Oldest Dams in America

The oldest dams in the United States predate the nation itself. Many were built as mill dams in colonial New England, powering grain mills, sawmills, and early industrial operations along rivers and streams. The Ipswich Mills Dam in Massachusetts dates to 1637 — nearly 140 years before the Declaration of Independence.

These structures have survived centuries, but age brings challenges. Older dams were built before modern engineering standards and may lack features like adequate spillways or seismic resistance. Understanding where America's oldest dams are — and their current condition — matters for downstream communities.

Dam	State	County	Year Built	Age	Hazard	Condition
Ipswich Mills Dam	Massachusetts	Essex	1637	389 yrs	Low	Fair
Old Oaken Bucket Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Plymouth	1640	386 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Lower Shawme Lake Dam	Massachusetts	Barnstable	1654	372 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Central Street Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1659	367 yrs	High	Fair
Nye Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Barnstable	1669	357 yrs	Significant	Poor
Wilson Corne Mill Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1675	351 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Stearns Millpond Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1677	349 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Mill Pond Dam	Connecticut	Hartford	1677	349 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Wye Mills Dam	Maryland	Queen Anne's	1682	344 yrs	Significant	Fair
Magnolia Lake Dam	New Jersey	Cape May	1684	342 yrs	Significant	Poor
Hobart Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Plymouth	1693	333 yrs	Low	Poor
Liberty Street Dam	Massachusetts	Plymouth	1695	331 yrs	Significant	Fair
Chartley Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Bristol	1696	330 yrs	High	Fair
Orton Lake Dam	North Carolina	Brunswick	1700	326 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Pierce Pond Dam	New Hampshire	Hillsborough	1700	326 yrs	High	Poor
Bristol Blake State Reservoir Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1700	326 yrs	Significant	Poor
Allen Town Pond (allen Road)	Maryland	Somerset	1700	326 yrs	Low	Fair
Hager Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1710	316 yrs	High	Unsatisfactory
Bargaintown Mill Pond Dam	New Jersey	Atlantic	1718	308 yrs	Significant	Fair
Mill Pond	Maine	Androscoggin	1720	306 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Mill Pond Dam	Connecticut	Middlesex	1721	305 yrs	High	Fair
Nightingale Pond Dam	Connecticut	Windham	1722	304 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Forge Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Plymouth	1726	300 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Jacobs Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Plymouth	1730	296 yrs	Significant	Fair
Podunk Pond Dam	Connecticut	Hartford	1730	296 yrs	Significant	Not Rated
Crackrock Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1737	289 yrs	Significant	Poor
Brock Millpond Dam	North Carolina	Jones	1738	288 yrs	High	Fair
Old Grist Mill Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Bristol	1745	281 yrs	High	Satisfactory
Eames Mill Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Worcester	1747	279 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Hershey Mill	Pennsylvania	Chester	1748	278 yrs	Significant	Fair
Openaka Lake Dam	New Jersey	Morris	1750	276 yrs	Significant	Poor
Purity Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Carroll	1750	276 yrs	High	Poor
Long Valley Farm Lake Dam	North Carolina	Cumberland	1750	276 yrs	Significant	Not Rated
Old Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Bristol	1751	275 yrs	Significant	Poor
Ballardvale Dam	Massachusetts	Essex	1753	273 yrs	Significant	Fair
Johnson Pond Dam	New Jersey	Cape May	1759	267 yrs	Significant	Poor
Stark Pond Dam	New Hampshire	Merrimack	1760	266 yrs	Low	Satisfactory
French Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Bristol	1760	266 yrs	Significant	Poor
Damon Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Hampshire	1760	266 yrs	Significant	Fair
Conway Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Carroll	1763	263 yrs	Significant	Fair
Murray Lake Dam	North Carolina	Nash	1770	256 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Tisdale Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Bristol	1770	256 yrs	Significant	Fair
Beaver Lake Dam	New Jersey	Sussex	1770	256 yrs	Low	Satisfactory
Rich Mill	Maine	Cumberland	1770	256 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Rhodes Pond Dam	North Carolina	Cumberland	1770	256 yrs	High	Fair
Jordan Mill Privilege	Maine	Cumberland	1770	256 yrs	Low	Fair
Warren Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Cheshire	1771	255 yrs	High	Poor
Thurston Pond Dam	New Hampshire	Rockingham	1772	254 yrs	Undetermined	Not Rated
Kellys Pond Dam	North Carolina	Lenoir	1774	252 yrs	High	Not Rated
Rainbow Lake Dam	New Jersey	Salem	1774	252 yrs	Significant	Fair
Revere Street Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1774	252 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Skatutakee Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Cheshire	1778	248 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Marston Finn Conservation Dam	New Hampshire	Rockingham	1778	248 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Stinson Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Grafton	1780	246 yrs	Low	Satisfactory
Godfrey Pond Dam	Connecticut	Fairfield	1783	243 yrs	Significant	Fair
Mill Pond Dam	New York	Orange	1783	243 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Silver Lake Dam	North Carolina	Wilson	1785	241 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Braddocks Mill Dam	New Jersey	Burlington	1790	236 yrs	Significant	Poor
Swanzey Lake Dam	New Hampshire	Cheshire	1790	236 yrs	Low	Fair
Rock Haven Lake	Maine	York	1790	236 yrs	Low	Poor
Fitch's Mill Pond	Maine	Cumberland	1790	236 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Nassau Lake Dam	New York	Rensselaer	1792	234 yrs	Significant	Poor
Mill Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Worcester	1795	231 yrs	Significant	Fair
Leonards Mill	Maine	Penobscot	1796	230 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Allen Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1797	229 yrs	Low	Fair
Merritt Millpond Dam	North Carolina	Duplin	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Not Rated
Parker Millpond Dam	North Carolina	Johnston	1800	226 yrs	Significant
Knight Millpond Dam	South Carolina	Chesterfield	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Fair
Fishing Creek Millpond Dam	North Carolina	Nash	1800	226 yrs	Low
Lake Austin Dam	North Carolina	Johnston	1800	226 yrs	Low
Loring Millpond Dam	South Carolina	Sumter	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Poor
Sawmill Pond Dam	South Carolina	Sumter	1800	226 yrs	Low	Poor
Wooley Pond Dam	Connecticut	Fairfield	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Turner Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Nix Mill Pond Dam	Alabama	Franklin	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Grist Mill Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Middlesex	1800	226 yrs	Low	Fair
Cranberry Pond Dam	New York	Rensselaer	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Everett Lake Dam	North Carolina	Richmond	1800	226 yrs	Significant
Lake Lookout Dam	Tennessee	Hamilton	1800	226 yrs	High
Dinkins Millpond Dam	South Carolina	Sumter	1800	226 yrs	High	Fair
Rollins Pond Dam	New Hampshire	Belknap	1800	226 yrs	Low	Poor
Swan Lake Dam	South Carolina	Sumter	1800	226 yrs	Low	Poor
Keoka Lake	Maine	Oxford	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Box Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1800	226 yrs	Low	Unsatisfactory
Old Mill Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Worcester	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Satisfactory
Belleville Pond	Rhode Island	Washington	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Fair
Murray Hill Lake Dam	North Carolina	Cumberland	1800	226 yrs	High	Not Rated
Pud's Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1800	226 yrs	Low	Poor
Billings	Maine	Oxford	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Simmons Pond	Rhode Island	Newport	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Poor
Peabody Pond	Maine	Cumberland	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Hathaway Pond Dam	New York	Delaware	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Ophelias Dam	South Carolina	Union	1800	226 yrs	Low	Poor
East Creek Pond Dam	New Jersey	Cape May	1800	226 yrs	Significant	Fair
Bird Pond Dam	Massachusetts	Norfolk	1800	226 yrs	High	Poor
Hulmeville Park	Pennsylvania	Bucks	1800	226 yrs	Low	Fair
Ashland Pond Dam	Connecticut	New London	1800	226 yrs	High	Satisfactory
Beaverdam Millpond Dam	South Carolina	Darlington	1800	226 yrs	High	Poor
Greenfield Lake Dam	North Carolina	New Hanover	1800	226 yrs	Low	Not Rated
Wesserunsett	Maine	Somerset	1800	226 yrs	High	Satisfactory