1898 - 1899

On April 4, 1898, Town Meeting voters finally decided to take control of Concord’s electric service, voting to establish a Light Plant governed by a three-member Light Board of local citizens. Richard S. Barrett was chosen to chair the new board, which also included William Wheeler and Prescott Keyes. A Sewer Commission was also established at the same time. The Light Board Chairman was given an annual stipend of $75, while Board members each received $15 per year.

First priority was street lighting, and voters quickly met twice to consider "burying" the necessary wires. They finally decided on July 23, 1898 to support an overhead system of wires because it was less expensive. Before the summer was over, a $35,000 bond issue was sold to raise funds to build a combination power house and sewer station, today known as the Red Brick Building located on Keyes Road.
In 1899, the Boston firm of Stone and Webster was hired to engineer and construct the power plant. Later that year, Charles S. Davis, formerly with the Boston and Maine Railroad, was named the Plant’s first manager. At that time, both "commercial and domestic" customers were receiving some electricity for lighting, but only from dusk until dawn.