1871
Fairmount Waterworks
T. Henry SmithAmerican, active 1843 - c. 1903
William Penn named this hill Fairmount and enjoyed viewing the Schuylkill River scenery from its summit. When Philadelphia built the water works facility here, a 3-million-gallon reservoir was excavated at the top of the hill to supply neighboring homes and businesses with water. Smith portrayed Fairmount as an idealized place where technology and nature coexisted, creating a stable foundation for the modern city in the background.
This record is part of an ongoing effort to share accurate and evolving information. If you notice anything we should improve, we welcome your feedback at [email protected]
Images on this site are shared for educational use. For image rights, permissions, or to learn more about image rights and access, email [email protected]