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All the United States North Carolina Durham Durham Pump Station

Durham Pump Station

Reachable only by foot, the ruins of the 1800s pump house and dam that supplied water to Durham, North Carolina, until 1927 sit by the scenic Eno River.

Durham, North Carolina

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Ruins of dam across Nancy Rhodes Creek   billindurham / Atlas Obscura User
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Eno River just upstream from the pump station   billindurham / Atlas Obscura User
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The brick and concrete foundations of a large pumping station sit at the water's edge in Eno River State Park.

A few yards upstream, straddling Nancy Rhode Creek, the remains of a washed-out stone dam are among the many scattered remnants of the system that once provided drinking water to Durham, 8 miles south. 

The pump station is reached by several well-maintained hiking paths in the state park, and is free to visit during daylight hours.

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Park along Rivermont Road and hike about a half mile north on the Pump Station trail toward the river and the pump station. The trail loops back along the river to the dam.

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October 29, 2026

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Sources
  • https://www.wral.com/archive/19153692/
  • https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/pump-station-trail-loop
  • https://www.opendurham.org/buildings/durham-water-company-eno-river-pumping-station
  • https://www.ncparks.gov/park-features/eno-river-state-park-pump-station-access

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Waterworks Ruins Dams Infrastructure
Durham Pump Station
4307 Rivermont Rd
Durham, North Carolina, 27712
United States
36.057487, -78.962896
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