Montgomery Bell Tunnel
Montgomery Bell Tunnel | |
Montgomery Bell Tunnel (interior view) | |
| Nearest city | White Bluff, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°8′48.6″N 87°7′19.4″W / 36.146833°N 87.122056°W |
| Built | 1819 |
| MPS | Iron Industry on the Western Highland Rim 1790s-1920s MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001188 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1994 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1994 |
The Montgomery Bell Tunnel, also known as the Pattison Forge Tunnel, which Bell called "Pattison Forge" (often spelled, incorrectly, "Patterson") after his mother's maiden name, is a historic water diversion tunnel in Harpeth River State Park in Cheatham County, Tennessee. Built in 1819, the 290-foot (88 m) long tunnel is believed to be the first full-size tunnel built in the United States, and is the first used to divert water for industrial purposes. It was designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1981, and a National Historic Landmark in 1994.