Construction of Carbonton dam, 1921.

The dam stood 17’ high and 270’ long, and spanned the Deep River. The current facility at Carbonton was built in 1921 as the first electrical power plant in the Sandhills. Earlier structures date back to the Evans Lock and Dam in the mid-19th century when attempts were made to move coal on barges down the river, hence the origin of the name Carbonton. The original power plant was a cornerstone of the Sandhills Power Company and ultimately became CP&L, now Progress Energy.

See more photos of the dam construction here:

Construction of Carbonton Dam 1921

The dam was removed in 2005. The removal project was the largest in North Carolina at the time. You can read more about the dam removal here:

https://web.archive.org/.../case_studies/carbonton-dam/

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