The Fairmount Water Works Philadelphia PA was one of the first waterworks to be built in the country. In 1798, the Philadelphia Select Council formed the Joint Committee on Supplying the City with Water. Frederick Graff was an assistant to Benjamin Henry Latrobe at the Centre Square Works and was appointed Superintendent in 1805. He continued to serve in that role at the Fairmount Water Works and designed much of the technology. Graff's son was also the Superintendent until 1856. He was succeeded by Frederic Graff Jr., who remained in this position until 1872. You can visit this amazing attraction at 640 Waterworks Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19130.
In 1975, the American Society of Civil Engineers named the Fairmount Waterworks a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and on May 11, 1976, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior designated the structure a National Historic Landmark. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers added the Fairmount Water Works to the National Register in 1977. Despite these efforts, the building continued to deteriorate. A report to Congress on the condition of the Fairmount Water Works was submitted to Congress in 1984.
In addition to a thriving community, the Fairmount Water Works is located right on the Schuylkill River. Nearby, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is another cultural treasure. Visitors are free to tour the museum. While the Fairmount Water Works Philadelphia PA is a historical site, it also serves as an educational resource. In addition to being a historical landmark, it is also home to several art exhibits and is an important educational resource for the city.
In 1854, the Consolidation Act allowed the city of Philadelphia to purchase 9200 acres of land surrounding the Fairmount Water Works. The Fairmount Water Works Philadelphia PA became one of the largest municipal parks in the world in 1855. The park is now known as Fairmount Park. A walk through Fairmount Park can take about half an hour. There is no shortage of recreational activities within the park. And in the spring of 1855, the city began a program of environmental cleanup.
The Fairmount Water Works began operating in 1819. The company acquired the rights to water power from the Schuylkill River, which provided fresh water for the city. The company converted part of the Schuylkill River into a small lake for recreation and transportation. The water main from Fairmount was pumped from the Schuylkill River to a reservoir on the hilltop. Today, Fairmount is one of the only waterworks in Philadelphia to have been built during this time period.
Visitors to the Fairmount Water Works can enjoy the park's 20-acre park as well as its formal garden and Palladian structures. The site was chosen by city officials due to yellow fever outbreaks and proximity to a clean river. Frederick Graff designed the structures. The construction of the park began in 1821 and the gardens were opened in 1825. The Fairmount Pumping Station served as an interpretive center until 1909.
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