Waterwheels were the principal engines of industry from the late Roman period until the early 20th century. Yes, 20th century! It's a little-known fact that when internal combustion engines and electrification came to industrial factories, especially in the U.S. and Canada, the primary source of power they were replacing was waterwheels (or their decendants, turbines), not steam engines. Waterwheels were always the engine of choice for high-power, continuous power, as long as flowing water was available.

Here is a selection of waterwheel images collected on the group's trip to England in the summer of 2005. These images are free for use in any non-commercial setting. For publication permissions, please e-mail bldgcommunity@psu.edu.