List of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks


The following is a list of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers since it began the program in 1971. The designation is granted to existing artifacts or systems representing significant mechanical engineering technology. Mechanical Engineering Heritage Sites are particular locales at which some event or development occurred or which some machine, building, or complex of significance occupied. Also Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collections refers to a museum or collection that includes related objects of special significance to, but not necessarily a major evolutionary step in, the historical development of mechanical engineering.
Clicking the landmark number in the first column will take you to the ASME page on the site where you will also find the downloadable brochure from the dedication.
There are 275 landmarks are on the list.
Ref#Year addedNameImageDateLocationRegion/stateCountryNotes
1973Ferries & Cliffhouse Cable Railway Power House
One of the most complicated cable-car systems to run from a single station.		1887San FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States
1973Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine
Unusual triple-expansion, three-crank "rocker" engine, driving high-capacity, high-speed pumps.		1894BostonMassachusettsUnited States
1974A.B. Wood Screw Pump
The most advanced low-lift drainage pump in use in the early 20th century, later used worldwide.		1914New OrleansLouisianaUnited States
1975Portsmouth-Kittery Naval Shipbuilding Activity
First US naval shipyard, achieving notable firsts in technology and producing many well-known US naval vessels.		1774KitteryMaineUnited States
1975Boyden Hydraulic Turbines
Two of the oldest surviving water turbines, probably the largest and nearly the most powerful ever built in the United States for mechanical drive. Located at Harmony Mills.		1871CohoesNew YorkUnited States
1975Curtis 5000-kW Vertical Turbine
The most powerful steam turbine-generator in the world at the time of its construction.		1903SchenectadyNew YorkUnited States
1975Saugus Ironworks
Reconstruction of the first successful commercial ironworks in North America.		1647SaugusMassachusettsUnited States
1975Pioneer Oil Refinery California Star Oil Works
A replica of the first successful commercial oil refinery in the US West.		1876NewhallCaliforniaUnited States
1975Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Scoop Wheel & Engines
19th-century steam pumps at the summit of the ship canal.		1852Chesapeake CityMarylandUnited States
1975USS Texas' Reciprocating Steam Engines
Last reciprocating marine engines installed in a naval ship.		1914La PorteTexasUnited States
1975Paige Compositor
First US typography machine to set, justify, and distribute foundry type from a common case using one operator.		1877HartfordConnecticutUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available.
1976Reynolds-Corliss Pumping Engine
Early 20th-century water pump driven by a Corliss steam engine.		1917JacksonvilleFloridaUnited States
1976Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project
Early 20th-century hydroelectric plant incorporating innovative technologies.		1909PhoenixArizonaUnited States
1976Hanford B Reactor
First US plutonium production reactor placed in commercial operation.		1944RichlandWashingtonUnited States
1976Magma Copper Mine Air Conditioning System
First air-conditioned mine in North America.		1937SuperiorArizonaUnited States
1976Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway
Highest railway in the US and highest rack railway in the world.		1891Pikes PeakColoradoUnited States
1976Edgar Station, Edison Electric Illuminating Co.
Power-generation station with one of the world's only high-pressure topping turbines, which set new records in the late 1920s.		1925WeymouthMassachusettsUnited States
1976Mount Washington Cog Railway
World's first cog railway.		1869Mount WashingtonNew HampshireUnited States
1976Folsom Power House #1
One of the first successful uses of hydroelectric power in the world, including the first successful long-distance transmission of power.		1895FolsomCaliforniaUnited States
1977Crawler Transporters of Launch Complex 39
Two of the largest ground vehicles ever built, including automatic load-leveling systems.		1965Cape CanaveralFloridaUnited States
1977Fairmount Water Works
First large-scale application of steam pumping, later water power, to public water supply.		1815PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUnited States
1977USS Olympia, Vertical Reciprocating Steam Engines
Two of the first vertical triple-expansion marine engines.		1892PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUnited States
1977Pit-Cast Jib Crane
Last US pit-cast jib crane to operate in the casting of iron pipe.		1905BirminghamAlabamaUnited States
1977State Line Generating Unit 1
World's largest electric-power generator for nearly 25 years, achieving many design firsts.		1929HammondIndianaUnited States
1977Pratt Institute Power Plant
The oldest steam-generating plant of its kind in the Northeastern United States.		1887BrooklynNew YorkUnited States
1977Monongahela Incline
First US passenger incline.		1870PittsburghPennsylvaniaUnited States
1977Duquesne Incline
Second US passenger incline.		1877PittsburghPennsylvaniaUnited States
1977Great Falls Raceway and Power System
First major US water power system and basis for integrating urban planning with industrial development.		1792PatersonNew JerseyUnited States
1977Vulcan Street Power Plant
First Edison hydroelectric central station. Coperating landmark by ASME IEEE and ASCE.		1882AppletonWisconsinUnited States
1977Wilkinson Mill
Early 19th-century textile mill and machine shop.		1810PawtucketRhode IslandUnited States
1978Interborough Rapid Transit System
The first fully electrically signaled railroad in the United States and the first practical subway in New York City.		1904New YorkNew YorkUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available.
1978Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Old Main Line
First US railroad in public service.		1828MarylandMarylandUnited States
1978Ringwood Manor Iron Complex
Surviving 18th-century iron manufacturing center.		1740RingwoodNew JerseyUnited States
1978Joshua Hendy Iron Works
Early 20th-century ironworks demonstrating the adaptability required for industrial survival.		1906SunnyvaleCaliforniaUnited States
1979Hacienda La Esperanza Sugar Mill Steam Engine
Typical beam steam engine of the mid-19th century, directly connected to sugar crushing rolls.		1861San JuanPuerto RicoUnited States
1979RL-10 Rocket Engine
First rocket engine to use high-energy liquid hydrogen as fuel.		1958West Palm BeachFloridaUnited States
1979A. O. Smith Automatic Frame Plant
Prototype of the automated factory; dubbed the 'Mechanical Marvel.'		1920MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited StatesNo longer exists.
1979Morris Canal Turbine
Early reaction, or Scotch, turbine, a type that later found widespread application.		1850Port WarrenNew JerseyUnited StatesScotch Turbine displayed at Hopatcong State Park.
1979Experimental Breeder Reactor I
World's first nuclear power plant to demonstrate the breeder concept.		1951ArcoIdahoUnited States
1979Drake Oil Well
First practical oil recovery system using salt-well drilling techniques and modern pipe-driving methods, marks beginning of US petroleum industry.		1859TitusvillePennsylvaniaUnited States
1980Springfield Armory
First US armory noted for machinery for mass production of small arms, including the Blanchard lathe.		1794SpringfieldMassachusettsUnited States
1980East Wells Street Power Plant
Pilot plant for US development of pulverized-coal firing in power-plant boilers.		1918MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited States
1980Watkins Woolen Mill
The best preserved 19th-century woolen mill in North America.		1868LawsonMissouriUnited States
1980Fusion-welded Test Boiler Drum
First fusion-welded boiler drum, tests on which led to widespread acceptance in industry.		1930ChattanoogaTennesseeUnited States
1980Georgetown Steam Plant
Steam plant with early Curtis turbines, marking the beginning of the end of the reciprocating steam engine as the central station prime mover.		1906SeattleWashingtonUnited States
1980Commonwealth Building Heat Pump
First large commercial building in the United States to pioneer the use of heat pumps for heating and cooling.		1948PortlandOregonUnited States
1980Shippingport Nuclear Power Station
First US commercial central electric-generating station to use nuclear energy.		1958ShippingportPennsylvaniaUnited States
1980Edison 'Jumbo' Engine-driver Dynamo
One of six dynamos from Edison's Pearl Street Station, the prototype for US central-station power generation.		1882DearbornMichiganUnited States
1980Marine-type Triple-expansion, Engine-driven Dynamo
Sole surviving engine-generator set marking the beginning of large-scale electric power generation in the United States.		1891DearbornMichiganUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available.
1980Cooperative Fuel Research Engine
Pioneer variable-compression laboratory engine for testing fuels.		1928WaukeshaWisconsinUnited States
1980Port Washington Power Plant
The world's most thermally efficient steam plant for many years.		1935Port WashingtonWisconsinUnited States
1980Saturn V Rocket
Three sites were simultaneously designated in July 1980.		1967HoustonTexasUnited States
1980Saturn V Rocket
Three sites were simultaneously designated in July 1980.		1967Cape CanaveralFloridaUnited States
1980Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle
Three sites were simultaneously designated in July 1980.		1966HuntsvilleAlabamaUnited States
1980Blood Heat Exchanger
The first commercial human-blood heat exchanger for controlling hyperthermic temperatures during open-heart surgery.		1957AmherstNew YorkUnited States
1980Rocky River Pumped-storage Hydroelectric Plant
Early example of the pumped-storage principle, at a power plant.		1929New MilfordConnecticutUnited States
1980Kaplan Turbine at York Haven Dam
One of the first three Kaplan-type hydraulic turbines in the United States.		1929York CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
1980Pioneer Zephyr
First US diesel-powered, stainless-steel streamlined train.		1934ChicagoIllinoisUnited States
1981Chestnut Street Pumping Engine
Typical US municipal steam water-pumping engine of the late 19th century and early 20th century.		1913EriePennsylvaniaUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1981Holt Caterpillar Tractor
Earliest track-type gasoline-powered tractor, influencing designs worldwide.		1918StocktonCaliforniaUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1981Michigan-Lake Superior Power Hydroelectric Plant
An early, extremely large-scale, low-head hydropower plant using many small turbines.		1902Sault Ste. MarieMichiganUnited States
1981Southern Pacific #4294 Cab-in-Front Steam Locomotive
Example of the final phase of US steam locomotive development in size and power.		1944SacramentoCaliforniaUnited States
1981Jackson Ferry Shot Tower
One of the few surviving shot towers for making spherical lead shot.		1807AustinvilleVirginiaUnited States
1981Graue Mill
One of a few survivors of typical US mill machinery with wood as the principal material.		1852Oak BrookIllinoisUnited States
1981Evinrude Outboard Motor
Early model of outboard motor for small boats, first commercially successful.		1909MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited States
1981Mount Wilson Observatory, 100-inch Hooker Telescope
Unique telescope mirror support and use of mercury flotation to reduce friction.		1918Los Angeles CountyCaliforniaUnited States
1981Hiwassee Dam Unit 2 Reversible Pump-Turbine
The first integrated pump-turbine to be installed in a US power plant and also the largest and most powerful in the mid-20th century.		1956Cherokee CountyNorth CarolinaUnited States
1981Edison Experimental Recording Phonograph
The world's first practical sound recording machine.		1877West OrangeNew JerseyUnited StatesNo ASME brochure avaiable
1981Creusot Steam Hammer
The most powerful steam hammer in the world for many years.		1876Le CreusotSaône-et-LoireFrance
1981Newcomen Engine
Direct descendant of Thomas Newcomen's first atmospheric steam engine.		1712DartmouthSouth DevonUnited KingdomLocated at the Dartmouth Museum.
1981ALCOA 50,000-ton Hydraulic Forging Press
One of the world's largest fabrication tools, dominant in aircraft and aerospace development.		1954ClevelandOhioUnited States
1981Rotating-arm Model-test Facility at Stevens Institute of Technology
The world's first model-test facility to conduct maneuverability and control experiments for surface ships, submersibles, and airships.		1945HobokenNew JerseyUnited States
1982Turbinia
The world's first turbine-driven ship.		1897Newcastle upon TyneTyne and WearUnited Kingdom
1982Anderson-Barngrover Rotary Pressure Sterilizer
The world's first continuous-stream automation of the cooking and cooling system for canned food.		1920Santa ClaraCaliforniaUnited States
1982Alden Research Laboratory Rotating Boom
Early 20th-century test facility for current meters, aircraft propellers, ships' logs, pitot tubes, and mine-sweeping paravanes.		1908HoldenMassachusettsUnited States
1982AC Electrification of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
Pioneering venture in mainline railroad electrification. The Cos Cob plant operated until October 1986.		1907Cos CobConnecticutUnited StatesDemolished 2001 and artifacts given to Smithsonian Institution.
No ASME brochure available
1982Worthington Horizontal Cross-compound Pumping
Corliss-driven pump, typical of early 20th-century US practice.		1925EriePennsylvaniaUnited States
1982Electro-Motive FT Freight-service Diesel-Electric Locomotive
Prototype of the first mass-produced diesel-electric locomotives used for US freight service. Located at Museum of Transportation as Southern Railway Locomotive #6100.		1939St. LouisMissouriUnited States
1982Lombard Steam Log Hauler
The first practical example of crawler-tread vehicles now used in agricultural, construction, and military equipment. Located at the Lumberman's Museum.		1910PattenMaineUnited States
1982Aberdeen Range, Aberdeen Proving Ground
The world's first large-scale, fully instrumented ballistic range for producing data on aerodynamics.		1943AberdeenMarylandUnited States
1983Corning Ribbon Machine
Earliest example of the machine that automated light-bulb manufacture.		1926DearbornMichiganUnited StatesLocated at The Henry Ford museum.
1983FMC Citrus Juice Extractor
Early example of machines that automated extraction of juices from fruit.		1947LakelandFloridaUnited StatesPlaque not on display.
1983Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 Electric Locomotive #4800
Locomotive prototype for use on electrified lines in eastern US, also exceptional for its flexible suspension system.		1943StrasburgPennsylvaniaUnited StatesLocated at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
1983Reed Gold Mine Ten-Stamp Mill
Typical late 19th-century western-US stamp mill.		1895MidlandNorth CarolinaUnited States
1983PACECO Container Crane
World's first high-speed, dockside container-handling crane.		1959AlamedaCaliforniaUnited States1987: Purchased by and now located in Port of Nanjing, China.
1988: Rededicated in conjunction with Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society.
1983Owens AR Bottle Machine
World's first automated bottling machine that introduced cheap and plentiful supply of glass containers.		1912ToledoOhioUnited StatesNo longer exists.
No ASME brochure available
1983NS Savannah
The world's first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship.		1962Newport NewsVirginiaUnited States
1983Xerography
Early models of revolutionary dry-copying process at the Battelle Memorial Institute.		1948ColumbusOhioUnited States
1983Wyman-Gordon 50,000-ton Hydraulic Forging Press
One of the world's largest fabrication tools, influencing aviation and aerospace technology.		1955GraftonMassachusettsUnited States
1984IBM 350 RAMAC Disk File
World's first computer storage device with random access to large volumes of data.		1956San JoseCaliforniaUnited States2019: Site demolished.
Artifacts now at Computer Museum; plaque not on display.
1984Archimedes Screw Pump
One of the US's oldest surviving examples of the wind-driven Archimedes screw-pump.		1890NewarkCaliforniaUnited States
1984Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Unique electromechanical devices and systems in the longest accelerator in the world.		1962Menlo ParkCaliforniaUnited States
1984Holland Tunnel Ventilation System
The world's first long underwater tunnel designed for motor vehicles, with innovative ventilating system.		1920New YorkNew YorkUnited States
1984Norfolk & Western #611, Class J Steam Locomotive
The last survivor of US coal-fired passenger locomotives, considered among the most advanced of any 4-8-4.		1941RoanokeVirginiaUnited StatesLocated at Virginia Museum of Transportation.
1984Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter
The first practical US helicopter, pioneering the single-main-rotor concept.		1939DearbornMichiganUnited StatesLocated at The Henry Ford museum.
1984Quincy Mining Company No. 2 Mine Hoist
The world's largest mine hoist.		1920HancockMichiganUnited States
1984SS Great Britain
The world's first iron-hulled, screw-propelled ship to cross any ocean, leading to Britain's world leadership in maritime commerce.		1843BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
1984SS Jeremiah O'Brien
One of only two operating survivors of the US emergency-cargo fleet known as Liberty Ships.		1943San FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States
1984Idols Station, Fries Manufacturing & Power Company
Typical 19th-century small-scale, low-head run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant.		1898Winston-SalemNorth CarolinaUnited States
1984Belle Isle Gas Turbine
The first gas turbine used for electric utility power generation in the United States.		1949SchenectadyNew YorkUnited States
1984St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line
The oldest surviving interurban-urban passenger rail transport system in the United States.		1835New OrleansLouisianaUnited States
1985Atlas Launch Vehicle
First launch vehicle for the US space program.		1957El CajonCaliforniaUnited States
1985First Hot Isostatic Processing Vessels
Early examples of fabrication vessels using gas pressure and temperature to produce advanced alloy and ceramic products.		1956ColumbusOhioUnited StatesLocated at Battelle Memorial Institute.
1985Basic-Oxygen Steel Making Vessel
Vessel that introduced the basic oxygen process to the United States.		1955TrentonMichiganUnited StatesPresently owned by Detroit Steel Company.
1985Detroit Edison District Heating System
Early example of typical US district heating plant.		1903DetroitMichiganUnited States
1985Cornwall Iron Furnace
Typical 19th-century US charcoal-fueled blast furnace, fully intact.		1742CornwallPennsylvaniaUnited States
1985Lowell Power Canal System and Pawtucket Gatehouse
Early major US water-power system and the first Francis inward-flow water turbine placed in service and oldest in existence.		1796LowellMassachusettsUnited States
1985Jacobs Engine Brake Retarder
The first practical mechanism for braking large trucks with engine compression as they descend long, steep grades at controlled speeds.		1957BloomfieldConnecticutUnited States
1985Geysers Unit 1
The first commercial geothermal electricity-generating station in North America.		1960Sonoma CountyCaliforniaUnited States
1985Harris-Corliss Steam Engine
Example of a late 19th-century 350-hp Corliss-type steam engine.		1895AtlantaGeorgiaUnited StatesLocated at Randall Brothers, Inc.
1986Boulton & Watt Rotative Steam Engine
Oldest surviving operable rotative steam engine by Boulton and Watt.		1785SydneyNew South WalesAustraliaLocated at the Powerhouse Museum.
1985TV Emery Rice Steam Engine
Mid-19th-century horizontal compound marine steam engine with return connecting rod.		1873Kings PointNew YorkUnited States
1986Fairbanks Exploration Company Gold Dredge No. 8
One of the last mammoth gold dredges in the United States accessible to the public.		1927FairbanksAlaskaUnited States
1986Pitney-Bowes Model M Postage Meter
Early model of world's first commercial postage meter.		1920StamfordConnecticutUnited States
1986Disneyland Monorail System
The first commercial Wenner-Gren monorail system.		1959AnaheimCaliforniaUnited States
1987McKinley Climatic Laboratory
Test facility with unequalled capacity to simulate a wide range of climatic conditions from arctic cold to jungle moisture for full-scale equipment testing.		1944Eglin Air Force BaseFloridaUnited States
1987Icing Research Tunnel, NASA Lewis Research Center
The world's oldest and largest refrigerated icing wind tunnel, with unique heat exchanger and spray system.		1944ClevelandOhioUnited States
1987Samson Mine Reversible Waterwheel & Man Engine
Hoists representative of bygone practice, including a waterwheel for ore hoisting and a mechanism to hoist workers.		1837Sankt AndreasbergLower SaxonyGermany
1987American Precision Museum1966WindsorVermontUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1987Robbins & Lawrence Machine Shop
Site of first machine shop to achieve interchangeable manufacture on a practical scale.		1846WindsorVermontUnited States
1211987Holly Fire Protection and Water System
Site of the first US integrated system to supply water for public safety.		1863LockportNew YorkUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1987Holly District Heating System
Site of the first US district heating steam-heating system.		1877LockportNew YorkUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1987Kingsbury Thrust Bearing
First and still-operating Kingsbury thrust bearing in hydroelectric service, later used worldwide for all types of large machinery.		1911HoltwoodPennsylvaniaUnited StatesLocated at Holtwood Dam.
1987Chapin Mine Pump
Late 19th-century steeple compound-condensing engine and one of the largest at the time.		1893Iron MountainMichiganUnited States
1987Pullman Sleeping Car Glengyle
Earliest known survivor of the fleet of heavyweight, all-steel sleepers built by the Pullman Company.		1911DallasTexasUnited StatesLocated at Museum of the American Railroad.
1987Westmoreland Iron Works
An early and long-running malleable ironworks.		1850WestmorelandNew YorkUnited StatesEarly 1990s: Foundry closed and plaque given to the Westmoreland Historical Society.
No ASME brochure available
1987Big Brutus Mine Shovel
One of the world's largest power shovels.		1962West MineralKansasUnited States
1987Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor
The world's first privately owned and operated nuclear power plant to deliver significant quantities of electricity to a public utility grid.		1957Alameda CountyCaliforniaUnited States
1987Holyoke Water Power System
Major 19th-century US industrial center for paper and textile industries, known for its machine shops and water-power system.		1859HolyokeMassachusettsUnited StatesSee also: Holyoke Dam, Holyoke Heritage State Park.
No ASME brochure available
1987Stirling Water-tube Boilers
Oldest existing steam generator in a US cotton mill.		1906DaltonGeorgiaUnited StatesNo ASME brochure avaiable
1988Roosa Master Diesel Fuel-Injection Pump
Early developmental models of distributor-type injection pump for controlling engine speed.		1947WindsorConnecticutUnited States
1988Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Roundhouse
Innovative railroad yard machine shop for first railroad linking Chicago and the Mississippi River.		1858AuroraIllinoisUnited States
1988Buckeye Steam Traction Ditcher
Earliest surviving example of the first successful traction ditching machine for laying agricultural drainage tiles.		1902FindlayOhioUnited StatesLocated at Hancock Historical Museum.
1988Geared Locomotives of Heisler, Shay, Climax
Early examples of small slow-speed 19th-century geared locomotives.		1872FeltonCaliforniaUnited StatesNo ASME brochure avaiable
1988Neuchâtel Gas Turbine
The world's first successful electricity-generating gas turbine to go into commercial operation.		1939NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
1988AAR Railroad-wheel Dynamometer
The first and only railroad dynamometer to test track wheels using vertical and lateral loads as well as thermal braking at the wheel rim.		1955PuebloColoradoUnited States
1989Texas & Pacific #610 Lima Superpower Steam Locomotive
The sole surviving example of the earliest form of "superpower" steam locomotives.		1927RuskTexasUnited StatesNo ASME brochure avaiable
1989ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
The first comprehensive standard for the design, construction, inspection, and testing of boilers and pressure vessels, greatly influencing public safety.		1915DearbornMichiganUnited StatesEarly book on loan to The Henry Ford museum.
No ASME brochure available
1981Roebling 80-ton Wire Rope Machine
The only remaining Roebling machine, largest wire-rope closing machine in 1893.		1893TrentonNew JerseyUnited States
1989Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility Wind Tunnel
The world's first large-scale testing facility for jet and rocket engines in simulated high-speed flight conditions.		1955Arnold Air Force BaseTennesseeUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1989Browning Firearms Collection
Collection of sporting and military firearms designed by John Moses Browning.		1878OgdenUtahUnited StatesLocated at Ogden Union Station Museum.
1990Pierce-Donachy Ventricular Assist Device
The world's first implantable heart pump to receive widespread clinical use.		1973HersheyPennsylvaniaUnited States
1990USS Cairo Engine and Boilers
The sole survivor of the fleet of river gunboats built by the Union during the US Civil War.		1862VicksburgMississippiUnited States
1990Curtis 500-kW Vertical Turbine
The first steam turbine electric-generation station.		1903IndianapolisIndianaUnited States
1990Southern Gas Association-PCRC Analog Facility
The first computer system to be applied to the design of natural-gas pipeline systems.		1955San AntonioTexasUnited States
1990National Soil Dynamics Laboratory
The world's first full-size laboratory for tillage tools and traction equipment in all types of soils.		1935AuburnAlabamaUnited States
1990Baltimore & Ohio #4500, Freight, USRA 2-8-2A
The first USRA freight locomotive built, representing the first standardized family of US locomotives.		1918BaltimoreMarylandUnited States
1990Atlantic Coast Line #1504, USRA 4-6-2A
An early example of USRA passenger locomotives representing the first US standardization program.		1919JacksonvilleFloridaUnited StatesLocated at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
1990Hydromatic Propeller
Early example of propeller innovations, including variable-pitch control and feathering capability.		1938Windsor LocksConnecticutUnited StatesLocated at the New England Air Museum.
1990Pin-Ticketing Machine
Early model of first successful price-marking, tag-attachment machine for US retail merchandising.		1902MiamisburgOhioUnited States
1991Victoria Dutch Windmill
Mid-19th-century wind-powered gristmill of Dutch turret-mill style.		1870VictoriaTexasUnited States
1991Jeep Model MB
Early four-wheel drive, multipurpose field vehicle representing an unusual combination of modern vehicle design.		1947ToledoOhioUnited States
1991Cruquius Pumping Station
19th-century steam pumping station that drained the Haarlemmermeer.		1849HaarlemmermeerNorth HollandNetherlands
1991Greens Bayou Generator Plant
The first fully outdoor turbine-generator to be placed in commercial operation.		1949HoustonTexasUnited States
1991Milam High-rise Air Conditioned Building
The first US air-conditioned high-rise office building.		1928San AntonioTexasUnited States
1991Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
19th-century 3-rail incline.		1895ChattanoogaTennesseeUnited States
1991Pelton Waterwheel Collection
Collection on the origins of the Pelton turbine and its principle of the "splitter" bucket.		ca. 1880Grass ValleyCaliforniaUnited States
1991Fresno Scraper
19th-century example of the scraper whose design served as the basis for most giant earth-movers.		1883FresnoCaliforniaUnited States
1991Nassawango Iron Furnace
The earliest surviving hot-blast furnace in the United States.		1828Snow HillMarylandUnited States
1992ABACUS II Integrated-Circuit Wire Bonder
The world's first practical production machine for the assembly of integrated circuits, making possible their economical production.		DallasTexasUnited States
1992Q-R-S Marking Piano
One of the first machines to produce master rolls for player pianos by recording actual performances.		1912BuffaloNew YorkUnited States
1992Apollo Space Command Module
Apollo command module incorporating many innovations to allow safe transport of humans to moon and back.		1968TitusvilleFloridaUnited States
1992Meter-type Gas Odorizer
Early safety device for introducing odor into natural-gas lines to make leaks apparent.		1937DallasTexasUnited States
1992New England Wireless and Steam Museum
Collection of Rhode Island steam engines, including one of the few surviving built at the Corliss Works.		1964East GreenwichRhode IslandUnited States
1992Old Mill in Nantucket
The oldest operating smock-type windmill in the United States.		1746NantucketMassachusettsUnited States
1992Milwaukee River Flushing Station
A water pump which reduced the concentration of pollutants in an urban stream had the world's greatest capacity.		1888MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited StatesNow part of coffee shop.
1993Ginaca Pineapple Processing Machine
Example of automated peeling and slicing machine that led to commercial pineapple production.		1911HonoluluHawaiiUnited States
1993Pegasus 3 Engine BS 916
Earliest surviving example of the prototype engine for vertical/short takeoff and landing jets, namely Harriers and AV-8Bs		1960BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
1993Cryogenic Cooling System, Fermilab Tevatron
The largest cryogenic system ever built, providing benchmark for superconducting magnet designs.		1983BataviaIllinoisUnited States
1993Advanced Engine Test Facility at Marshall
Unique cooling system for the testing of aerospace engines.		1964Redstone ArsenalAlabamaUnited States
1993Voyager Spacecraft Interplanetary Explorers
The two most intelligent machines ever built by NASA space program.		1972–1977PasadenaCaliforniaUnited StatesLocated at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
1994Bay City Walking Dredge
The last remaining dredge in the United States with unique propulsion system, designed for a wetlands environment.		1924NaplesFloridaUnited States
1994Burton Farmers Gin Mill
The earliest known survivor of an integrated cotton ginning system widely used in the southern United States.		1914BurtonTexasUnited States
1994Crown Cork and Soda Filling Machine
One of two surviving automated machines that founded the bottling industry.		1892BaltimoreMarylandUnited States
1994Bergen County Steam Collection
A collection of operational steam engines and auxiliary equipment from the 19th century to the 1940s.		1987HackensackNew JerseyUnited States
1994Union Pacific Big Boy 4023 and Centennial 6936
Two heavy-tonnage locomotives incorporating the best features of the day.		1941OmahaNebraskaUnited States
1994Barker Turbine/Hacienda Buena Vista
The only known example of a Barker hydraulic turbine, the earliest practical reaction type.		1853PoncePuerto RicoUnited States
1994Boeing 367-80
Prototype of the Boeing 707 and most jet transport systems, establishing economic feasibility of commercial air travel.		1954Fairfax CountyVirginiaUnited StatesLocated at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
1994Newell Shredder
The second and earliest surviving automobile shredder for recycling scrap metal.		1969San AntonioTexasUnited States
1994Johnstown Incline
One of the world's steepest vehicular inclines, typical of several built in the 19th century in Western Pennsylvania.		1891JohnstownPennsylvaniaUnited States
1994BF Clyde's Cider Mill
The oldest steam powdered cider mill in the US. A rare survivor of a once-commonplace rural US industry.		1898MysticConnecticutUnited States
1995Knight Foundry and Machine Shop
One of the earliest US water-powered foundry-machine shops, including Knight impulse turbines.		1873Sutter CreekCaliforniaUnited States
1995Wright Field 5-foot Wind Tunnel
Early example of the "modern" wind tunnel for aircraft-model testing.		1921Wright-Patterson Air Force BaseOhioUnited States
1995Gravimetric Coal Feeder
The earliest known coal feeder, representing innovations that influenced nearly all industries using coal-fired boilers.		1957ClevelandOhioUnited States
1995Ljungström Air Preheater
Experimental model of the industrial air preheater, now used worldwide.		1920StockholmStockholm CountySweden
1995Steamboat William G. Mather
Prototypical ore boat on the Great Lakes.		1925ClevelandOhioUnited States
1996NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel
R&D facility for testing of supersonic aircraft and spacecraft.		1956Mountain ViewCaliforniaUnited States
1996Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel
Unique experimental facility for hydrodynamic research and testing.		1949State CollegePennsylvaniaUnited StatesLocated at Pennsylvania State University.
1996Montgomery Glider
First heavier-than-air human-carrying aircraft to achieve controlled piloted flight.		1883San CarlosCaliforniaUnited StatesLocated at Hiller Aviation Museum.
1996Hart Parr Tractor
Earliest known internal-combustion-engined agricultural tractor in the United States.		1903Charles CityIowaUnited States
1996SS Badger Carferry
One of the last operating American steam lake boats with reciprocating engines and coal-fired boilers.		1952LudingtonMichiganUnited States
1996Thermo King© C Refrigeration Unit
Earliest known refrigeration unit for trucks, having worldwide impact on food preservation.		1940MinneapolisMinnesotaUnited States
1997Alligator Amphibian
Prototype of all tracked ship-to-shore landing vehicles.		1940QuanticoVirginiaUnited StatesLocated at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum.
1997Kew Bridge Cornish Beam Engines
Five notable 19th-century Cornish beam engines for municipal water supply.		1975BrentfordGreater LondonUnited Kingdom
1997Bay Area Rapid Transit System
The most advanced automated urban rail transit system incorporating many innovations, marking a new generation of rail travel.		1972San Francisco Bay AreaCaliforniaUnited States
1997Bessemer Conversion Engine
An early example of the successful conversion of steam engines to internal-combustion engines.		ca. 1900RockfordMichiganUnited States
1998David Taylor Model Basin
Among the world's largest test facilities for the development of ship design.		1939BethesdaMarylandUnited States
1998GE's Ultra High Pressure Apparatus for the Production of Diamonds
First apparatus to consistently produce industrial diamonds, demonstrating fundamentals of producing and containing very high pressures and becoming the basis for the industrial-diamond production that followed.		1954SchenectadyNew YorkUnited StatesLocated at the Schenectady Museum.
No ASME brochure avaiable
1998Hulett Ore Unloaders
The largest and oldest surviving example of a highly efficient materials-handling machine unique to the Great Lakes that revolutionized ore handling and led to its rapid adoption throughout the lower-lake ore ports.		1912ClevelandOhioUnited States2000: 2 of the 4 loaders have been demolished and scrapped, while the other 2 were dissembled.
1998Paddle Steamer Uri
The oldest operating vessel with a diagonal, compound steam engine, with disc valve gear.		1901LucerneLucerneSwitzerland
1998Cooper Steam Traction Engine Collection
Engines from the collection are among the oldest surviving agricultural steam engines, from 1860 to 1883, showing the conversion to mechanized farming.		1860–1883Mount VernonOhioUnited StatesLocated at the Knox County Historical Society.
1998William Tod Rolling-Mill Engine
Representative of steam-powered rolling-mill-engine drives early in the transition to electric drive and typical of the largest work pieces produced by U.S. foundries and forges.		1914YoungstownOhioUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
1998Siegfried Marcus Car
Direct predecessor of the modern automobile.		ca. 1875ViennaAustriaLocated at the Technical Museum, Vienna.
No ASME brochure available
1999Kinne Water Turbine Collection
The largest collection of American turbine development.		1907–1937WatertownNew YorkUnited StatesLocated at the Jefferson County Historical Society.
1999Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock
The world's highest operating hydraulic lift lock, operating on the balance principle.		1904PeterboroughOntarioCanadaNo ASME brochure available
1999Merrill Wheel Balancing System
Innovative method of wheel balancing adopted worldwide.		1945EnglewoodColoradoUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
2000Refrigeration Research Museum
A private collection that represents many of the advances in mechanical refrigeration for US residential and commercial use from the late 19th century up to 1960.		1890–1960BrightonMichiganUnited States
2000Fairbanks-Morse Y-VA Engine Diesel
The earliest existing example of early high-compression, cold-start, full-diesel engines developed in the United States for isolated or rural power generation machinery before widespread electrification was available.		1924Lee CountyFloridaUnited States
2000USS Albacore
An experimental submarine that pioneered the teardrop-shaped hull, high-strength steel, and many other test concepts affecting speed, depth changes, and underwater maneuvering.		1953PortsmouthNew HampshireUnited States
2000Link C-3 Flight Trainer
An early flight simulator representative of the first truly effective mechanical device used to simulate actual flight processes.		ca. 1935BinghamtonNew YorkUnited States
2000Tokaido Shinkansen
The world's first high-speed railway, which operated at about 210 km/h.		1964Tokyo to Shin-ŌsakaJapanNo ASME brochure avaiable
2000EIMCO Rocker Shovel Loader, Model 12B
The first successful mining device to replace human labor in removing the rubble from underground hard-rock blasting.		1938Park CityUtahUnited StatesPlaque located at Miners Plaza in historic Old Park City.
2000George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Leader in transforming mechanical engineering education from a shop-based, vocational program to a professional one built on rigorous academic and analytical methods.		1888AtlantaGeorgiaUnited States
2001Colvin Run Mill
A good example of a typical early 19th-century water-powered, Evans-type flour mill, restored into operating condition.		ca. 1810Great FallsVirginiaUnited States
2001Coolspring Power Museum
An impressive variety of internal combustion engines, built primarily between 1890 and 1920 and consisting mainly of stationary engines used in industrial applications.		1890–1929CoolspringPennsylvaniaUnited States
2001Arecibo Observatory
The largest single-aperture radio telescope ever constructed.		1963AreciboPuerto RicoUnited StatesJoint designation with IEEE.
2001Radio City Music Hall Hydraulically Actuated Stage
One of the largest movable stages in the world with innovative hydraulic equipment and controls, a forerunner of other stage designs as well as early aircraft carrier elevator systems.		1932New YorkNew YorkUnited StatesNo ASME brochure available
2002Apollo Lunar Module LM-13
First piloted vehicle designed to operate solely in the vacuum of space.		1972Garden CityNew YorkUnited StatesLocated at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
2002Howard Hughes Flying Boat, HK-1
The largest wood-constructed and the largest wingspan airplane ever built.		1947McMinnvilleOregonUnited StatesLocated at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.
2002Pilatusbahn
The world's steepest cog railway.		1882Mount PilatusSwitzerland
2002Brandywine River Powder Mills
The largest U.S. maker of explosive black powder, a once-important and now-obsolete 19th-century technology.		1803–1921WilmingtonDelawareUnited States
2002Ditch Witch® DWP Service-Line Trencher
The first mechanized, compact service-line trencher.		1952PerryOklahomaUnited States
2003Solar Energy and Energy Conversion Laboratory
Pioneering developments in solar-energy applications, with global accomplishments in training and innovation.		1954GainesvilleFloridaUnited States
2003Wright Flyer III
The first practical airplane.		1905DaytonOhioUnited StatesLocated at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
2003Rumely Companies' Agricultural Products
Produced a line of agricultural equipment that played a vital role in the evolution of farming.		1853La PorteIndianaUnited States
2003Eddystone Station Unit #1
The second U.S. supercritical steam-electric generating unit, pioneering significant increases in steam pressure, steam temperature, and unit size.		1960EddystonePennsylvaniaUnited States
2003First Ram-Type Blowout Preventer
First ram-type blowout preventer, which sealed the wellhead and controlled pressure during drilling and oil production operations.		1922HoustonTexasUnited States
2003Philo 6 Steam-Electric Generating Unit
The world's first commercial supercritical steam-electric generating unit.		1957ColumbusOhioUnited States
2003Great Northern 2313 — Montana Western 31 Gas
The oldest-surviving Electro-motive Company gas-electric rail motorcar and the oldest with Lemp control.		1925North FreedomWisconsinUnited StatesLocated at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.
2004Lapeyre Automatic Shrimp Peeling Machine
For decades, the elegantly simple Model A has proven to be the most effective and widely used method of automatic shrimp peeling, despite attempts by others to develop alternative approaches.		1949BiloxiMississippiUnited States
2004R.G. Letourneau Mountain Mover
This innovative scraper moved four times as much earth as conventional machines of the era which required a tractor and two operators.		1922LongviewTexasUnited States
2004Reuleaux Collection Of Kinematic Mechanisms
The world's largest collection of 19th-century kinematic mechanisms.		1882IthacaNew YorkUnited StatesLocated at Cornell University.
2005Model T
15 millionth Model T to come off the assembly line, marking the end of its production.		1908–1927DearbornMichiganUnited StatesLocated at The Henry Ford museum.
2005The United States Standard Screw Threads
The first US system of standardized screw threads.		1864PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUnited States
2005Ottmar Mergenthaler's Square Base Linotype Machine
One of two surviving square-base linotypes.		1886CarsonCaliforniaUnited StatesLocated at the .
No ASME brochure available
2005Birome Ballpoint Pen Collection
First ballpoint pens; utilized the concept of a quick-drying ink whose flow is controlled by gravity and a metal ball housed in a socket.		1938–1948Buenos AiresArgentina
2005Eiffel Drop Test Machine and Wind Tunnel
Most accurate to date drop-test device and wind tunnel to measure drag on falling objects of various shapes.		1903 & 1912ParisFrance
2006Grumman Wildcat “Sto-Wing” Wing-folding Mechanism
First functional wing-folding mechanism, enabling aircraft to take up less space on ships.		KalamazooMichiganUnited StatesLocated at Air Zoo aviation museum.
2006Hughes Glomar Explorer
A deep-sea drillship platform initially built for the United States Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division secret operation Project Azorian to recover the sunken Soviet submarine, K-129, lost in April 1968.		1972HoustonTexasUnited States
2006Cooper-Bessemer Type GMV Integral-Angle Gas E
Providing efficient compression energy for natural gas, petrochemical, refinery, and power industries around the world.		1944Mount VernonOhioUnited StatesLocated at the Knox County Historical Museum.
2006Noria al-Muhammadiyya
A set of seventeen large water wheels operating on the River Orontes as they have for many centuries.		1361HamaHama GovernorateSyria
2006Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar Apparatus
The first apparatus able to directly generate a complete dynamic stress-strain curve in a single experiment.		1962San AntonioTexasUnited States
2008Digital Micromirror Device
Modulating digital light pulses using up to 2 million micromirrors.		1996PlanoTexasUnited States
2008Johnson Controls Multi-Zone Automatic Temperature Control System
The first automated temperature control system for multi-zone applications.		1895MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited StatesLocated at Johnson Controls HQ bldg.
2008John Penn & Sons Oscillating Steam Engine
The first steam engine to utilize oscillatory cylinders. Installed in the steamboat Diesbar.		1841DresdenSaxonyGermany
2009Hughes Two-Cone Drill Bit
Key technology that allowed drilling through medium and hard rock, tapped vast oil reservoirs much deeper below the surface than previously possible, and significantly improved the efficiency and cost of drilling.		1908The WoodlandsTexasUnited States
2010Belle of Louisville
The oldest operating “western rivers” steamboat.		1914LouisvilleKentuckyUnited States
2011Southern Railway Spencer Shops
One of the few remaining intact 20th-century railroad locomotive facilities in the United States.		1896SpencerNorth CarolinaUnited StatesNow the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
2011 Sholes & Glidden 'Type Writer'
Represents the first commercially successful typewriter to be manufactured in quantity for sale to the public.		1873MilwaukeeWisconsinUnited StatesLocated at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
2012Mr. Charlie Oil Drilling Rig
The first offshore drilling rig that was fully transportable, submersible and self-sufficient.		1953Morgan CityLouisianaUnited States
2012Textile Machinery Collection at the American Textile History Museum
Represents some of the most significant collection of 19th century tools and machinery for the manufacturing of textiles.		1960LowellMassachusettsUnited States
2013Big Surf Waterpark
The first wave pool in North America to consistently generate 3–5 foot spilling waves suitable for surfing.		1969TempeArizonaUnited States
2013Titan Crane
The largest crane of the hammer-head or "Titan" type, and the earliest survivor of its type.		1907ClydebankWest DunbartonshireUnited KingdomNo ASME brochure avaiable
2013Collection of the Earliest Self-Governing Windmills
The Collection contains many early windmills.		1870BataviaIllinoisUnited StatesBatavia, IL was the location of 6 'American Farm Windmill' makers from about 1870 until WWII.
2013Apollo Space Suit
Model A7L was the primary suit worn by astronauts on Project Apollo.		1968FredericaDelawareUnited States
2014Thrust Supersonic Car
The first car to officially exceed the speed of sound, the ThrustSSC Supersonic Vehicle.		1997CoventryUnited Kingdom
2015Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow No. 2
The first machine to reliably remove deeply packed snow from railroad tracks.		1887DuluthMinnesotaUnited States
2015Technology Collection at the George Eastman House
The world's preeminent museum of photography with many important artifacts.		1949RochesterNew YorkUnited States
2015Funicular Giessbach, designed by Carl Roman Abt
The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track, with a short side track for the two cars to pass at midpoint. The passing track used turnouts with no moving parts known as Abt Switches.		1879GiessbachBrienzSwitzerland
2016Pratt & Whitney R1340 Wasp engine
The Wasp R-1340 was a significant improvement to the radial aircraft engine design, making commercial aviation viable as early as the 1920s.		1925Windsor LocksConnecticutUnited States
20163D Printing: Stereolithography
First commercially available 3D Printer, developed by Charles Hull.		1984Rock HillSouth CarolinaUnited States
2016Worthington Direct Acting Steam Pumps
The pumps built by the firm of Worthington & Baker with worldwide industrial applications.		1838Newport NewsVirginiaUnited StatesHenry Worthington was a founder of ASME.
2016Rainhill Locomotive Trials
An important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways. Five engines competed along a mile length of level track.		1829RainhillLancashireUnited Kingdom
2017
Museum of Engines and Mechanisms: Stationary and transportation power units, with an emphasis on automotive and aircraft engines.		February 25, 2011PalermoSicilyItalyLocated at the University of Palermo.
2018Single Crystal Turbine Blade
Single crystal turbine blades have no crystalline boundaries, resulting in greater resistance to fracture and corrosion as well as vastly improved creep performance than conventional multi-crystaline nickel-cobalt alloy blades. Developed by Pratt & Whitney.		1960sWindsor LocksConnecticutUnited States
2018Carpet Tufting Apparatus
Invented by Ernest Moench, the machinery featured a durable needle that punched loops of thick fabric through a web of backing material, resulting in the reliable, high-speed tufting of carpet. Descendants of the apparatus fabricate more than three-quarters of the carpets produced in the US.		1928DaltonGeorgiaUnited States
2018Janney Railcar Coupler
Recognized for its impact on rail safety and its technological significance. The interlocking coupler, which resembled a curled human hand, was the successor to the “link and pin” coupler, a device that required rail workers to stand between train cars while joining them-—a dangerous procedure that resulted in numerous injuries and deaths.		1873United States
2018Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
The laboratory has been at the forefront of the quest to develop magnetically controlled fusion energy since its founding by Lyman Spitzer, who invented the stellarator, or “star generator.”		PrincetonNew JerseyUnited States
2019Johannes Gutenberg's system of movable type system
Gutenberg's movable type system reduced the time and cost of producing the printed word, resulting in the widespread availability of books and the advancement of literacy. His system incorporated a fast-drying ink; a durable easy-to-cast metal alloy for making type; a screw press designed for rapid operation; and an adjustable mold for the quick casting of metal type.		1440StrasbourgGermanyvirtual landmark.
ASME brochure
2019The Thurston Collection of Laboratory Artifacts at Cornell University
The devices used at Cornell between 1885 and 1905, exemplify Robert Henry Thurston's vision of the central role of the engineering laboratory in training mechanical engineers		1885-1905IthacaNew YorkUnited States
2019Antikythera Mechanism
The earliest known analog computer, an inscribed astronomical and calendrical device, designed to predict astronomical phenomena such as lunar and solar eclipses, as well as other functions.		2nd C. BCEAthensGreeceASME brochure
2019West Point Foundry
Major American ironworking and machine shop site, operating from 1818 to early 20thC. It became most famous for its production of Parrott rifle artillery and other munitions, although it also manufactured a variety of iron products for civilian use.		1818Cold SpringNew YorkUnited States A/V tour.
2019Westinghouse Automatic Air Brake
In 1869, George Westinghouse patented an automatic air brake system for railroads. It had a built-in safeguard to apply the brakes on the entire train should it separate. It made possible longer and faster trains and improved the safety of rail transportation.		1872PittsburghPennsylvaniaUnited States
2742020Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire 1824Francevirtual landmark.
2752021?Finite Element Analysis1960sUnited States
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