The Heritage Preservation League of Folsom

05/02/2026

May 5, 2026, will mark 70 years since the dedication of the Folsom Dam. Here's a history.

11/12/2025

Send a message to learn more

10/24/2025

Help shape the future of Folsom’s Historic District. The City of Folsom is seeking community members to serve on the Historic District Commission. Three seats are open for a two-year term beginning December 2025—one for a business owner on Sutter Street, one for a district resident, and one for someone active in historic preservation.

📅 Apply by November 14 at www.folsom.ca.us/CommissionsandCommittees.

07/13/2025

On July 13, 1895, the first long-distance transmission of hydroelectric power from the Folsom Hydroelectric Plant (now known as the Folsom Powerhouse) to Sacramento, California occurred on what was then the longest transmission line in the world. The 22-mile transmission line, powered by high-voltage alternating current generators, expanded the Sacramento Electric Power and Light Company to extend streetcar lines into suburbs in Sacramento, provide street lights in the city, and provided power to the Southern Pacific railyards and other factories.

This major event called for a celebration in Sacramento that took place on September 9, 1895, called the “Grand Electric Carnival.” The Folsom Powerhouse remained in operation until November 1952. In 1958, Pacific Gas & Electric Company donated the Folsom Powerhouse to California State Parks and it operates today as a museum.

Postcard of the Folsom Powerhouse in 1911 from the Sacramento Room Postcards Collection, courtesy of the Sacramento Public Library.

10/18/2024

https://www.folsom.ca.us/government/community-development/planning-services/central-business-district

The City of Folsom is launching a planning effort for the Central Business District. This important retail and commercial corridor is located along East Bidwell Street from Riley Street to Blue Ravine