From 1815 to 1909 the Fairmount Water Works served Philadelphia by supplying drinking water from the Schuykill River to Reservoirs once located behind you.
1815: Engine House (1) contained wood burning steam engines that powered water pumps.
1821: Site converted to water power. Fairmount Dam (2) diverted river water througha man-made Forebay (3) into Old Mill House (4). Inside, water wheels powered pumping equipment.
1862: New Mill House (5) held state-of-the-art water-powered turbines.
1872: Old Mill House rebuilt to house large turbines. Great Pavilion (6) added between new Entrance Houses (7).
1909: Water Works closed, replaced by more modern pumping stations.
1920s: Forebay (3) filled-in during art museum construction.
1950s: Canal and lock (8) that allowed boats to pass around the dam removed during expressway construction.

Visitors have long-enjoyed the site's beauty and recreational opportunities.
1830s: South Garden (9) and Eagle Pavilion (10) welcomed visitors during site's heyday. Steep wooden stairs connected to spectacular views at Mercury Pavilion (11) (Located to your right). Boat races and ice skating began on pond-like waters behind the dam (12).
1844: City purchased Lemon Hill Estate (13), first piece of Fairmont park. thousands of acres later added
to protect city's water supply and provide recreation space.
1860: Increasing popularity of rowing led to construction of permanent boathouses on Boathouse Row (14).
1870s: New Cliffside Paths (15) connected various attractions including fashionable 'natural'-styled Rustic pavilion (16), today recreated in steel.

(i) Tucked beneath the decks of this site, the Fairmount Water Works Interpretative Center features highly interactive exhibits which trace the origins of the Water Works and make this engineering marvel both understandable and interesting.

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