Place: Philadelphia (Pa.) / Language: English / Year: <span class="single" data-blrl-single="1832">1832</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

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]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute manuscript collection, 1762-2003 (inclusive)

Extent:: 40.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most significant science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute manuscript collection, 1762-2003, includes small groups (less than 1 linear foot each) of papers of scientists, inventors, science-oriented groups and organizations, industrial businesses, and others in the scientific community, as well as other science and engineering related materials.

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

Franklin Institute records, 1824-2016 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1225.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Franklin Institute records, 1824-2016, consist of administrative and financial records, membership materials, files from various departments and committees at The Franklin Institute, property records and materials relating to the Institute's building, photographs and audiovisual materials, publications, marketing materials, ephemera, and other materials.

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

Reference collection, 1874-2000 (bulk) 1690-2010 (inclusive)

Extent:: 86.0 linear feet
Abstract:: In the early part of the nineteenth century, Philadelphia City Council took action to protect the purity of public water. This involved the acquisition of property on the banks of the Schuylkill River in order to eliminate polluting waste that had previously been generated by various industrial sites along the river. The City’s newly acquired property was dedicated to the health and enjoyment of the citizens of Philadelphia, and became known as Fairmount Park. The Fairmount Park Commission (FPC) was established by Act of the Assembly, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, March 26, 1867. Over the course of this organization’s history (1867 to 2010) the FPC continued to acquire land for the people of Philadelphia, and operated with a single continuous mission: to preserve and protect its open space; provide opportunities for recreation; maintain the landscapes and structures, streams and woodlands that exist within the Fairmount Park System. This collection contains various materials that...(see more)

Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]

Germantown Historical Society collection on the Wister family, 1814-1966 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.8 linear feet
Abstract:: The Wisters were a prominent merchant family, established in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 18th century. The family built many homes in the area which are now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Germantown Historical Society collection on the Wister family, 1814-1966, is comprised of materials created by various members of the Wister family, such as business records, correspondence, diaries, knitting patterns, and photographs.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

Germantown Historical Society small collections, 1764-1989 (inclusive)

Extent:: 42.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Germantown Historical Society small collections, 1764-1989, consists of small accumulations of records and papers from various families, individuals, and organizations based in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. There are four general groups of materials: "Organizational records," "Family and personal papers," "Unprocessed papers," and "Small manuscript collection." Rough, preliminary inventories exist for the first three groups and are provided below. There is an online finding aid for the fourth group, "Small manuscript collection," at http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/HSP_GHS34SM.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

Helen M. Beitler ephemera collection, 1728-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:: 40.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Helen Morris Beitler (1915-2002) was a collector of books and 18th, 19th and early 20th century ephemera. She collected trade cards, bill heads, catalogs, and other ephemera, focusing on trades and tools, children's literature, boating, advertising, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania history, and the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. The Helen M. Beitler ephemera collection, 1728-1987, focuses on Philadelphia, sports, civic matters, and business and industry, although many other subjects are represented.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Philadelphia History Museum local history collection, circa 1682-2014

Extent:: 150.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was founded in 1682 by William Penn. Because of its central location among the American colonies, Philadelphia became a gathering place for American revolutionaries during the Revolutionary War era and served as the temporary capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. In the 19th century, Philadelphia became a major hub for railroad transportation and home to a variety of industries. As of 2014, Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, known for its arts, culture, and parks. The Philadelphia History Museum local history collection, circa 1682-2014, consists of a wide variety of paper materials from, or relating to, the Philadelphia region from the late 17th century to the 21st century. The collection is particularly strong in visual documentation and in printed materials, although there are also a large quantity of manuscript and other written documents. An extensive number of individuals, families, businesses,...(see more)

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1816-2016

Extent:: 50.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 6th and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was established as Bethel Church in 1794 by Richard Allen (1760-1830). Allen was a former slave who purchased his freedom in 1783 and preached to African Americans in various Mid-Atlantic states until settling in Philadelphia in 1786, where he became a leader of the city's African American community. Bethel and other black Methodist congregations united in 1816 to organize the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America. Allen was appointed its first bishop and Bethel Church became Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the mother church of the denomination. As of 2016, Mother Bethel remains a prominent and progressive congregation. Its current church building, dedicated in 1890, still sits on the land purchased by Allen in the 1790s, making it the oldest parcel of real estate in the United States continuously owned by African-Americans. The Mother Bethel...(see more)

Held at: Richard Allen Museum Archives [Contact Us]

Ryerss family papers, 1758-1931 (inclusive)

Extent:: 10.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Waln family were prominent Philadelphia Quakers who made a fortune in the 18th-century China Trade and descended from the original Pennsylvania settler Nicholas Waln. Joseph Waln Ryerss built Burholme as his summer house in 1859, and upon his death he left it to his son, Robert Waln Ryerss (1831-1896). Robert Waln Ryerss was a lawyer. He scandalized Philadelphia society by marrying his housekeeper, Mary Ann Reed, eight months before his death. Mary Ann remarried, and spent the rest of her life traveling to collect items for the museum now located in Ryerss' mansion. The Ryerss family papers, 1758-1931, contain documents, photographs, and volumes. Most of the collection relates to Robert W. Ryerss, his Waln antecedents, or his wife Mary Ann Reed (later Bawn).

Held at: Ryerss Museum and Library [Contact Us]

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