18th century Following a series of
yellow fever epidemics in the late 18th century, which was at the time thought to be caused by unclean water or by rotting matter in the streets, city leaders appointed a "Watering Committee". The initial water system was designed by
Benjamin Latrobe and accepted by the committee in 1799. His system utilized two steam engines in series to pump water from the
Schuylkill River, into the city, then into two wooden tanks that held a total of just . From the wooden tanks, the water was gravity fed into a series of wooden water mains. The system was plagued with problems. If either of the steam engines failed, the water supply to the city was cut off. The committee began searching for another solution and eventually picked John Davis and Frederick Graff, Latrobe's apprentice and successor as chief engineer, to design a new waterworks, in order to meet the demand of the increasing numbers of city residents The Fairmount Water Works eventually closed in 1909 when several newer and more technologically updated facilities were built. File:Fairmount Water Works 07821r.jpg|Fairmount Water Works,
Philadelphia, between 1860 and 1880 File:Fairmount Waterworks 1835 (cropped).jpg|"Schuylkill Waterworks", 1835 engraving File:Fairmount Water Works 1874.jpg|Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia, about 1874 File:Fairmount Water Works Water Wheel Cutaway.jpg|Cutaway showing water wheel File:Fairmount Water Works Boiler System Cutaway.jpg|Cutaway showing boiler system File:Fairmount Water Works Jonval Turbine Cutaway.jpg|Cutaway showing Jonval turbine File:Bird's-eye view from Lemon Hill Observatory, E. Fairmount Park, by Cremer, James, 1821-1893-cropped-large.png|
Boathouse Row and Fairmount Water Works from
Lemon Hill (circa 1872–1874) File:John Rubens Smith, A View of Fairmount and the Water-Works (1837).jpg|
John Rubens Smith, "A View of Fairmount and the Water-Works", 1837
Fairmount Dam Completed in 1822, Fairmount Dam cut diagonally across the river, channeled water into the Waterworks, and acted as a
spillway. The Schuylkill is a
tidal river, so it also prevented brackish water in the
Delaware River from mixing with the fresh water. Above it, the dam created the "Schuylkill Pond", several miles of tranquil water used for recreation. File:Fairmount dam, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views-cropped-large.png|Fairmount Dam, from the rocks below File:Fairmount Falls, Phila. Pa, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views-cropped-large.png|"Fairmount Falls" File:Fairmount from West Philadelphia, by Newell, R., d. 1897.jpg|Fairmount Waterworks and Dam, from the west File:Schuylkill Falls, by R. Newell & Sons.png|Fairmount Dam, from the south File:Fairmount Water Works Dam.jpg|Current dam (built in 1928) and
Boathouse Row in the background
20th century (background) in February 2007 After the waterworks closed in 1909 the facility was used for several purposes, including the
Philadelphia Aquarium, which closed in 1962, and an indoor swimming pool which closed in 1973. Attempts have been made to return the waterworks to its previous position as an engaging tourist attraction. Despite a severe fire which caused setbacks to the restoration, an interpretive center has now been added and tours are regularly given. Its position near
Boathouse Row and the
Philadelphia Museum of Art is hoped to aid in making it a regularly visited tourist site once more. The Fairmount Water Works buildings now house the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center (FWWIC), a hands-on science and environmental educational center, created by the Philadelphia Water Department. The FWWIC offers interactive exhibits, lectures, events, and school programs.
21st century In December 2004, Michael Karloutsos won a 25-year, $120,000/year lease with the
Fairmount Park Commission. After a highly publicized renovation, Karloutsos opened Water Works Restaurant and Lounge within the Water Works on July 20, 2006. This restaurant closed in 2015, and an event venue opened shortly thereafter. ==See also==