Historical Society Of Western Virginia: Historic Crystal Spring Steam Pump Open For Tours

Press release from the Historical Society of Western Virginia:

August 6, 2021

Crystal Spring is home to the Snow Steam Pump, a historic pump that was utilized 24-hours a day to pump water from Crystal Spring into the downtown Roanoke area from 1905 – 1959. The steam powered pump was purchased from the Snow Steam Pump Works of Buffalo, NY for $16,320, brought to Roanoke by train, and then assembled in its current location. The building that houses the pump was built around the pump. In 1959, the steam powered pump was replaced by electric pumps. The Snow Steam Pump exhibit was closed for the past two summers due to construction to install new water distribution pumps at the Crystal Spring Water Treatment Facility. The five new pumps replaced the electric pumps in a building that had been located near the entrance to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. That building needed to be removed to facilitate the expansion of the hospital. Now that the new pumps are installed and operational, the Snow Steam Pump exhibit can reopen. Free tours of the Snow Steam Pump will be offered weekends during August 2021 on Saturdays (12-4) and Sundays (1-4). The building is ADA accessible and air conditioned. Guests can see the pump in action (now powered by electricity), view a short video about the history of Roanoke’s water supply and view other maps and photographs of the Crystal Spring area. The Snow Steam Pump exhibit is co-managed for the benefit of the community by the Western Virginia Water Authority and the Historical Society of Western Virginia.

This press release was produced by the Historical Society of Western Virginia. The views expressed here are the author’s own.