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Start Over Place Philadelphia (Pa.) Creator Philadelphia (Pa.). Water Department Year 1891

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Philadelphia Water Department records and collection on Fairmount Water Works, 1801-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.33 linear feet
Abstract:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first city in the United States to provide water as a public utility and was known for its advances in water distribution technology, such as using a centralized distribution system and employing the use of hydropower for pumps. The Philadelphia Water Department (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) traces its roots to 1799 when the Joint Committee on Supplying the City with Water (known as the Watering Committee) was established by the city council in response to pressure from the city's residents to provide them with clean water for drinking, fire fighting, and cleansing the streets following a series of yellow fever epidemics. The Fairmount Water Works (FWW), Philadelphia's second water works, began operating in 1815 and remained in use until 1909. Regarded as a significant achievement in civil engineering, FWW was also an important Philadelphia landmark and tourist attraction. In the early twenty-first century, Philadelphia operates three water...(see more)

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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Philadelphia Water Department lantern slides, circa 1885-1925

Extent:
5.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first city in the United States to provide water as a public utility and was known for its advances in water distribution technology, such as using a centralized distribution system and employing the use of hydropower for pumps. The Philadelphia Water Department (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) traces its roots to 1799 when the Joint Committee on Supplying the City with Water (known as the Watering Committee) was established by the city council in response to pressure from the city's residents to provide them with clean water for drinking, fire fighting, and cleansing the streets following a series of yellow fever epidemics. The Philadelphia Water Department lantern slides, circa 1885-1925, consist of two hundred and ninety-four lantern slides depicting images of documents, machinery, and other subjects related to the Water Department's research and operations.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]