Lake Solitude Dam, also known as the Taylor Dam, was constructed in 1858 across the South Branch of the Raritan River to provide hydro-power and hydro-electric power to Taylor Iron and Steel Company. The original falls structure, or spillway, was a crib dam. In 1909, this crib dam was replaced with the current spillway, a stone buttress dam that is 175 feet wide and 40 feet tall. Designed by New Jersey engineer Colonel Frank Tainter, the dam is the earliest example of a steel reinforced dam and the last remaining example of a buttress dam in the state of New Jersey.

Photo: Alan Edelson

Photo: Alan Edelson

High Bridge, New Jersey · USA