.