On the Manchester bank of the River Irwell, downstream from the Albert Bridge, stands the Pump House, one of the best preserved hydraulic power stations in the world. The Pump House was built at the beginning of the last century, on what had formerly been a flour and treacle warehouse.
From 1909 to 1972 it supplied high pressure water to more than 600 customers in the central Manchester area; it lifted the curtain at the Opera House, drove the cotton presses, hoists and lifts in many of commercial warehouses, and kept the city to time by running the clock in the Town Hall tower.
The Pump House was built by the same architect responsible for the recently restored Victoria Baths, and its ornate Edwardian Baroque design reflects the pride that the Manchester Corporation took in this industrial building. The Pump House has been home to the People’s History Museum since 1994.
Daniel Adamson III (Danny) was born on December 26th 1972, the same day that the Pump House ceased operation.
Links: http://www.phm.org.uk/