History of Cedar Cliff Falls
Cedar Cliff Falls was constructed in 1887 as a stone dam for the Harbison Flour Mill,1 which sat just behind it on the south side of Massie Creek. The Falls replaced an old dam that had been destroyed in a flood.
The Falls were built with a slight curve upstream, as many dams are, to absorb the water pressure behind it. While it was being constructed, the water flowing from upstream was continually pumped using a cofferdam.
Fast Facts
The Falls are beautiful in the winter as well!
- Approximately 30 ft wide2
- Approximately 40 ft high3 (usually appears to be much less depending on water level)
- Depth of water behind falls is about 25 ft
- Stone wall is 2 – 2.5 ft thick
- Stone wall downstream face is vertical; upstream face is sloped at a 2:1 ratio
- Construction cost about $115,000.00 – which would be over $3 million today!
REFERENCES
- Leffel, J. (1978, September 19). Telephone Memorandum. Springfield, OH.
- Woolpert, R. L. (1977, April 1). Engineering Services. Xenia, OH.
- Hedeen, S. (n.d.). Water, Stone, and Ice. In The Little Miami – Wild & Scenic River Ecology & History (pp. 6–6). essay.
Content developed by Audrey Illig.
