[1] Alcoa began developing the Little Tennessee Valley in 1909 to provide the ample amounts of electricity necessary to power its planned aluminum smelting operations in Blount County.

Calderwood Dam is located 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream, on the opposite end of a horseshoe bend in the river.

The Calderwood Baptist Church is located about halfway down Housley Road in a wooded area on the left.

At the intersection of Housley and Growdon, the service building is to the left, with a gated road (open to foot traffic) continuing to the powerhouse.

To the right of the intersection, the road continues past the Calderwood School building and culminates at a boat ramp in the lake connected via causeway to the mainland.

Just past the school building, an unmarked road leads up the cliff slope to the Calderwood Methodist Church and the former residential area.

[3] When Alcoa began developing the Little Tennessee Valley around 1909, the Calderwood area was part of a farm owned by Blount County farmer John Howard.

[3] Alcoa's Little Tennessee Valley plans were finalized in 1915, and construction crews began arriving at the company's base camp.