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All the United States North Carolina Sanford Old Carbonton Dam
AO Edited

Old Carbonton Dam

An eerily abandoned stone tower is all that remains of a demolished dam on Cape Fear River.

Sanford, North Carolina

Added By
chooch1andonly
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Old Carbonton Dam   Patrick Mueller on Flickr
Old Carbonton Dam   Patrick Mueller on Flickr
Old Carbonton Dam   Wikipedia
Old Carbonton Dam   chooch1andonly / Atlas Obscura User
Old Carbonton Dam   Donald Lee Pardue on Flickr
  jillybeanznc / Atlas Obscura User
  JennyBean / Atlas Obscura User
  JennyBean / Atlas Obscura User
  JennyBean / Atlas Obscura User
  SwampGal / Atlas Obscura User
  SwampGal / Atlas Obscura User
  SwampGal / Atlas Obscura User
  SwampGal / Atlas Obscura User
Carbonton Dam is covered with graffiti, but that adds to the charm of this abandoned piece of history.   NC Hidden History / Atlas Obscura User
Although the tower sits within a quaint little park, the tower has become the victim of vandals with spray paint cans. There are 30 steps to reach the top landing. If you’re subject to vertigo, you may want to pass on the trip up to the top.   johnpageott / Atlas Obscura User
  johnpageott / Atlas Obscura User
  johnpageott / Atlas Obscura User
  HelloKitty / Atlas Obscura User
  HelloKitty / Atlas Obscura User
Carbonton Dam   HelloKitty / Atlas Obscura User
  jillybeanznc / Atlas Obscura User
  hannahhch / Atlas Obscura User
Inside, ground floor   Kateing / Atlas Obscura User
There are WASPS everywhere! Be CAREFUL!   Kateing / Atlas Obscura User
Second floor window overlooking the river   Kateing / Atlas Obscura User
  Kateing / Atlas Obscura User
  Kateing / Atlas Obscura User
  johnpageott / Atlas Obscura User
  biohneenbam / Atlas Obscura User
  abbyms123 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Standing just feet from a wooden picnic table in a North Carolina park, a solitary concrete tower marks the former location of a large dam that threatened to damage the surrounding ecosystem. Now the eerie ruins are more scenic landmark than damaging natural blight.

Deep River had been dammed to some extent since the 1800s, but the modern Carbonton Dam was originally built in 1921. The long concrete dam stood on a curve in Deep River, a tributary of Cape Fear River. It was only 17 feet tall, but it stretched for over 200 feet, diverting the flow of the waters, and generating power to the local area in a tall powerhouse. The dam was in use until 2005, but over its decades of existence the water flowing through the system was coming out contaminated, damaging the local ecosystem downstream. It had impeded the local animals from traveling upstream as well. The power output at the site stopped in 2004, and between 2005-2006, the dam was demolished and the river returned to its original flow for the first time in almost a century. 

However, while the dam itself was torn down, the tall powerhouse was left standing like a memorial to the former dam. The area around it, formerly off limits while the dam was in operation, was turned into public park land.

The tower can be explored, but given that it is a slowly crumbling old structure, it can be somewhat treacherous. 

The ruins is solid concrete and the steps are rusty, but solid. There is little apparent danger of collapse, but the structure is home to several very large wasp nests. The graffiti and views from inside are strikingly beautiful, but this is no longer a human space, and it is important to be respectful of the current occupants. Two nests are in the fuse box on the top floor inside, directly beside the doorway. Visitors coming inside will walk very close before they see the nests. Stepping on anything not made of concrete or iron in the tower is inadvisable. Nonetheless, the ruins give the site a haunting beauty that makes the now protected nature stand out even more by contrast.  

Related Tags

Dams Ruins Parks

Know Before You Go

From Sanford, take Carbonton road for a few miles until reaching the bridge spanning the Deep River, which straddles the Chatham/Moore county line. Before the actual bridge there is a dirt road turn-off into the parking area with picnic tables next to the dam. Please watch out if you decide to go into the water. There are leeches—quite a few of them, too.

Community Contributors

Added By

chooch1andonly

Edited By

regisgodfrey, mackenzieprice13, artmenius, Kateing...

  • regisgodfrey
  • mackenzieprice13
  • artmenius
  • Kateing
  • ChaotiCirce
  • EricGrundhauser
  • biohneenbam
  • hannahhch
  • jillybeanznc
  • johnpageott
  • HelloKitty
  • abbyms123
  • NC Hidden History
  • SwampGal
  • JennyBean

Published

September 24, 2015

Edit this listing

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Sources
  • http://www.restorationsystems.com/dam-removal/carbonton-dam-removal-a-6th-anniversary-look-back/
  • http://www.gribblenation.com/nclost/buildings/carbonton.html
  • http://dmccartyphoto.com/2012/06/26/first-visit-to-carbonton-dam-nc/
  • http://deepriver.pbworks.com/w/page/17134624/Carbonton%20Dam
  • http://1else0.com/index.php/2016/12/09/haunted-old-carbonton-dam-haunted-travel/
Old Carbonton Dam
Carbonton Dam
Sanford, North Carolina, 27330
United States
35.520427, -79.348911
Get Directions

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