Bluestone Dam

Bluestone Dam was completed for operational purposes in January 1949 and completely finished in January 1952. It is a concrete gravity dam, 165’ high and 2,048’ long. The dam spans the New River at Hinton. It was built primarily to reduce major flooding along the New, Kanawha, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers. The New River begins at Blowing Rock, North Carolina and flows north through Virginia and West Virginia. It joins with the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River. 

The construction of the Bluestone Dam formed the Bluestone Lake, the third largest lake in West Virginia.

The Bluestone River begins about 2.5 miles from Springville, Virginia. It flows 83 miles through Mercer and Summers Counties. Its major tributary is the Little Bluestone River. Together they empty into the New River at Bluestone Lake.

When the construction of the Bluestone Dam was begun it was determined that the small Town of Lilly, that was settled in the 1700s, would be flooded. Residents were forced to move. Cemeteries were exhumed and moved to new locations. Buildings, churches and homes were all destroyed or moved to new locations. 

There are a total of 103 archaeological sites located on federal property within the boundaries of the Bluestone Lake project. This includes 55 prehistoric open habitation sites, 4 prehistoric hamlets, 4 historic military fort sites, 8 historic residential sites, 10 historic industrial sites and 2 sites of reported historic use. Collecting artifacts is prohibited. ---US Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District Website

In 2023 the Bluestone dam was going through extensive upgrades that were expected to be finished in 2029. The dam itself was temporarily closed to visitors but the Bluestone Lake and Bluestone State Park were still open for all activities including boating, picnicking, swimming, camping, and more.