From Reservoir to Art Museum

From Reservoir to Art Museum (HM20FF)

Location: Philadelphia, PA 19130 Philadelphia County
Buy Pennsylvania State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 57.883', W 75° 10.75'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 448 views
Inscription
This hill, called "Faire Mount", once held a reservoir that fed Schuykill River water down through hollow logs to Philadelphia's homes and hydrants.
But years of pollution from coal mines, dairy farms and towns upstream made the water undrinkable. The city closed the reservoir in 1909.
Meanwhile, art lovers had been seeking a new home for the "Pennsylvania Museum", which had opened in Memorial Hall for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. By the early 1890s, the building had become outmoded and overcrowded. It was also too far from downtown.
The old reservoir caught their eye. In 1911, a team of architects - including several who had submitted proposals for the design of the Parkway - began plans for an art museum.
The Parkway opened in 1918; The Philadelphia Museum of art, in 1928. The new museum made a perfect endpoint for the grand boulevard.
First Museum Director, Fiske Kimball
Just 36 when hired, Fiske Kimball supervised the completion of the museum. Inspired by other museums, he acquired "period rooms" from around the world, including lavish interiors from England, France and the United States.
Kimball implemented programs and policies that made the museum accessible and enjoyable for the general public. He also convinced
patrons to donate money, and their art collections, even after the 1929 stock market crash.
Kimball led the Philadelphia Museum of Art until 1955.
Details
HM NumberHM20FF
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, August 5th, 2017 at 7:01am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 484698 N 4423856
Decimal Degrees39.96471667, -75.17916667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 57.883', W 75° 10.75'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 57' 52.98" N, 75° 10' 45" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)215, 267, 717, 484, 610
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 76 State Rte 3007, Philadelphia PA 19130, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?