Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County

Autumn returns to Pennsylvania! It's my favorite time of year, and I hope that the weather will be nice enough to let us all get out and enjoy it.

As I mentioned in the post about Hilda Doolittle, my birthday was at the beginning of September and I spent part of it collecting markers for this blog. There was one in particular that I wanted to get while we were in Philadelphia, and it was a bit of a haphazard drive to find it (fortunately, I myself was not doing the driving). See, I got pictures of today's subject a few years ago, before I started this project, but the marker isn't located in quite the same spot so I never saw it. I couldn't very well write about the marker without a photo of the marker, so I needed to find it!

Although I had the information from the PHMC website about its location, we were still just slightly surprised to come across the marker. We were stopped at a red light, so Kevin urged me to get out of the car quickly to snap the photo. I managed to do so, probably to the utter confusion of the twenty or so people who were in the vicinity (assuming, that is, that they noticed me at all), and today's blog post thus became feasible. Remember, kids, don't try this at home, because I have no idea what I'm doing.

The marker is situated at the intersection of 
Kelly Drive and Waterworks Drive

The Fairmount Water Works are extremely recognizable to anyone who drives into Philadelphia along the Schuylkill Expressway, although if you don't know what they are you might not know what you're seeing. From a distance, it just looks like you've stumbled across a group of Grecian temples, which are beautiful to behold even without understanding their significance. You can actually go inside some of the buildings - guided tours are available and the facility is frequently a destination for school groups - but that wasn't an option on the day that I was there so all of my photos are of the exterior. Going inside may not be an option currently, either; as of this writing, the Interpretive Center (their on-site museum, in a nutshell) remains closed because of COVID-19. However, if you visit some of the websites linked down in the sources section, you'll find a few pictures of the insides.

The whole thing got started because of a disease called yellow fever, which by its description sounds kind of like a strain of the flu in terms of symptoms and duration. Nowadays it's easily treated or prevented. In the early 19th century, however, there was an epidemic which made a lot of people sick, and it was thought that yellow fever might be spread by unclean water. (It's actually spread by mosquitoes, but it was a while before that was known.) Philadelphia at the time was still using its very first water system, designed in 1799 by Benjamin Latrobe, which used a pair of steam engines to pump water from the Schuylkill River into wooden tanks, thence to a series of wooden water mains. It worked, usually, but it had plenty of problems; those wooden tanks just didn't hold enough water, and the city had no water supply if either of the steam engines malfunctioned. Between these issues and the whole yellow fever thing, a "Watering Committee" appointed by the city leaders decided that a new system was needed. Frederick Graffe, who had apprenticed to Latrobe and inherited his rank of chief engineer, and John Davis were recruited to design a setup that would better serve the increasing needs of the growing city.

The Grand Pavilion, between the two Entrance Houses;
the large structure in the background is the Engine House

Construction took place over the course of three years, from 1812 to 1815, on the east bank of the river. The location was then known as Faire Mount, which is how the facility came to be called the Fairmount Water Works. An earthen reservoir held three million gallons of water, brought in by steam engines in the Engine House. The water works opened in 1815, but additions and modifications continued over the next several years, such as adding Fairmount Dam in 1822. This dam's primary job was to direct water into a mill house, but it also prevented water from the Delaware River (which feeds from the ocean) from mixing with the water of the Schuylkill (which is fresh). Later, turbines to lift water replaced the work of the mill house's water wheels. The place was designed to be functional but also beautiful; the Classical Revival architecture concealed the industrial workings of the facility and invited people to enjoy a stroll along the river. English authors Charles Dickens and Fanny Trollope both visited the water works when touring the United States, and praised it for its pleasing appearance and useful service. By the 1830s, the grounds included a garden and pavilion to welcome tourists, and boat races in the summer and ice skating in the winter had become popular activities on the water.

In 1844, the city purchased a nearby property called Lemon Hill Estate, which became the first chunk of what today is known as Fairmount Park. Additional acreage was gradually added, turning the area into even more of a recreation destination while at the same time giving the water supply greater protection. By 1860, rowing on the river had become such a popular activity that permanent boathouses were constructed along the shoreline near the water works; this today is called Boathouse Row. New paths were added in the 1870s to connect the different parts of the facility, making it easier to enjoy the walk. In 1876, the Philadelphia Museum of Art was built on the hill behind the water works, in a similar architectural style to tie it all together. All the while, the water works continued to provide the residents with its drinking water. The Wikipedia page contains several illustrations of the Fairmount Water Works equipment, including the water wheel and turbine, as well as photographs from its heyday.

By 1909, the Industrial Revolution had taken its toll on the quality of the water, and the city needed to make some changes. Sand filtration was implemented to purify the water supply, and multiple facilities were constructed throughout the city rather than have the whole of Philadelphia getting its water from one place. Most of the equipment was removed from Fairmount, and in 1911, the site was reopened as the Philadelphia Aquarium. It was one of the first aquariums in the United States, and by 1929 was the fourth-largest aquarium in the world. However, it struggled financially in the aftermath of World War II, and ultimately closed in December 1962.

Following the closing of the aquarium, the site was repurposed into the John B. Kelly Pool, an indoor swimming facility used by competitive swimmers and students in the Philadelphia school district. This closed in 1973. Not long afterward, the Junior League of Philadelphia took an interest in the historic site and began raising funds to preserve and restore it, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 helped with the revitalization effort; the Philadelphia Water Department is a strong leader in the effort to educate the public about clean water and environmental stewardship, so they utilized the old water works for providing tours and classes. It was decided to make the Fairmount Water Works a permanent facility for this purpose. In 2003 it reopened, with the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center providing hands-on science and environmental education exhibits, lectures, and events. In 2006, Michael Karloutsos opened the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge on the property, which closed roughly ten years later. (Don't look for the restaurant's website, it's full of spam now.)

In addition to being a National Historic Landmark, the Fairmount Water Works is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The Interpretive Center, under normal circumstances, is open Tuesday through Sunday, is ADA accessible, and is completely free, though donations are welcomed. The website's media page includes a visitor guide, an overview about fishing and educational programs, and a self-guided tour available in both English and Spanish. Normal activities are currently suspended or reduced because of COVID, but you can sign up for their email newsletter to keep on top of when they'll offer options. The facility can also be rented for special events. And of course, you can always walk around the grounds, all day long, free of charge - Fairmount Water Works was one of Philadelphia's first tourist destinations, and it's still a treasure of the city.

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Sources and Further Reading:

Official website of the Fairmount Water Works

Fairmount Water Works film - a 16-minute film, produced by the Philadelphia Water Department, detailing the history of the facility

Fairmount Water Works on the official website of the City of Philadelphia

Fairmount Water Works in the Parkway Museum District

Fairmount Water Works at VisitPhilly.com

Fairmount Water Works at the Historical Marker Database

If you've enjoyed this, please leave a comment!

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Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.